To keep in line with Real Simple’s Take Back Dinnertime Challenge (Week 2 — Get Organized), I wanted to dig deeper into the organization-side of meals. Why?

Because it haunts me. Every. Single. Day.

While I always plan weekly dinners for my family, I’m often plagued by a crowded kitchen, stressful preparation and many calls to my husband to pick up a missing ingredient on his way home from work.

I also believe what’s really behind the no-time-to-cook complaint is a lack of organization. Unfortunately, there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution. Everyone needs to find a system that works for them.

So I reached out to the universe and got some inspiring ideas for stress-free dinners and an organized kitchen (hint: these two things go together). If you get through all 8 tips, you get the chance to win an incredibly helpful book.

1. Commit Yourself: “Without a commitment to regular family dinners nothing is going to work,” says Susan Nicholson, RD, and author of the 7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies. “It’s the most important first step for taking control of dinnertime.”

Nicholson, a veteran meal-planner herself, explains that like anything new or challenging there will be times you want to quit. But with a strong commitment you will get through it and slowly build the foundation needed. She assures me that meal planning and preparation gets much easier with time.

2. Clear the Decks: “Eliminating visual clutter can help tremendously,” says Dawn Perry, food editor at Real Simple. “It helps make the kitchen a place you want to be.”

She advises people to remove unnecessary items off their counter-tops. For example, if you only use your blender once a week it might be better stored in a cabinet.

Trust me, once you clear the counter space, you’ll instantly feel better.

3. When it doubt, throw it out:
While you’re organizing the kitchen, you might as well tackle the cabinets and refrigerator.

“If you haven’t used it in 6 months, throw it out,” says Perry. “Make sure to keep the items you use most often close at hand.”

I went through my cabinets last weekend and it has been much easier finding things for meal preparation. If you can, spend one day a week re-organizing your cabinets and refrigerator.

4. Make a weekly meal plan:
Both Perry and Nicholson recommend planning meals one week in advance (if meal planning is not for you, see number 5). Nicholson says to pull out the calendar so you can choose meals with your family’s activities in mind.

In the 7 Day Menu Planner for Dummies. Nicholson shows you how to strategically pick the right meals. Making a roast chicken on Sunday, for example, and using the leftover chicken for some of the week’s simple meals can be a life saver. And a slow cooker meal is a perfect solution to complement weeknight activities like sport practices.

She also advises the head meal planner (usually mom) to include everyone in the meal planning. This makes kids feel more excited for– and involved in– this important ritual.

5. Think outside the meal planning box:
When one mom left a comment saying she knew the meal planning advice by heart but still didn’t do it, I knew it wasn’t for her. The truth? Some people don’t do well with weekly meal planning.

To give you some ideas, one reader wrote in saying she has a list of 16 meals on her fridge of which she always has the ingredients. She goes through this list when it’s done she starts over. She likes it because if they have to miss dinner one day it doesn’t throw the whole week off.

Every 2-3 weeks, Michelle Segar at Smart Women Don’t Diet, slow cooks 10 garlic cloves cut up for 30-40 minutes in about ½ bottle of virgin olive oil, about 15-20 ounces, on very low heat. Then she pours it into a small glass pitcher with a “pour” feature.

She uses this garlic-infused oil for most of her cooking. She buys the veggies and adds other items depending on what she’s got. She cooks all of the ingredients in the oil, adding garbanzo beans, cooked rice and chicken…whatever inspires her that day.

Bottom line: if traditional meal planning isn’t working for you, try something that more closely matches your cooking personality.

6. Do the work ahead of time:
I get many comments from working moms struggling to get dinner on the table. Doing the preparation on the weekend, or when you have more time, is a good solution.

For example, one of my coworkers takes a few hours every Sunday to make the week’s meals and then freezes them. All she has to do during the week is reheat, make a salad or cut up fruit. Others like to do their cooking once a month (check out Once a Month Mom for meal plans).

Jodi, a busy mom, likes to double the recipe on items like lasagna, casseroles and meat (with the marinade), and freezes the other half.

