Food journalist and former professional chef Cindy Burke writes in the introduction to this book: "Organic food can be so expensive and difficult to find that I always wondered if I was spending my money wisely. I decided to become informed, really informed, about the options — organic, conventional, local, sustainable — so that I could choose the healthiest, safest food available." To Buy or Not to Buy Organic is the result of Burke's investigations. It tells you how to choose the healthiest, safest, most earth-friendly food, as you make your way through the supermarket, your local farmer's market, or your natural foods store. Highlights include: Making sense of the choices presented by organic, local, sustainable, minimally treated, grass-fed and cage-free foods Reducing your exposure to pesticides Save money by knowing the foods you want to eat only if they're organic and the foods that are pesticide-free even when they are nonorganic Protecting your child's health from pesticides An at-a-glance shopper's guide to more than 100 foods
To Buy or Not to Buy Organic
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"A slim, handy guide to how our food is produced and how to choose what to buy." -- Culinate.com, 6/8/07
I've been hesitant to question the organic label because it offers such an easy answer, and I've worried that if I begin to tug on that string, pretty soon my whole natural fiber sweater will be unraveled and I won't have a dominant food doctrine to blindly follow...Burke, who is a journalist and former chef, seeks to answer that question by delving into the politics behind the certified organic label and by defining terms, such as organic, local, sustainable and grass-fed. -- Liz Kohman, "The Versatile Vegetarian: Got questions about 'organic'? Book offers answers", The Courier News
I've been hesitant to question the organic label because it offers such an easy answer, and I've worried that if I begin to tug on that string, pretty soon my whole natural fiber sweater will be unraveled and I won't have a dominant food doctrine to blindly follow...Burke, who is a journalist and former chef, seeks to answer that question by delving into the politics behind the certified organic label and by defining terms, such as organic, local, sustainable and grass-fed. -- Liz Kohman, "The Versatile Vegetarian: Got questions about 'organic'? Book offers answers", The Courier News
About the Author
Cindy Burke is the coauthor, with Kim Severson (now the New York Times's high-profile food reporter), of The Trans-Fat Solution. She writes often about food, organic farming, and nutrition for numerous publications. She studied at the school for American Chefs in Northern California's Napa Valley, before working as a chef and food consultant. She lives with her family in Seattle, Washington.
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book answered all the questions I had about buying or not buying organic foods. I realized that I wasn't even sure what "organic" meant, and I certainly didn't know anything about the politics of organic farming. Ms Burke really knows her stuff and presents the facts clearly and well. (Of course, I would expect this from her, as I read a book that she co-authored entitled The Trans Fat Solution, which cleared up that whole transfat thing for me.)
Particularly valuable is the chapter entitled "The Dirty Dozen" - the 12 foods to eat only if they're organic. Strawberries topped that list, and potatoes, especially russets, also showed up. This is balanced by "The Clean Fifteen," fruits and vegetables that consistently test negative for pesticide residue. Happily, avocados and blueberries show up on that list. Then there's The Shopping Guide - priceless!
This book is a treasure trove of information, and a MUST READ for everyone who cares about making healthy food choices while keeping sustainable farming in mind. As I said - awesome!
Particularly valuable is the chapter entitled "The Dirty Dozen" - the 12 foods to eat only if they're organic. Strawberries topped that list, and potatoes, especially russets, also showed up. This is balanced by "The Clean Fifteen," fruits and vegetables that consistently test negative for pesticide residue. Happily, avocados and blueberries show up on that list. Then there's The Shopping Guide - priceless!
This book is a treasure trove of information, and a MUST READ for everyone who cares about making healthy food choices while keeping sustainable farming in mind. As I said - awesome!
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I received this as a gift, I did not expect to read the entire book (ok, I admit - any of it) about organic foods in one sitting. However, Burke has written an extremely interesting and helpful guide on exactly what to buy organic (the dirty dozen), what not to buy (the clean fifteen), and why. She also enlightens us on the erosion of the "Organic" standards caused by government lobbying by powerful supermarket/food corporations (think, Nestle and Coca-Cola).
