Should You Go Organic?

I think that the organic food craze is something that will stick around for some time. Personally, I don't care at all about buying organic. When I go grocery shopping, my focus is on the generic stuff! Low prices are what drive me right now. However, if I did have the cash to throw any which way, I may very well give the organic thing a try. When I think of organic foods, I think "clean" or "safe" or "natural." Those are appealing qualities in food. In fact, there is one product that I am willing to pay more for, and that is my eggs. For the last year, I have been buying (and eating, of course) Eggland's Best eggs. They honestly look better than regular eggs. They are from vegetarian-fed hens only, and they have less cholesterol. They cost about $2.50 for a dozen, which isn't cheap for eggs, but I really do think they are worth it.

I shop at Hannaford's, and they have an organic section in their fresh fruit/vegetable area. The fruits that are organic are much pricier than the normal fruits. When it comes to fruit, I mean come on - it's all healthy! I think that it is ridiculous to spend the loot on organic fruits and vegetables. If the prices were the same, then sure, get the organic - but they are way higher, and it just smells like a load of bologna to the skeptical side of me. If I were to buy organics, I think my first step would be towards organic meats. Meats are for some reason the foods that I think of as being questionable, so buying organic might curb my bad meat paranoia somewhat.

I actually feel that the fact that many organic products are smaller and have imperfections works to their advantage. It makes them come off as less processed. For example, organic hamburger buns are way smaller (the ones at Hannaford's, that is) than the regular buns. However, they just look more like they were made the old-fashioned way. It's almost like the "shabby chic" phenomenon, applied to foods.