“It’s great to have homemade freezer meals prepared for those nights with sports practice, school meetings, scouts, church studies, etc,” she says. ” Just defrost and pop in the oven, there’s hardly any extra dishes!”

7. Cut your veggies ASAP: My friend Beth Hirsch, also known as The Cooking Coach, advises her clients to do the chopping right when they get home from their shopping trip. She also suggests placing the chopped veggies in baggies or small containers and putting them in a basket or open container on a shelf in the fridge so they are easier to find.

I did this last Sunday — cut up some raw veggies for the week and onions/celery for salads. I even made the tuna salad!

8. Have back up meals: In her book, Nicholson includes 10 meals to make when you have “one of those days.” You know what I’m talking about. Those ultra-stressful days you don’t want to set foot in a kitchen, much less make dinner.

Having the makings for super quick meals is key whether the meal is spaghetti with meatballs or easy Mexican like quesadillas. It can also be a freezer meal you made ahead of time (see number 6). Nicholson recommends making a generic pasta sauce and having it on hand to use on top of ravioli/pasta or for a quick pizza.

Organization can make or break your meal-planning efforts
We live in a different time than our parents and grandparents did. If we want our kids to get all the benefits of family dinners, we need to be creative. And organizing and planning — in a way that works for individual lifestyles — makes this important ritual happen.

Nicholson was nice enough to send me two copies of her book, 7-Day Menu Planner for Dummies. I’m very impressed with the depth of this book and plan to use the advice and nutritious recipes. I want one of you to get a copy too.

For a chance to win a copy of the book, leave a comment about how organizing is going for you (can be good, bad or neutral). And for an extra entry, share this article on Facebook, twitter or via email. Just leave a second comment so that entry will count.

This is a guest post from one of our passionate readers and mom of two young girls, Ramona Underwood. She wrote me suggesting I write a piece on gardening. Since it was obvious she was the real expert, I asked her to write it. Below are her how-to’s on getting started with your own vegetable garden.

I’ve enjoyed gardening ever since I was a child. I like watching things grow and develop too, whether it is a plant, animal, or my children. I LOVE watching my children discover their environment and the wonders around us.

It is important to me for my children, two girls aged 5 and 2, to learn where food comes from and to at least teach them, hopefully, the joy of tending a garden. My family has a small garden; one large enough to feed a family of four that still produces enough to share and preserve some.

If you have thought about growing a garden, what’s stopping you? Here are some easy steps for making it happen.

1. Start with container gardening: Container gardening is a good start for those of you who might be intimidated or have little space. It can also be a good way to try out one plant that may be a little ‘odd’ for your family, or to plant one of your child’s choices that you may not be sure of.

When it comes to containers you have to make sure you have the correct sized container for the plant(s). You also need to purchase the best potting mix you can find; go ahead and buy the best soil at the nursery/lawn & garden center. You will save a lot of disappointment and frustration as your plants will have a solid foundation to start from.

An excellent resource for container gardening can be found here.

2. Choose the right veggies: Many of your traditional ’space hog’ veggies may have a container appropriate variety, i.e. bush green beans, patio tomatoes, patio/container cucumbers and many others. These can be found as seeds or plants at most gardening centers.

Many vegetables can be grown in containers, and some make better companions than others. This site, is another resource for putting together containers, but also provides information on which vegetables to choose.

The Best Vegetables for Containers:Potatoes, chard, lettuce, cherry and bush tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash, Asian greens, pole beans. And don’t forget herbs!

Planting Depth
Here are the minimum soil depths for healthy growth. Keep in mind that you can get by with less depth if you use a self-watering planter.

• 4-5 inches: chives, lettuce, radishes, other salad greens, basil, coriander
• 6-7 inches: bush beans, garlic, kohlrabi, onions, Asian greens, peas, mint, thyme
• 8-9 inches: pole beans, carrots, chard, cucumber, eggplant, fennel, leeks, peppers, spinach, parsley, rosemary
• 10-12 inches: beets, broccoli, okra, potatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, dill, lemongrass

Good Companions:
• Beans, carrots, squash
• Eggplant, beans
• Tomatoes, basil, onions
• Lettuce, herbs
• Spinach, chard, onions

Combinations to Avoid:
• Beans with onions and garlic
• Carrots with dill or fennel
• Tomatoes or squash with potatoes
• Onions with beans and peas

4. Graduate to raised bed gardening: If you have the space and are ready for more than I suggest raised bed gardening. I have found that container grown plants do not last as long as those planted in the ground.

