Going Organic

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So we have completely eliminated genetically modified (GMO) foods from our diet now. We use sunflower oil in place of canola oil or vegetable oils; we do not eat any foods with refined sugar in them, but use natural sweeteners; we buy organic soy, if ever we buy tofu or other soy  products, which is rare anyway; and do well to avoid corn, but if we buy anything with corn in it we make sure that it organic. We also avoid those ingredients in other foods altogether if they are not labeled organic.

The last few things that I had to eliminate were:

  • any boxed whole wheat soda crackers (which contains canola and/or soybean oil)
  • ketchup, made with sugar (I buy organic or make my own)
  • dairy-free margarine (which contains canola oil and soybean oil). Now we buy Earth Balance non-GM margarine.
  • and whole wheat store-bought bread or breadcrumbs (which contains sugar, canola oil and soybean oil).

I think that when most people think of GMOs, they assume that they are safe from them if they don’t eat/buy any corn, soybeans or canola oil, but they don’t know that soybean oil, canola oil, corn (high fructose corn syrup) and sugar are in nearly everything that you buy at the store. If you buy meat that is not organic, the animals haves been fed GM corn and/or soy. Dairy products from cows are injected with rbGH (a GM hormone). If you buy a box of cereal, cookies or crackers, it will likely contain corn, sugar and canola or soybean oil, or at least one of those ingredients. If you buy a bag of shelled nuts or seeds, like sunflower seeds, peanuts, cashews or almonds, (if not raw) it will likely contain canola and/or soybean oil. If you buy a bag of trail mix, it will contain canola and/or soybean oil and sugar too. It is in nearly everything, (salad dressings, frozen foods, dips, sauces, bread etc), and that is a problem if you care about our planet, our food system, your body, your health and the health of your children.

I feel good knowing that we are done with GM foods. I feel like my kitchen is stocked with clean, organic ingredients and now I can go ahead and create wholesome meals, snacks and treats for my family using REAL foods. I sometimes think that it seems crazy to have to take these measures and be so obsessed with reading labels, but then I think it is even more crazy not to! Who knows what the effects are/will be with these genetically modified organisms taking over our food system and our bodies? I would rather not have my body and my children be poisoned by toxins and not give my money to support the introduction of GM foods into our food system and our world.

Here are a few more videos and links that I thought I would share with those who are interested. Remember to read your labels, buy organic, or do your best to avoid corn, soy, canola and sugar (cane sugar is OK) altogether.

You vote with your dollar. What kind of a world are you voting for?

Learn More About GMO’S Here and Here

And just for fun…

26 thoughts on “Going Organic”

    • I usually make my own Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread or buns and I also have two different cracker recipes that we enjoy, Whole Wheat Onion and Garlic Crackers or Almond Sesame Chive Crackers which also uses the almond meal leftover from when I make almond milk. You can of course buy organic bread. There are lots of sprouted grain breads and also organic crackers, cookies and other packaged snacks that you can buy. We used to love Mary’s Organic Crackers. The onion flavor is especially yummy! You can find these organic options in the natural foods section of your supermarket or at any health or organic food stores. I agree with thegentlehome (Brittany’s) comment though, when you decide to eat healthy and organic, you mostly have to make everything yourself to be sure that it is indeed wholesome. Hope that helps you! 🙂

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  5. No you are not crazy at all! I am a fellow obsessed ingredient list reader too and I can’t believe so many people still never take a glance. Recently I’ve been learning to cut out GM foods too, thanks for the encouragement! And Kimberly…I know at our house we bake our own bread or buy organic bread, also when you cut out GM foods and other bad non-real foods, you kind of have to accept the casualties. Meaning, there are no boxes of crackers, or cookies or cereal at our house (although we do like pretzels). You kind of have to learn to make all those things at home yourself. Even the seemingly “healthful” foods could have corn syrup and soy in them.

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    • Thanks for not thinking that I am crazy… or thanks for being crazy too! I kind of don’t even have to read labels anymore though because I have read so many and know what to avoid and where to shop. 🙂

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  6. I know you can’t trust anything labeled “healthy” or “natural”. I’ve grown to become obsessed with checking ingredient labels as I become more aware of what is actually being put into our foods and just staying away from processed or boxed food. It’s still hard, but one day I hope to eliminate as much as possible and just sticking to fruits, veggies and whole foods or organic.

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    • Yea, we don’t really ever buy anything from a box anymore. It is best to just buy whole foods and create meals, snacks and desserts with them. Even the terms “all-natural” or “natural flavors” could mean anything really. There are no guidelines or laws for what those terms actually mean. For a food to be labeled organic it has to meet certain requirements and standards.

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  8. Thanks Tiffany for the links, for the information you share with others and for being you. Your eloquence is still and always inspiring.

    Question:

    How long have you been vegan? I have been since 1995.

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    • I wouldn’t say that corn is bad for us (though it may be difficult to digest), but genetically modified corn is not really a real food. The corn that has been genetically modified has an insecticide (B.t toxin) inserted into the corn seed. So instead of even spraying the pesticides onto the corn crop, it is actually in the crop, which blows up the insects stomach if they ingest it. The way to know if corn and other corn products are safe and healthy is to buy certified organic.

      You can buy organic shoyu or tamari in place of regular soy sauce, which are made from organic soybeans and do not contain any sugar or artificial colors or flavors. We buy shoyu.

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      • I had no idea!! That is horrible! 😦 Thank you for the all the new knowledge. I am really going to have to spend an entire weekend doing lots of research. You are really opening my eyes.

        I am going to an organic store after work to buy shoyu. Very excited! 🙂

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  10. Hi, I love that you are so conscious about what you eat and what you feed your kids – I really admire that. I’ve eliminated gm foods from my diet since reading about companies like Monsanto and learning about the possible effects on the food system, and especially us!

    I was wondering if you had heard about soaking grains. I recently came across the idea and I thought it was very interesting. http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2012/01/whats-the-fuss-about-soaking-grains-explanation-and-research-shared.html is a good place to start with some good links.

    Have a great day 🙂

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