Should I feed my toddler organic foods?

July 07, 2013|By Kathy Lauer-Williams, Of The Morning Call

Q: Many of my friends are feeding their toddlers only foods that are labeled "organic" or "whole." These foods are very expensive, and I wonder if they are worth the additional cost. I don't feed my 2-year-old son junk foods and I make balanced meals, but I am wondering if this is enough to keep my son healthy.

A: Each parent must make his or her own decision for the family, but there are many reasons to consider eating organic foods, the Help For Families panel says.

"The closer you get to unprocessed, the better the nutrition of the products," panelist Denise Continenza says. "There are more vitamins and nutrients in whole foods and fewer pesticides."

Organic means fruits and vegetables that haven't been treated with pesticides, and meats that come from animals that aren't given antibiotics and growth hormones.

Whole foods are those that haven't been processed or refined and are free of chemicals, additives and preservatives.

Try to reduce the toxins in your food as much as possible, says panelist Rochelle Freedman. You can be frugal on certain things, but some kinds of fruits and vegetables have been found to have more pesticides than others.

The Environmental Working Group, a national group that researches environmental issues, tested fruits and vegetables for pesticide contamination and found apples and strawberries contain the most pesticides.

Other fruits and vegetables that contained higher amounts of pesticides are grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, bell peppers, nectarines, cucumbers, potatoes, cherry tomatoes and hot peppers.

The foods the group found least contaminated are corn, onions, pineapples, avocados, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, papayas, mangoes, asparagus, eggplant, kiwi, grapefruit, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes and mushrooms.

Freedman says if you can buy only a few organic foods, she would recommend you buy organic apples and apple juice, strawberries and carrots.

Root crops, such as carrots, can become contaminated because they absorb herbicides, pesticides and fungicides that wind up in the soil, says Joanne Nigito-Raftas.

"There is validity to the reason for making these decisions," Nigito-Raftas says.

Young children are most susceptible to contaminants in their food, says panelist Bill Vogler. As they get older, their immune systems gets stronger.

One option is to make your own baby food which is cheaper than buying jarred baby food, Nigito-Raftas says.

It is relatively easy to use a hand-cranked baby food mill or kitchen blender to make baby food out of the same food the rest of the family is eating. Note that, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents not to feed beets, carrots, green beans, spinach and squash, which can contain nitrates, to babies under 3 months old.

Another option is to grow your own garden with your children.

Vogler gives you kudos for being concerned about what your son eats.

"When shopping, stay away from the middle of the grocery store, and don't go to fast-food restaurants," he says. "That's half the battle."



Look for unprocessed foods that contain more vitamins and nutrients.

If you can buy only a few organic foods, buy organic apples and apple juice; strawberries and carrots.

Make your own baby food out of fresh foods.

Plant your own garden and get your children involved.

When shopping, stay away from the middle of the grocery store.


Parenting experts and guest panelists who helped this week:




Bill Vogler, executive director of Family Answers, Allentown.


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