Organic Milk Vs. Non-organic Milk

I have two beautiful girls and I've always used organic milk. It is expensive, but my views are, cancer, or any other disease that can brought on my an onslaught of chemicals is much more expensive! (When we lived in Hawaii, it was $12 a gallon! So this is 'cheap' for me now)

I use organic whenever possible - but there are definitely some foods that are more important that they be organic than others - strawberries, for instance, are loaded with chemicals, so organic is best. If my children drink/eat a lot of a food - I try to go organic. Milk is definitely in that category, espcially when they are young and ovaries, etc. are developing.

Whole Foods and Central Market are excellent places to educate yourself. There are also websites that can give you lists of foods to only buy organic, when it's okay to buy "not" organic, etc. HEB has a great organic section and their organic milk brand is less expensive than most.

I just don't think we can be too careful where our and our children's health is concerned.

I think you'll find some very interesting facts out there - a great book I've recently read is "Lunch Lessons : changign the way we feed our children" Ann Cooper and Lisa Holmes.

Best of luck!

D.

1 mom found this helpful

Dear J. - Have you tried Promise Land Milk? It is really good!

I've heard all the prior responses...I'd just like to add something. I buy organic in everything my family eats in bulk. If they are going to eat something day in and day out, I'm buying the best! If my son eats pb&j everyday, he's going to eat WHOLE GRAIN bread, organic pbutter & jelly (or fruit). Peanut butter has hydrogenated oils that harden arteries...not going to start him out at four yrs old!! So, I definitly think it's worth the extra cost for something your family consumes non-stop. We don't even do dairy...just soy and rice milk!

We used to buy organic milk as well, until I discovered that it can actually put you at risk for various diseases. These organic farms do not give their cows the recommended antibiotics and vaccinations in order to keep their products "organic". And even though the milk is pastuerized, some of the viruses these cows get because they are not vaccinated can remain in the milk. I've heard the early puberty argument against non-organic milk, but to be honest I have not seen this with my neices and other pre-pubescent girls I know that drink it. And, the organic fruit and veggies are not a good idea because the lack of pesticide use puts you at risk for parasite infection. I'm a nurse, so I have to stay up on this stuff.

I've just made the switch to organic milk for my 2 year old daughter. I'll be anxious to read the other responses, especially anyone who has been using organic milk for a few years for their daughters.

I absolutely agree! We buy as much organic as possible. Fortunately, the world of merchants is finally figuring this out and there are many more selections available in the regular grocery stores.

I'm actually a Marketing Director and work from home for an Internation company that manufactures and distributes it's own lines of about 400 environmentally friendly, safe/non-toxic daily use products at wholesale prices. In doing my research to better perform MY job, I have learned so many things about this particular subject, I am apalled that I ever used the poisons in my home around my children that I was buying at the retailers. It's very frightening to know what we are doing to ourselves after learning the scientific research behind all these chemicals! And the lack of FDA regulations is also very disappointing! I could go on and on. :-)

There ARE affordable alternatives, and, regardless of cost anyway, we are remiss in not doing our homework and protecting our families at all cost! I commend you.

I buy non-organic milk. Here’s why.

Milk cannot be sold if it contains antibiotics. It doesn’t matter if it’s organic or not. This is a fact of which I have first-hand professional knowledge.

As for the BGH, all cows produce varying quantities of it on their own. So if you’re really nervous about it, you should probably avoid organic milk too. I think the general consensus is that while it’s not so good for the cow, it won’t hurt the humans that drink their milk. The internet sources that I’ve seen which are anti-BGH are so misinformed on the antibiotics issue, that I am doubtful of their BGH information too.

Good luck.

I've switched to organic milk for the exact same reasons you mentioned. After further research, I've determined it was a good decision. Switching to organic EVERYTHING can be costly though. I've learned that it is a good idea to buy an organic product if it comes from the ground ( potatoes, peanuts (peanut butter) carrots, etc...) Buying organic bananas are not important and if you want to removed any pesticides from fruits, just soak them in a bowl of sea salt for a few minutes before putting them out for your family. The salt will draw out any impurities. Organic meats is also a good move. Eliminating red meats from your families diet would be ideal. Good luck and god bless.

I buy Horizon Organic milk in the paper cartons (1/2 gallon size). The dates are usually almost a month out so I can buy several at a time and not wory about it spoiling. You have to drink it within 7 days after opening the carton. I think the milk tastes better out of paper cartons and I feel like it is better for me because the light isn't taking nutrients from the milk. Also, we can each have our own flavor. I prefer skim. My husband prefers whole.
Hope this helps.
S.

Most of my friends have switched to organic milk, but I have not made the switch yet. Frankly, I do not think it matters. I have 2 girls, ages 9 and 11 and non-organic milk hasn't affected them. I think there is alot of hype about it just like everything else. My sister and I grew up drinking non-organic milk and it never affected us.

We love organic milk! It last longer tastes better and we don't worry about any added extras that shouldn't be there. Our son is still to young to have milk, but we plan on giving it to him. Have you tried the Paul Newman cookies? They are organic and taste great.