I have two garden ‘beds’; one is 3′ x 6′ and the other is 3′ x 9′ and are contained by frames. In these two relatively small spaces I am growing tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, dill, basil, green beans, basil, dill, and marigolds thrown in for color. There aren’t many plants, sometimes there is only one, but this produces enough for us to eat fresh home grown vegetables during the summer.

Since the soil should be more fertile, and easier to amend, the plants are planted closer together. With the plants closer together and with a heavy layer of straw or old hay as mulch, there are much fewer weeds and watering requirements. This means that you spend more time enjoying your garden. You can step back and watch it grow, focus on your harvest and not become frustrated trying to wrestle the weeds. If you see some trying to grow, they are easily plucked out as you harvest or water.

5. Involve the Kids:
My girls help with plant choices and planting, they watch the blooms come, and the vegetables grow. They enjoy seeing the different shapes, colors, and varieties that emerge.

They will try different things while exploring the garden that they wouldn’t even touch at the dinner table. Both my girls will pick bell peppers off the plant and eat them like apples. If I were to take the same peppers, even if they picked them, and try to incorporate them into the meal, they won’t eat them. But, I am sure they will someday.

While picking green beans this summer, my youngest sat in my lap and ate every single one as soon as I put it in the bucket. She is learning there is a difference in taste and texture between raw and cooked. Both girls enjoy watching the process of turning a cucumber into a pickle.

You can choose to either continue to garden into a fall season, or go ahead and ‘put the garden to bed’. I usually find our fall activities limit us, so I close up the garden once the summer plants are done.

The biggest thing to remember is to enjoy yourself. It’s fun! Let your kids learn where food comes from and that it doesn’t miraculously appear in the produce section of the grocery store. Let them learn and you learn, how good home grown produce tastes.

Are you growing your own vegetables? And for those of you who aren’t, what’s been holding you back?

Since I starting cooking nearly 5 years ago, I’ve been slowly decreasing my dependence on convenience foods. While I do this for the obvious health reasons, what really motivates me is taste. The food that I make myself simply tastes better than many of the pre-made versions.

But like a lot of parents, I don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen so everything needs to be simple to prepare. With that in mind, here are 7 items that have recently been added to my “make myself” list.

1. Hummus: When I first tried to make hummus I gave up because my homemade version was missing that kick found in my favorite Trader Joe’s product. After trying this winning recipe from Janet at Nutrition Unplugged, I realized that adding extra garlic and peeling the skin off the chickpeas is key (makes it smoother). To remove the outer skin layer, place the beans in a colander and rub the skins off while rinsing.

With its protein content, healthy fats and superb taste and nutrition (rich in iron, folate, thiamin, zinc, magnesium and phytonutrients), hummus makes the perfect veggie dip or addition to any meal. I usually halve this recipe.

-4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
-2 16-oz. cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-2/3 cup tahini, well stirred
-Juice of 2 lemons
-1/4 cup olive oil
-water (as needed)
1 teaspoon salt
Optional garnish: whole chickpeas, toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, paprika, cumin or sumac

Combine all of the ingredients except the water and garnish in a food processor and process until smooth. Add water to thin hummus to the desired consistency (about 1/2 cup). Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil to keep the hummus from crusting, and add garnish. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with pita chips.

2. Pizza Dough: In one of my weekly meal plans I mentioned my failures making pizza dough. A few readers chimed in with how easy it is and that motivated me to continue trying. I found Fleishman’s Rapid Rise yeast at the grocery store and it was super simple. This is definitely Big A’s favorite meal to make.

For the recipe and even a video on how to make the dough, click here.

3. Salad dressing: I don’t remember the last time I bought bottled salad dressing. I always have trouble finding one that I really like and that contains the type of vegetable oils I prefer (olive oil). Once I found out how simple and tasty it is to make vinaigrettes, I’ve never gone back.

