Organic Baby Food: Better for Your Baby?

Organic Baby Food: Better for Your Baby?

A parent is faced with many choices to make before as well as after the baby is born. Whether it is finding the best daycare or choosing the right equipment for your baby, expenses for new parents tend to add real fast.

In an attempt to save money, new parents could be wondering if buying organic food for their babies is worth it. It is not unusual for parents to go for a lower-cost conventional baby food option to save the few extra pennies they would have to pay for organic food.

The benefits of consuming organic food are widely known and, most notably, for toddlers. Hence, for baby development it is crucial to consider organically grown food. Food that is certified organic in the US is grown without the use of bioengineered genes (GMO), synthetic pesticides, sewage sludge-based fertilizers, and petroleum-based fertilizers.

According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), organic animals should also be raised in a way that naturally supports their health and behavior. They must be fed a 100% certified organic diet, they must live on land that has been certified organic, and where they get year-round access to the outdoors, they shouldn’t be treated with hormones, antibiotics, or other prohibited ingredients.

Organic crop growers must also avoid using any genetically modified seeds and instead utilize other methods like crop rotation, to preserve fertility and soil quality. In place of herbicides, pesticides, or fungicides, USDA emphasizes those organic growers strongly rely on the PAMS (Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring, and Suppression) strategy for safe pest management.

But why is organic food more expensive? Well, because providing safe and better living surroundings for domestic animals, obtaining and maintaining organic certification, and employing other useful organic practices cost more than the methods conventional farmers use.

This is why organic foods are slightly more expensive than non-organic food. The organic price tag is a way that closely reflects the real cost of growing food: the intensive management for chemicals, substituting labor, environmental, and health costs that are borne by society.

So is organic food better for your baby? Is it worth to pay a little more for organic food? We look at the benefits of organic food to your baby:

Limited Chemical Exposure

Organic food is a better choice for your baby because of the lack of chemical exposure. There are toxins in pesticides used on crops that could cause a host of health problems that could affect the baby’s growth rate, brain development, and overall health.

Pesticides may be linked to an increased risk of developmental and behavioral issues, hormonal and neurological issues, cancer, and other health problems.

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Better Mental Health

There is a direct correlation between disease and diet, which means that the risks of ADD, concentration problems and depression can be lowered by feeding your baby organic baby food. 

Better Physical Health

Based on this nutritional study, it was discovered that two-year-olds who were fed exclusively organic dairy products developed fewer incidents of wheezing and eczema. This helps reduce the chances of your baby being diagnosed with asthma.

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Environmentally Friendly

Conventional foods or non-organic foods are sprayed with chemicals like pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. These chemicals have been designed to remain on the plant, but when it rains, a portion of them will wash off and be absorbed in the surrounding groundwater and soil, which eventually affects even the wildlife.

Better Taste

Even with all the research surrounding organic foods, there is no denying that organic food tastes better than conventional food. When you start your baby on solids, organic food will allow your baby’s palate to enjoy what is in the mouth.

A good number of parents prefer organic baby food because it simply tastes better with others, prefers it because it is environmentally friendly.

However, what is most important is a balanced diet. Giving your baby homemade organic baby food from the beginning will help set your kids up for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Contributed Author Nancy Baker – a founder of childmode.com

feature Photo by Derek Owens on Unsplash

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