We switched to organic milk as well because of the additives as well. We buy the HEB brand of organic milk in Katy. The one off of Grand Parkway is $4.99 a gallon, but the one in Sugarland has it for $5.25. It seems to do a good job of lasting as well, because we buy 3 - 4 gallons a week. As for the taste I can't tell a difference. Good luck.

Hi J. -

I have three boys and decided the same - to get as much organic as we can afford. And yes - there is a difference. I have noticed how healthy and active my kids are - heathy is the key word. There are lots of kids that do not eat healthy and they are fueled on lots of sugar and other junk food. My kids just seem more balanced than most of their friends and they actually like eating healthy!

Good news - COSTCO - they have organic milk and lots of other frozen organic food and other organic meat, etc..- also HEB is building their organic foods too. It doesn't have to cost a fortune. And, these are our children, our future - it's so worth it in my opinion - there are so many people buying organic, otherwise all these basic stores would not all-of-a-sudden making room for green products for cleaning, organic foods, etc... It's where things are headed and the more we all buy, the cheaper it gets - I have seen it get cheaper in the last year - and it will continue -have faith - your are doing a really good thing for your daughters - absolutely! you are to be commended!

Alli

I buy as much organic products as possible. There's a lot of info flying around -pros and cons and it can get very overwhelming.

To me is just comes down to common sense. Putting unatural substances in an animal(or sprying on fruits and vegetables or putting into feed for animals) you are consuming, or consuming it's by-product, cannot be good for you over time. Every now and then, certainly. I eat Fritos and grape soda for goodness sake!!! But putting the best ingrediants into a growing body has to take priority over convenience and cost. (when budget permits) Beware, however, of things labeled "organic". It does not have to be 100% organic to be labeled that on the front, so always read the ingrediants before making your purchase.

We are using organic milk for our daughter. We have always tried to do organic for her with her baby foods, but sometimes organic is hard to find in my town. I can't testify to the taste, as we are not drinking organic milk yet. I have found that the store brand milk is always cheaper.

I think organic is good, not just for our bodies, but also our environment.

What kind are you drinking?
We drink Horizon. Everyone I know likes the taste. Our babysitter called us to ask what kind of milk we use, because she had cereal with it at our house and was surprised that she liked it.

L.

Stay with organic. Everything I buy is organic and I even shop from an online store that sells all natural products for your home and family because after doing research, the things in the store that say all natural, really aren't. The kids shampoos, lotions, powders, your shampoos, deodorants, cleaners, pretty much everything we use in our home are causing tons of health problems. I would love to share with you how you can get all natural products for the same price or less than what you are paying now. Email or call me:
B.
____@____.com
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www.MoreForMyBaby.com

If you can afford it, then you can't afford not to. The years of build up of the chemicals and additives may not be seen in your current child but may be pasted on to their children. Or you may have past some of those harmful chemicals onto your children unknowingly. With those and several other possibilities, if you can afford to go organic then do so. And yes, children will not know the difference unless you introduce the difference or assist them in looking for the difference. Since yours are very young yet, don't allow them to dictate their food preferences. If that's all you give them then their tastebuds will not know the difference. I buy ours at Costco and it does not seem to be that much more. However, my son is not a big milk drinker and my dt is allergic to milk and any milk product, so our family does not go through gallons and gallons of milk in a day. But the DRs say kids, once they get to a certain age, do not need to drink that much milk.

We drink all organic milk and it is very expensive since we drink close to 2 gallons a day. The cheapest place I have found it is at Target. $5.69 for Bordens 2%. I find that it tastes like regular whole milk. We also use everything I can find organic. I think it is worth the price and much healthier. Just my 3 cents worth.

I really buy as much organic as I can for my children, but not for my husband and myself. I figure their bodies have not been exposed to stuff and are smaller than we are...so it makes more of a difference for them.

We use the Central Market (HEB) Organic Milk...it can fluctuate at much a .52 cents on which HEB I shop...

I try to be as healthy as I can in what I serve my family...I aim for 90% healthy, 10% junk...but hope I can actually claim 80% healthy, 20% junk. Just my 2 cents...

My opinion on organic versus standard is as follows: nothing is different basically. I saw something on 20-20 years ago about this particular subject. The "organic" was being toted as no herbicides, etc. While the standard well you know. I do not buy organic. I figure that if I've lived to 50 years of age eating non-organic and maintaining good health... then who cares about organic products. Think about our grandparents/parents? What did they eat? What did they die from? I have one grandmother that lived to be in her late 70s ... always going to the doctor...maintained a certain diet, lived in the country, educated, and had four children. Another grandmother that lived to be 99.9, uneducated, never went to the doctor... ate what she wanted and had nine children, lived in town. I think the organic versus unorganic overall is a bunch of brooha (spelling).

If nothing else, the shelf life of organic milk seems to be much much longer than non-organic. When I buy regular milk (less and less often these days), I'm lucky to get through a week before it goes bad. When I buy organic, I'm drinking it for weeks! The organic milk I bought this weekend has a sell-by date of May 20. I'm sure I'll have finished it long before by then, but I like that I'm not pressured to finish up a gallon in a matter of days.

we switched too. i buy a gallon for my kids and a non organic one for me and my hubby. the horixon website sometimes has printable coupons.