Read this if you want to know whether its worth it (or even safe) to buy organics at your local supermarket, and if not, where to get them.
Read this if you want to know whether its worth it (or even safe) to buy organics at your local supermarket, and if not, where to get them.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a GREAT book! I learned so much from the author. She really did her homework and knows her stuff. This book inspired me to take the complete jump into organic living w/o fretting the grocery bill cost. She makes sense when she discusses this bill versus the health of your family and health costs. I don't even care anymore about the grocery bill because I know I'm making the most informed and healthy choices for my family. She has also inspired me to be more "green" and not just buy organic, but think about buying sustainable foods and at local farmer's markets. Never really grasped that concept and reasoning until now. Thanks so much!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent Read
This was a great read and very well put together. It is helpful to have the quick guide in the back for reference. Read more
Published 8 months ago by cnkvogel
slightly lackluster, but overall great resource with few flaws
ok. first of all much of the information contained in this book is available elsewhere and i was already familiar with some of it. Read more
Published 10 months ago by madsplatt
Information could have been condensed into a small pamphlet
There's a lot of repetitive information in here and not a lot of depth. It's alright as a guide, but it isn't very information dense. Read more
Published 15 months ago by N. Cheung
To Buy or Not To Buy Organic
I found this book very helpful and informative. It has helped me tremendously in figuring out which products I should purchase organic and are they worth the extra money. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Connie J. Myers
Great book
Great book for people just looking to figure out what to buy organic and why. I wish it dealt more with the impact of pesticides on fertility, but otherwise a good, fast read and... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Leigh
Practical, Informative Book
This book is a must read for anyone who shops for food. The lists in it are especially helpful for people who do not want to or who do not have the time to focus on page after... Read more
Published 21 months ago by fillygene
Changed my Life
This book literally changed the way that I will feed myself and my family for a lifetime. I always assumed our food was safe and that the FDA was looking out for me and my... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Heather W. Thomas
Great go-to book for those who must decide between organic and...
Many of us experience financial constraints when it comes to every purchase we make, including such essential ones as food. Read more
Published on February 10, 2010 by M. Gamez
Very helpful
Our family just decided to go organic. This book was a very easy read and opened my eyes to the world of organics. Read more
Published on January 11, 2010 by Jeff Goodman
Not too heavy
I enjoyed the book's little stories from farmers more than anything. I like that it's not your typical alarmist book, that it's not preachy and elitest. Read more
Published on January 10, 2010 by The busiest suby
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
IN RECENT years, consumers in the United States and other countries have become more health conscious, more sophisticated, and more choosy when it comes to the food they eat. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
few pesticide residues, pastured eggs, low pesticide residues, transitional organic, always buy organic, organic almonds, sustainable farmers, organic economics, twelve foods, beyond organics, few pesticides, organic standards, organic milk, organic certification, organic label, certified organic Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Fair Trade, New York, New Orleans, Silent Spring, Wild Oats, Sea Breeze Farm, Boulder Belt Eco-Farm, Hepworth Farms, Slow Food, Whistling Train Farm, Park Slope Food Co-op, United Kingdom, Vashon Island, George Page, World War New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN RECENT years, consumers in the United States and other countries have become more health conscious, more sophisticated, and more choosy when it comes to the food they eat. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
few pesticide residues, pastured eggs, low pesticide residues, transitional organic, always buy organic, organic almonds, sustainable farmers, organic economics, twelve foods, beyond organics, few pesticides, organic standards, organic milk, organic certification, organic label, certified organic Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, Fair Trade, New York, New Orleans, Silent Spring, Wild Oats, Sea Breeze Farm, Boulder Belt Eco-Farm, Hepworth Farms, Slow Food, Whistling Train Farm, Park Slope Food Co-op, United Kingdom, Vashon Island, George Page, World War New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Books on Related Topics
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