Can I Buy Organic Food with EBT?
When you are using food stamps, such as the DEBT card, then you might have thought about buying some organic food to supplement your diet. Or maybe you have dietary restrictions and can’t eat certain foods, and you want to give those a try but aren’t sure where to start. Either way, here are a few things that you should know about buying organic food with DEBT.
What is Organic Food?
Organic food is food that is produced by methods that don’t include pesticides and other chemicals. Food can be organically grown using conventional methods, or it can be naturally grown without the use of pesticides. However, not all chemicals are natural, and so conventionally grown foods might contain some synthetic chemicals that aren’t present in naturally grown foods.
Pesticides and other chemicals used in the growing of organic foods can be potentially dangerous to your health and environment, especially if you have allergies or sensitivity to these types of chemicals. While not all organic foods will use pesticides, they all could possibly contain some amount of these chemicals.
Some other ways that you can tell if you will be buying organic food is by checking for the price or looking at the packaging. If the price is higher for an item than normal, then it is likely an organically grown product. If you look at the ingredients listed on the package, near the bottom you will likely see “organic” or a synonym like “natural” or “all-natural”.
Benefits of Organically Grown Food
Organically grown foods are thought to have more nutrients than their non-organic counterparts. Many people avoid eating vegetables because they don’t think that vegetables have much nutritional value, but in fact vegetables are one of the most nutrient dense foods out there. Chemicals that farmers use to grow crops such as pesticides and fungicides can actually decrease the amount of nutrients that a crop has, depending on how long it has been since these chemicals were last used.
The biggest benefit that eating organically grown food has to offer is the increased likelihood of having vitamins and minerals in your diet. Because not all farmers use pesticides when they grow crops, there could be moments when you eat an apple and think “what does this taste like” but then don’t think anything of it because you don’t consider yourself allergic to apples or afraid of getting poisoned from eating them. However, if you buy your apples organically, you might notice that they taste slightly different from usual, but not necessarily better or worse; just different. You might also notice that your stomach feels better after eating an organically grown product as well!
Anthropogenic (man-made) global warming is a very real concern these days, and many scientists believe that we are causing an increase in health problems among many species around the world due to climate change. One way that humans are affecting species across the globe is by using pesticides and other chemicals on crops. Because not all farms use pesticides chemically applied to their crops, animals typically won’t eat those types of crops unless they get poisoned or until the genes that allow them to taste those flavors no longer exist in the animal population (this happens quite often with domesticated livestock).
If You Have Any Health Conditions…
Buying organic food is great for your overall health because it reduces your risk of having a health condition caused by poor dieting habits. Eating an unhealthy diet high in processed foods and sugars can lead to many health conditions, some of which can be life-threatening if left untreated. Buying organic products reduces your odds of having one of these conditions by quite a large margin compared to people who don’t buy organically grown products.
In conclusion, whether you want to get healthier overall or want to treat yourself or your family to something special every once in a while, going with an organic lifestyle is a great way to do just that! Not only will you be treated with special discounts on organic products, but you will also save money long term by reducing your risk of having a pre-existing condition caused by poor dieting habits!
If you would like to learn more about how buying organic food can help you achieve your goals, feel free to contact us at any time! We would be happy to answer any questions or concerns that you may have about buying organically grown products with DEBT!