Taste the flavors of your latitude.

What to know about organic foods. At first, eating organic was a 'fad' a 'status'. I didn't think much of it except that it was expensive! But now, I think it is more important than it was before to eat some foods that are grown organic.

I never could understand why the simplest foods, including organic were the most expensive in stores. It doesn't makes sense. It costs more to produce and manufacture a sugary, gelled, preservative filled artificial fruit snack than it does to grow an apple. It's so backwards it makes me mad. Mad because families who can't afford the all natural or organic foods are filling their bodies with preservatives, sugar, and empty calories....no nutrition.

Recently, my family and I watched Food Inc. on PBS. Not only was I saying 'AMEN' to just about everything they were talking about, but I was in shock of what really goes on behind the grocery isle. My jaw dropped a couple times and my heart went out the farmers that try so hard not to get wrapped up in the unnecessary mess. For instance; one of the new shopping tactics that I'm going to start doing is buying eggs and poultry from a local farmer. I highly recommend either watching the movie or reading the book. Here is their website: http://www.foodincmovie.com/

OK...off my soapbox. Organic. Let's say you are shopping in the grocery and you don't know if the produce you are buying is organic. Here is the secret to know how to tell: if the PLU code on the sticker or packaging starts with the number 9, then it's organic. Neat, eh?

My rule of thumb for buying organic is that I buy fruits or veggies that don't have a natural package. Meaning I don't buy organic bananas because they have a peal, I don't buy organic melon because I'm not going to eat the rind, you get the picture. Another tip is to just go to your local farm market and buy locally. Taste the flavors of your latitude.

Food is a necessity, keep it simple and healthy.