"You are what you eat." What you put in your mouth — and feed your family — can have profound effects on personal health, as well as the health of the planet.

What is organic food?
The overarching principle behind organic food is that it has been produced in a "natural" way and doesn't deplete the earth's soil or water. In years past, organic farms have traditionally been small, family run operations, so it was hard to find organic food without spending a lot of time at farmer's markets or joining an organic food cooperative. But now, given the increasing number of families that want to "go organic," the big-name grocery chains are offering more and more organic food.

In the United States, the term "organic" is regulated by law. The Department of Agriculture only grants the USDA Organic seal to products that have at least 95-percent organic ingredients, meaning that the food meets a series of requirements to ensure they are produced without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, antibiotics, additives and genetically modified organisms. In the U.S., be sure to look for the organic seal because claims like "natural," "hormone-free," and "free-range" can be hard to decode and don't necessarily mean that the food meets the strict organic requirements.

Why should I buy organic food?
Organic food can be better for your family, the planet and your tastebuds.

While the USDA makes no claim that organic food is "safer or more nutritious" than conventional food, many people like the reassurance that their food never was treated by pesticides. As with all produce, you should handle organic foods as you would conventional foods — washing and/or peeling as necessary.

Because of the negative effect non-organic farming can have on soil and water systems, organic food is generally considered better for the earth, though there is some debate regarding this claim. Large-scale, non-organic farms contend that their operations are more efficient than smaller operations and the chemicals used are safe, while advocates for organic farming say small farms (where organics are traditionally produced) have better working conditions. There's some ambiguity here, but organic farmers, according to the USDA, must "emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations."

Finally, anecdotal evidence that organic food tastes better has been confirmed by research: A Washington State University study found that organic apples were sweeter and had better texture and firmness than their conventionally grown counterparts.

Buying organic food
Years ago, the only way to buy organic food was to go to a farmer's market or a specialty store, but today there are many more options. Whole Foods, for example, now has 194 stores nationwide, and there are more than 250 Trader Joe's locations — both great places to find lots of organics. But now that organics have gone "mainstream," many more sources are available. Your local chain grocery store probably stocks at least some organic produce, plus an array of organic packaged foods from household names like General Mills, Kraft and Kellogg — although some of these companies are using different brand names for their organic lines. And then there's Wal-Mart, which is the nation's largest seller of organic milk.

Getting the most from your money
Organics do tend to be more expensive than conventionally produced foods. That's why advice from a February 2006 Consumer Reports article is so valuable. They identified which organic foods give you the best "bang for the buck." Foods like apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach and strawberries tend to carry pesticide residues even after washing, so CR recommends paying the premium for the security of knowing that there was no pesticide to begin with. They also recommend organic baby food (since babies are particularly sensitive to toxins) and meat, poultry, eggs and dairy, which do not carry things like mad cow disease and various hormones and antibiotics like conventional products can. CR recommends against buying organic seafood, since the main worries with fish are mercury and PCB contamination — two things that organic certification does not guarantee against.