Should You Eat an Organic Diet During Pregnancy?

Now that you're pregnant, you may be wondering whether you should opt for organic foods. Organics, after all, are more expensive than non-organic, or conventional, food — but naturally you want to do everything possible to give your baby the best start to life. So is buying organic during pregnancy worth it?

Like every debate, there are pros and cons — and the organic-vs.-conventional-food controversy is far from being settled. 

Organic foods are less harmful to the environment and result in less exposure to pesticides, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). But there's no proof that eating an organic diet has any meaningful nutritional benefits over a traditional diet when you're pregnant (and when you're not).

Still, does that mean buying organic isn't a wise way to spend your money? Not necessarily. Here are a few things to know about including organic food in your pregnancy diet. 

What does "organic" mean?

 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a set of standards that food labeled "organic" must meet, regardless of whether the food is grown in the United States or elsewhere. These standards stipulate the manner in which such food is grown, handled and processed. By definition, organic food:

• Uses only approved organic pesticides
• Doesn't use toxic or synthetic fertilizers
• Doesn't use toxic or synthetic weed-killers
• Can't be genetically modified
• Doesn't receive hormones or antibiotics (for chicken, beef and pork)

The USDA Organic Seal guidelines are based on the percentage of organic ingredients they have and can be a bit tricky to interpret. For example:

• Foods labeled "100 percent organic" must contain only certified organic ingredients
• Foods labeled "organic" must be made with at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients (excluding water and salt)
• Foods labeled "made with organic ingredients" must be made with 70 percent organic ingredients
• Foods that are only labeled organic on the ingredient side label, not the main label, are made with less than 50 percent organic ingredients

Why pregnant mothers should consider eating organic

The research is ongoing — and controversial — but some studies have shown that organic foods may help you avoid:

• Pesticides: Research indicates that eating organic foods decreases the amount of pesticides we consume, but there’s still more to learn about the effects of pesticides on humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, take different stances on whether the popular weed-killer glyphosate is carcinogenic for people.
• Antibiotics: More research needs to be done on the long-term effects of antibiotics given to animals and then consumed by people. But the risk is that, over a long period of time, certain bacteria in the animals we eat will become immune to the antibiotics we routinely feed them. If people, in turn, eat improperly cooked meat and become ill with this antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it may not be easy or possible to cure the infection with antibiotics. USDA-certified organic meat does not contain antibiotics.
• Additives: When buying ready-made foods, choosing organic varieties means avoiding artificial colorings, flavorings and preservatives. There has been controversy around whether those additives are linked to behavioral changes in kids, but the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) says that current research shows there isn't a link between food coloring and behavior problems in children.

The downsides of eating organic

In addition to cost — organics can be up to double the price of conventional foods — there can be other downsides to eating organic, including:

• They can have a shorter shelf life: Preservatives are meant to, well, preserve. That means their shelf life is much longer than organic products. Bread and other staples will often have earlier expiration dates if they're preservative-free.
• They aren't necessarily tastier: Think organic produce always tastes better than conventional produce? That may not be the case. One analysis of organically and conventionally grown vegetables didn’t report any significant difference in taste quality for most produce — with the exception of tomatoes, where conventional surprisingly scored higher.
• They aren't "diet" foods. "Organic" doesn't necessarily mean more nutritious. Some research shows that people mistake organic foods for lower-calorie foods, and therefore, believe they can eat them more often. However,
  organic foods can still be high in calories, so they won’t necessarily help with maintaining a healthy weight. Check the labels: The overall nutritional value of your choice is more important than whether its ingredients are organic.

When to shop — and when to skip — organic

Experts stress that choosing more nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables of any kind is key, and you can rest easier knowing that pesticide levels in foods tested by the USDA and FDA remain well below established safety limits.

But if you’re looking to eat more “green,” here are the foods deemed to have the most pesticides in them, followed by those with the least:

Foods to buy organic

• Apples
• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Celery
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Sweet bell peppers and hot peppers
• Nectarines
• Cucumbers
• Cherry tomatoes
• Green beans
• Potatoes

Foods to buy conventional

• Avocados
• Sweet corn
• Pineapples
• Cabbage
• Sweet peas (frozen)
• Onions
• Asparagus
• Mangoes
• Papayas
• Kiwi
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe 
• Honeydew melons
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli

Tips for buying organic

Here's how to get the best nutritional bang for your buck on organic items:

• Check out organic coupon sites like All Natural Savings and follow local health food stores on social media.
• When organic items are on sale, buy double the amount and freeze the leftovers. You can also head straight to the freezer aisle and stock up on frozen organic foods for less.
• Look for deals on organic foods, not only in local grocery stores but also in big-box stores.
• Skip the pre-wash and pre-cut organic items; when the work is done for you, it makes already-expensive organic foods even more expensive. So instead of buying organic baby carrots, buy organic regular size carrots for half the price and do the washing and cutting yourself.
• Choose store brands that say "organic" on the main label. If it says "organic," it needs to follow the organic guidelines in the USDA organic certification program.

The bottom line: It's a good idea to opt for organic produce during pregnancy when it's practical, but remember that what's most important in the produce aisle is choosing a wide variety of fresh, ripe fruits and veggies in a range of colors.

And never assume that organic means completely safe. Though it won’t be treated with most synthetic pesticides, organic foods can still have bacteria like salmonella in them. So whether you buy organic or conventional, remember to fully cook your meat, poultry and fish and wash your produce thoroughly before eating it.