Right now my dressing of choice is a balsamic vinaigrette. In an old, cleaned out jelly jar, I add 4 parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar, a pinch of brown sugar and a crushed garlic clove. I recently tried this ranch dressing which is nice for dipping veggies.

4. Salsa: This recipe from the Pioneer Women is excellent and always gets rave reviews. I’ve tried making fresher salsas but this one tastes the best — and is great for adding to other recipes and for spicing up dishes like guacamole and taco meat.

-1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
-2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies — one mild one regular)
-1/4 cup Chopped Onion
-1 clove Garlic, Minced
-1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
-1/4 teaspoon Sugar
-1/4 teaspoon Salt
-1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
-1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)
-1/2 whole Lime Juice

This is a large batch for the food processor you will need to use a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl. I used a blender.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed. Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

5. Popsicles:It’s that time of the year that kids love something to keep cool. The easiest way to make popsicles is to freeze their favorite 100% juice in popsicles molds. You can do the same thing with a favorite fruit smoothie. So easy!

6. Oat Pancakes: I would go back and forth between making pancakes from scratch and using boxed versions. This recipe from All Recipes is now a family favorite and I think that buttermilk and quick cooking oats are the secret ingredients. I sometimes make this high-protein version for snack time sent in from Charlotte.

(Serves 4)
-1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)
-1/2 cup quick cooking oats
-1 tablespoon white sugar
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup buttermilk (low/reduced fat optional)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1 egg

Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth or just mix yourself (I did the latter).
Spray a griddle or frying pan with cooking spray and turn to medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot or freeze for later use.

7. Taco seasoning mix: I used to use those little packets to season meat for tacos and burritos but this recipe from the Meal Makeover Moms changed all that that. They suggest using garlic powder, cumin, chili powder and salsa instead. I use these same seasonings for bean burritos.

So tell me, what are some items you used to buy premade but now make yourself?

It’s official. Cantaloupes are in season (May to October). But I have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with the fruit.

Why I love them? They are sweet and tasty, my kids love them and they are packed with nutrition. One cup of melon provides over 100% the Daily Value of both vitamins A and C. So if your kid doesn’t eat his vitamin-A rich greens, this is the fruit for you!

What I hate about them? It’s hard to figure out if they are ripe or not. Nothing is worse then opening one up to find it is hard and tastes horrible. The same is true when you buy one that is mushy and overripe.

So for the past year I’ve been a student of cantaloupe. I’ve studied them, talked to the produce guy and think I have finally figured out to how to pick a good one. Here are 3 steps that are helpful:

1. Check the color: When choosing cantaloupe you first want to pick it up and look at the color. The lighter the color the better — a niece beige color is good. You want to avoid ones that look too green. This pup was perfect.

2. Check for softness on the blossom end: Check this side of the melon and press with your thumbs. It should have some give, but not too much.

3. Smell it! Ripe cantaloupes should smell sweet but if it is too smelly, it could be overripe. Check for a fragrant melon but it shouldn’t be overwhelming.

But then comes the moment of truth. Did I get it right? Will my kids be happy or sad? Open it up and you’ll know instantly.

This one is a keeper!

Does your family eat cantaloupe? What other melons do you enjoy?

Check out my guest post over at Organizing Your Way.  I write about 5 easy ways you can spring clean your family’s diet.  These are simple things you can do to boost nutrition without giving up taste. And while you’re there, read some of Mandi’s advice about organizing your home. I know I need all the help I can get!

In part 3 of this series we talked about planning a weeks’ worth of healthy meals to save time. But I think the most challenging part of the whole meal planning process is translating that plan into a readable grocery list — getting all the food you need and storing that food in an organized fashion.

I have been known, on occasion, to forget an ingredient or two and not discover it until it’s too late. My husband comes home, I cry, and he’s off to El Pollo Loco. Not fun.

Learning what leads to those bad weeks has helped me figure out what’s needed to make this process run smoothly. And I care because the better job I do meal planning and shopping, the better my whole week goes, and the less time I spend running back to the grocery store. So without further ado, here are some tips on how to maximize efficiency when grocery shopping:

1. Healthy Grocery Checklist: I’ve been using a pad of blank paper to write my grocery list on. The problem with this is food is listed randomly on the paper. So when I’m in the store, I’m more likely to miss something or have to backtrack to another department (not a good thing with kids in tow!).

