When it comes to feeding your baby, the reasons to go organic are numerous and multiplying with each passing day.

Why go organic?

The standards that measure safe pesticide use in foods are based on the tolerance level of adults • not children. Although the consequences of constant exposure to low-level pesticides are unknown, exposure is bound to have a stronger effect on babies because their developing bodies and immune systems may not yet be equipped to fight their effects.

Considering the fact that babies over the age of 6 months and under the age of 1 subsist largely on fruits and vegetables, everything they consume exposes them to possible contaminants.

How can I tell what is organic?

How can you trust what is labeled organic, is truly organic?

In 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established uniform organic food standards with the National Organic Standards Act, so all food labeled "organic" has to meet the same standards everywhere in the country.

Toxin-free pest management practices are used on fruits and vegetables that must be grown on land that has been farmed organically for at least the last three years. Also, genetically altered foods cannot be labeled organic.

What should I buy organic?

Researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) did a study and determined the “dirty dozen” • a list of fruits and vegetables that contain high residual levels of pesticides, even after they are washed.

Make sure these foods are organic:

• Apples
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported grapes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Red raspberries
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Organic foods can be quite costly. The EWG study also mentions certain fruits and vegetables that don’t retain pesticide residue, and thus are safe to buy organic if you are pinching pennies.

Organic is optional:

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Sweet corn
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papayas
• Pineapple
• Sweet peas

Another benefit to buying organic? Supporting local farmers and pesticide-free practices are great ways to keep toxins out of the environment.

So if you can swing it, go organic. It might make a negative impact on your budget, but it will make a positive impact on the environment and, most importantly, the apple of your eye.