Guest guest Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Yes, I hope to make my own baby food, it's gotta be pretty easy to mush up the same veggies that we eat. Of course, I won't be needing to do that for quite some time as I'd like to breastfeed as long as possible. I'm weary about companies such as Gerber who are promoting " organic " lables. A while back we were discussing the outrage of Congress voting to diminish organic standards, which is being led by the OTA (see link below). Large corporate grocers are really having an effect with OTA because of the money they are pouring into them. Check out this site for articles about how politics and lobbyists are attempting to destroy the sanctity of organic foods: http://www.organicconsumers.org/index.htm I have visited Dr. Alan Greene's website quite a bit. I like the things that he says. When the question comes up here on the list about what to make for kids lunches, check out his site, http://www.drgreene.com . He's got some great ideas mostly focusing on organic and vegetarian foods. Denise , " Amy " <sandpiperhiker> wrote: > > I'm sure you know all this, but I hadn't heard about the study showing > the dramatic drop in pesticides when kids' diets were switched to > organic... > > http://news./s/ap/20051102/ap_on_he_me/fit_organic_kids > > Parents Turn to Organic Over Food Fears > By LIBBY QUAID, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago > > WASHINGTON - Erin O'Neal has two daughters and a fridge stocked with > organic cheese, milk, fruits and vegetables in her Annapolis, Md., home. > > She is among the increasing number of parents who buy organic to keep > their children's diets free of food grown with pesticides, hormones, > antibiotics or genetic engineering. > > " The pesticide issue just scares me — it wigs me out to think about > the amount of chemicals that might be going into my kid, " said O'Neal, 36. > > Sales of organic baby food have jumped nearly 18 percent since last > year — double the overall growth of organic food sales, according to > the marketing information company ACNielsen. > > As demand has risen, organic food for children has been popping up > outside natural food stores. > > For example, Earth's Best baby food, a mainstay in Whole Foods and > Wild Oats markets, just reached a national distribution deal with Toys > R Us and Babies R Us. Gerber is selling organic baby food under its > Tender Harvest label. Stonyfield Farm's YoBaby yogurt can be found in > supermarkets across the country. > > The concern about children is that they are more vulnerable to toxins > in their diets, said Alan Greene, a pediatrician in northern > California. As children grow rapidly, their brains and organs are > forming and they eat more for their size than do grown-ups, Greene said. > > " Pound for pound, they get higher concentrations of pesticides than > adults do, " said Greene, who promotes organic food in his books and on > his Web site, http://www.drgreene.com. > > New government-funded research adds to the concern. A study of > children whose diets were changed from regular to organic found their > pesticide levels plunged almost immediately. The amount of pesticide > detected in the children remained imperceptible until their diets were > switched back to conventional food. > > " We didn't expect that to drop in such dramatic fashion, " said Emory > University's Chensheng Lu, who led the > Environmental Protection Agency-funded research. Lu's findings will be > published in February in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. > > Scientists are still trying to figure out how pesticides affect > children, Lu said, but he notes that it took years to prove the health > hazards of lead. > > The uncertainty is driving parents, especially new or expecting > mothers, to switch to organic food. Many are even making their own > baby food from organic ingredients. > > " Maybe that has the reputation of being difficult, but it doesn't have > to be, and once you get into the habit of doing something regularly, > it gets to be easier, " said Jody Villecco, a nutritionist for Whole Foods. > > In a traveling lecture series for Whole Foods and Mothering magazine, > Villecco demonstrates by shaving a peeled banana with a knife to make > mush — " There, we just made baby food, " she said. She recommends > people make baby food in big batches and freeze it in ice cube trays. > > Eating organic is definitely not cheap. But Green and Lu said parents > have options if they can't afford the food or don't want to search for > it or make it: Buy fruits and vegetables known to have lower pesticide > residues. > > The Environmental Working Group, a Washington-based advocacy group, > has produced a guide to the pesticide levels in fruits and vegetables > commonly sold in grocery stores, basing the findings on data from the > Agriculture Department and > Food and Drug Administration. > > The guide says the lowest pesticide levels are found in asparagus, > avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, > onions, papaya, pineapples and sweet peas. > > The highest pesticide levels, meanwhile, are found in apples, bell > peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, > pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries. > > Beyond baby food, dairy and produce, snacks are also a rapidly growing > segment of organic food, according to the Organic Trade Association, > an industry group. > > Snacks are a priority for Susan Guegan, 44, a mother of four boys in > Boulder, Colo. Guegan made their food from scratch when they were > babies. Now she buys organic versions of the cookies and hot dogs they > ask for. > > " They love Oreos, " she said. " They'll say, `Can we get this?' I'm > like, `Can you read me the ingredients?' They'll laugh and try to say > some of them. I'll say, `You can put that back.' " > > ___ > > On the Net: > > Organic Trade Association: http://www.ota.com > > Environmental Working Group guide: > http://www.foodnews.org/pdf/walletguide.pdf > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 3, 2005 Report Share Posted November 3, 2005 Yeah, I'm alittle p-o'd abot the organic labeling. :-7 Glad you liked the article though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 5, 2005 Report Share Posted November 5, 2005 Hi Denise: It is really very easy to make your own baby food. Since you usually start with cereal and fruit. You cook up the fruit with a little bit of water until soft and then just mash it up. The same with the veggies you can steam them up and then just mash. Gayle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.