So I devised a printable grocery list that also contains helpful nutrition tips. The idea is to hang it on your fridge and check off items as they run low so there are no fun surprises later. Then finish filling it out before your big shopping trip. This dowload is only available to subscribers so sign up today.

2. An organized kitchen: I often write about my lack of organization skills. But I know that having an organized kitchen is key to minimizing mistakes. Because when it comes time to write up your grocery list, you need to check and see if there’s anything you need. And if you have a pantry or fridge that looks like mine, that’s going to make life difficult (see “before” picture of cereal pantry below).

(I often blame my disorganized fridge on its small size but that’s just an excuse –even though a bigger fridge would help….)

To show you I’m serious about getting organized, I decided to revamp my food storage areas. So I cleaned out the pantry and fridge, labeling everything so even my husband knows where things go. I have decided to give it a touch up each week so it stays nice all week long. This blog is helping me to become accountable!

Before

After

After (sorry, accidently deleted the before pic)

3. Designate which ingredients are meal/recipe items: After figuring out which everyday items you need, you’ll have to list ingredients needed for your meals/recipes. I either highlight or circle them so they stand out from the other grocery items.

Why?

Because if you like how the week turns out, you can use the meal planning chart and grocery list again. Simply save the “good” weeks and soon you’ll have a collection to pull from. I’ve done this a couple of times and it was a lifesaver, especially for those super-busy weeks.

4. Going to The Grocery Store:I wish that there was one grocery store that had it all. I seem to need three of them (Trader Joe’s, Vons or Ralphs, Whole Foods), make that four if you count the farmer’s market. But going to each of them weekly is not realistic for a busy mom like me. So here’s what I do:

As I said in 5 Secrets to the Perfect Weekly Meal Plan, every Sunday is my big trip to get the bulk of groceries for the week. I do this big trip solo, during the kids nap, but sometimes my daughter will come with me if I do it earlier in the day.

I first go to Trader Joes and get all I can there and then head to the Ralphs next door to get the things Trader Joe’s doesn’t have. I usually have to go grocery shopping again sometime before the following weekend to get more fruits and veggies and little items for the weekend. This would also be the time I try and go to a farmers’ market, but I’m not always successful.

I also try to make it to Whole Foods once a month because there isn’t one near me. Whole Foods has some items the other stores don’t have like homemade baby food and frozen food items for kids (they have salmon fish sticks that are pretty good — too bad Anna won’t touch them!). I almost forgot about Costco. Luckily my husband works close to it so he gets the bulk items as we need them.

So what do you do? Any master grocery plan or do you just wing it? Do you think my fridge is small?

Next: 12 Tips for Getting Meals on the Table Fast.

Previous: Subscribe to be alerted of new posts

You’re in the grocery store selecting food for your family and you see a product claiming to have a certain nutrition benefit. Are you confused by it? Skeptical? Not sure exactly what the claim means?

Join the club.

Having worked in the food industry, I know what’s behind popular food claims. And while I don’t necessarily fault food companies, who basically follow the FDA’s lead, I do think that consumers aren’t always getting what they think they are getting.

Here are 5 nutrition claims that I believe lead consumers to believe something that just isn’t so.

1) All Natural: According to a recent survey of over 1000 consumers, products labeled “natural” were considered more eco-friendly than those labeled “organic.” Basically, people trust the “natural” label more than the “organic” one.

The truth is that there are FDA regulations for the use of the word “organic” in product labeling and advertising and none for “natural” (see organic posts for more details on buying organic). The FDA has not officially defined the term “natural.” In fact, they stick to their 1993 policy: “FDA has not established a formal definition for the term ‘natural’, however the agency has not objected to the use of the term on food labels provided it is used in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and the product does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.”

So just because a product says it’s “all natural” doesn’t mean it’s more nutritious than any other item. For example, cookies and baked goods contain “natural” sugar and white flour. Your best bet is to check the ingredient line to see what’s actually in the product. “Natural” really doesn’t tell you much.

