Mush Ado About Organics: Is Organic Baby Food Really Better?

Parenting has become a political quagmire that sends even the most laid-back folk into paroxysms of worry about everything from optional vaccines to whether or not your tot is getting the necessary dose of Mozart to ensure entrance to an Ivy League university. As mom of three young kids, I know all too well how easy it is to sweat the small stuff. That said, what our children put in their mouths day after day is certainly something to consider carefully. Just take it all with a grain of salt (metaphorically speaking, of course).

First off, lets get clear on what organic food is and is not: According to the experts (even those who work for organic food companies), there is no nutritional difference between organic baby food and conventional baby food. What organic baby food offers isnt so much more of the good stuff, but less of the bad stuff.

Lizzie Vann, founder of the British childrens food company Organix, puts it this way: Organic food's strength lies in what it doesn't contain. This stretches well beyond excluding agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, to prohibition of artificial preservatives, colors, sweeteners, residual antibiotics, hydrogenated fats, processing aids and meaningless starches. There is, in fact, only food in organic food.

And thats a good thing, especially for tiny people. Because children eat two to four times as much food per pound of body weight compared to adults, it only makes sense to ensure that theyre ingesting as few contaminants as possible, particularly when their immature systems have a harder time excreting those contaminants.

Since contaminants and pesticides are such clinical terms, lets bring it home, so to speak. Were essentially talking about manmade chemicals of which many of those used on crops are increasingly considered to cause health problems, including cancer and Lou Gehrigs disease.

If this isnt enough to sway you, read on: Organic is also better for the environment, which, of course, is also better for you. The simple definition of organic is food thats grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Conversely, conventional farming often results in topsoil erosion and is leading to the development of resistant strains of insects or pests, which of course leads to use of more pesticides and so on.

In short, organic farming seems to have the least negative impact on the environment and offer the greatest benefits for people, both now and in the future.

There is a catch, of course. At this point in time, organic food (including baby food) generally costs more. And with all the added expense that a new baby adds to a household, you and your wallet may be groaning at the prospect of shelling out even more.

But choosing organic, at least some of the time, quite simply means a healthier baby and a healthier planet. And doesnt that sound sweet?

Leslie Garrett is an award-winning journalist, childrens author & mom of three young children. Visit her at VirtuousConsumer.com