We’ve been wondering if we should start Dana on an organic diet since we embarked on weaning her to semi-solids. We did some research and found these information which has been insightful and helpful in our decision-making.

Why Organic Is the Healthiest Choice for Kids

It’s important to give their child the healthiest foods possible right from the start. Growing children are developing brain function and internal organs to last a lifetime, so their food should be the purest and most nutritious available.

Why Organic? Because kids need a wider margin of safety.

Young children are more vulnerable to developmental damage from pesticide residues on foods, widening the margin of safety for them is appropriate.

Why are children especially vulnerable? Partly, it’s because of their fast growth and speedy metabolisms, partly because of their smaller size, which means they eat more fruits and vegetables in relation to their body weight than adults do.

Eating organic can help.

A 2003 study conducted by the University of Washington tracked a group of preschool children (18 with organic diets and 21 with conventional diets) and analyzed their urine for evidence of exposure to five different kinds of toxic pesticides.

Researchers found that the average total was six to almost nine times higher for children with conventional diets than for children with organic diets. They concluded that consuming organic fruits and vegetables can provide a relatively simple means for parents to reduce their children’s pesticide exposure.
What’s the best way to start?

If you can’t go all organic, try starting with foods that will have the greatest impact. The Environmental Working Group’s “A Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce” lists the least contaminated and most contaminated foods for consumers (http://www.ewg.org/).

12 Most Contaminated Fruits & Vegs

Buy These Organic (if possible)!!!• Peaches
•Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes
• Spinach
• Potatoes
• Lettuce

12 Least Contaminated
• Onions• Avocados• Sweet Corn (Frozen)• Pineapples• Mango• Aspargus• Sweet Peas (Frozen)• Kiwi Fruit• Bananas• Cabbage• Broccoli• Papaya

Source: http://www.drgreene.com/21_2039.html