2) Trans-fat Free: If trans-fat were a celebrity, it would never work in Hollywood again. Its negative publicity and health recommendations coupled with newer mandatory labeling on packages (starting in 2006) has consumers concerned. So when consumers see a “trans-fat free” food label, they feel good about buying it.

What consumers may not know is that most food companies have worked trans-fats out of their products so virtually all packaged goods are trans-fat free. Most often trans-fat is being replaced with saturated fat making the product only marginally better. It’s also important to remember that the FDA allows a trans-fat free claim if a product contains less than 0.5g of trans-fat. So check the ingredient line for key words like “hydrogenated vegetable oil” if you want to stay 100% clear of trans-fats.

3. Made with/good source of: I touched on what a “good source” means in my post about Juicy Juice claims. Basically, when you see that a product claims that it is a “good source” of a specific nutrient you know it contains at least 10% of the Daily Value. If it’s a type of ingredient like whole grains, (the claim is “made with whole grains”) it usually contains at least 10% of the Daily Recommended Value per serving. For example, the packaging on Nutri Grain waffles says that they are made with 5 grams of whole grains. If a consumer doesn’t know this, they might think the waffle is a whole grain product when it’s not. Instead it contains about 1/3rd of a whole grain serving.

Look for the Whole Grains Council’s whole grain stamp which means the product has at least 1/2 a serving of whole grains. The stamp has the grams listed on it (see right).

4. Contains omega-3 fatty acids: If you’ve been reading my posts you already know there are two very different kinds of omega-3 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) that comes from plant products like flax, walnuts and canola oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) that come mainly from marine sources like salmon and tuna. While ALA is beneficial for heart health, DHA and EPA provide a multitude of benefits including optimal brain development for children. If someone buys a product claiming to contain omega-3 fatty acids, they might think they are getting all of the beneficial fat that they need when the product really only contains ALA.

So check the label to see if there is DHA in the product. You can also check the ingredient line to see what type of omega-3 fatty acid it is. For more on this topic see What Most Parents Don’t Know About Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

5. No added sugars: Someone buying a product with the claim “no added sugars” might think they are getting a product that doesn’t contain sugar. What the claim really means is that no sugar or sugar-like ingredients are added during processing. If someone desires a product without sugar they should keep their eyes peeled for the “sugar-free” claim which means the product has less than 0.5g of sugar per serving.

Once you understand what nutrition claims really mean, they can actually help you choose food that you want for your family.

Confused about a specific food claim? Leave a comment or submit it through contact us.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters for more product/nutrition claim reviews.

Every time I cruise by the dairy isle of the grocery store my eyes fixate on the high price of organic milk. As a mom always trying to keep the food bill down, I keep asking myself if it’s really worth it to buy organic. So I did what I always do when faced with such a question: I put my research hat on.

But this one isn’t so easy. There aren’t studies showing that kids or adults who drink organic milk are better off than those who don’t. Instead, there are many theories as to why organic might be better. So I take what little is out there and build my case.

What you get with organic
In order for milk to be labeled as USDA Certified Organic, the cows producing the milk cannot be treated with antibiotics or synthetic growth hormones and their diet must be free of pesticides. So when you buy organic milk, you know that the milk is free of these additives.

Does this make organic milk better?
According to the National Dairy Council’s website,there is no difference between regular milk and organic in terms of quality, safety and nutrition. All milk is tested for antibiotics and is discarded if traces our found. They also state that extensive studies have found no difference between cows treated with rBST (Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin) and those without. And they say tests conclude that milk has the lowest levels of pesticides of all agriculture products.

According to the Organic Center, more sensitive government testing completed in 2004 demonstrates that milk contains more pesticides than previously thought (an average of 2.8 per sample). The good news is the amount of chemicals found was still far below safety levels. But because milk plays such a key role in the diet of growing children whose nervous and immune systems are still developing, there’s the unanswered question of the potential long-term effects.

There has also been speculation (and specific theories as to why that I won’t go into here) about the harmful effects of treating cows with rBST to help boost their milk supply. Even though research to support this is lacking, some conventional milk products have stopped using it (you’ve probably seen the label “milk from cows not treated with rBST”) and countries like Canada and the European Union have banned use of the hormone in dairy farming.

