Think It Over: organic versus "the usual".

When Junior was born, most of our friends took great pains to tell us that our lives would never be the same. "Well, duh!" I thought, calculating the number of times that a person operating on two hours of sleep can hear "Pop Goes the Weasel" before going stark raving bonkers.

Forty-seven, by the way.

Anyhow, the sage advice of friends did very little to prepare me for the Mama-bear-isms that have taken over my personality. I don't put a life jacket on him while he's in the tub, but the instinct to protect is strong.

I had no idea that my protective instinct would extend to food.

Sure, most parents are sensible about how much soda in a given day, or whether French fries count as a vegetable serving, but how about the sneaky stuff? High Fructose Corn Syrup? Aspartame? Even sneakier, how about pesticides?

While I'd love to be able to serve organic foods to my family all the time, the simple fact is that I just can't afford it more than a few times a week. Like "no salt" and NSA foods, organic items almost always cost more at the grocery store. I can see their point: due to stringent regulations, farming practices, fees, and shipping issues, it can be a hassle to go organic.

I just figure that something that uses less stuff should cost less, but I'm weird that way.

There is an argument that states that organic food is cheaper in the long run, due to lessened health care costs and such. That's cool and groovy with me, but it's a pretty expensive drive for a low-cost destination. Guess I'll just have to take over the empty lot next door. All neighborhoods need their own wheat field/apple orchard...

What's your take? If it's available, do you opt for organic, or do you stick with what's most affordable? The floor is yours!