Is all organic milk created equal?
While everyone is focused on the use of antibiotics and hormones on cows, the most important factor nutritionally may be the diet of the cows. Cows fed (outdoors) diets of natural grass and clover (called “pasture feeding”) are superior nutritionally to cows fed (indoors) of grain, soy and other ingredients. A 2008 study published in Journal of the Study of Food and Agriculturefound that “pasture-fed” cows had lower levels of saturated fat and higher levels of monounsaturated fat, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and certain antioxidants. Preliminary evidence shows that CLA may have anti-cancer effects.

While most organic cows are more likely to have been pasture-fed, this may not always be the case. According to The Cornucopia Institute, a national organic watchdog representing family farmers, some of the large companies producing organic milk may not be following through with pasture feeding due to the sheer number of cows they have. The USDA requirements say that cows that produce organic milk should have “access to pasture” but that doesn’t always mean they get it.

In order to helps consumers get the most bang for the organic buck, The Cornucopia Institute rated dairy farmers on various criteria. Check it out.

My Conclusion
I take a conservative stance when it comes to feeding my children, which is why I choose to buy organic milk for my daughter – and will do the same when my son drinks milk after turning one. As for me and my husband who drink fat-free milk, sometimes I buy organic and sometimes I don’t. I have started looking for milk that comes from “pasture-fed” cows. I think this is especially important for babies and toddlers who are drinking whole and reduced fat milk.

I wish there was more data on this subject but I still feel good about my choice. Let other parents know what you have decided.

Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters to get more on smart shopping for your family.

Reference and Resources
National Dairy Council

Butler G, Nielson JH, Slots T, Seal C, Eyre MD, Sanderson R, Leifer C. Fatty acid and fat-soluble antioxidant concentrations in milk from hi- and low-input conventional and organic systems: seasonal variation. J Sci Food Agric. 2008; 88:1431-44.

USDA Certified Organic

Cornucopia Institute Organic Milk Score Card

Organic Center Q&A

WebMD article

In these tough economic times, many of us are looking for ways to cut spending. My family has already made sacrifices for me to stay at home but there was one aspect of our budget we hadn’t touched: our grocery bill. I admit to being oblivious to the price of food – and because I was buying mostly organic produce and dairy products – our monthly food bills kept gaining momentum.

I originally decided to buy organic fruits and vegetables because there are questions about the effects of pesticides on babies’ and children’s growing immune and nervous systems. And compared to other food products, fresh fruits and vegetables contain much of the pesticides people consume.

But as I did more research, I found smarter, more cost effective ways to shop for organic produce.

Not all produce is created equal. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), some conventional produce contains higher levels of pesticides and chemical residues than others. This list shows you when produce is worth the price of organic and when you might want to consider going conventional. 

In general, produce with thick skins that are only eaten after peeling, like avocados, tends to be lower in chemicals than produce with thinner skins. The top 5 offenders are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery and nectarines while the “cleanest” produce includes onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples and mangos.

According to the EWG, people who eat 12 of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables end up consuming 10 different pesticides daily, on average, compared to just under 2 in the 15 least-contaminated produce items.

Try out Your Local Farmers’ Market. Finding the right Farmers’ Market is like winning the food lottery. You save money as well as getting to know your local farmers. And even though not all the farmers have certified organic produce, most farm without the use pesticides. All you have to do is ask.

Another perk is the Farmers’ Market is an ideal outing for kids. It gets them outside and involved in choosing—and tasting—produce. Here are lists of Farmers’ Markets in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Get Organic Deals. If you look for deals, you will find them. Stores like Whole Foods are offering coupons on their organic produce. Take advantage of companies helping you save money!

And stores like Trader Joes always offer lower prices. Try some of their frozen organic fruits and veggies at reduced prices.

We’ll talk much more about buying organic in the coming weeks. The next blog post on buying organic will discuss the pros and cons of buying organic dairy and meat products. And if you haven’t already, Subscribe to Raise Healthy Eaters by email or our RSS feed on the homepage.