Welcome to the Organic Swap! For the next two months, we are encouraging you to swap a conventional product for an organic alternative and we are starting with the first meal of the day. All you have to do is follow along and swap. You can enter the organic swap giveaway to win a prize from one of our participating organic partners. Join us and share with a friend!
Week One
Only Organic Swap Challenge: Breakfast
Top 3 Breakfast Swaps:
- Morning Drinks
- Why to swap:
Whether you’re sipping on juice, tea or coffee, your first drink of the day should be organic. When it comes to tea, organic is a must. Tea is one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world, second only to water. Tea crops are heavily sprayed with toxic persistent pesticides, which allows these pesticides to end up in your cup. The U.S. primarily imports its tea from China, India and Sri Lanka, where regulations on pesticide use, worker protection, and environmental contamination oftentimes do not measure up to U.S. and international standards. Additionally, FDA’s failure to properly monitor imports, including that of tea, means that certain illegal pesticides are ending up in the food supply of U.S. consumers. Given these problems, consumers should choose certified organic products.
Our top pick for organic teas are Honest Tea and Traditional Medicinals.
Breakfast juice should also be organic due to the high amount of chemicals used in fruit production. Pesticide residues in oranges have been by the USDA pesticide data program, with risks including:
- Known or Probable Carcinogens
- Suspected Hormone Disruptors
- Neurotoxins
- Developmental or Reproductive Toxins
The EPA considers that 60 percent of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides are carcinogenic. (where is the link for these statistics?) A 1987 National Academy of Sciences report estimated that pesticides might cause an extra 1.4 million cancer cases among Americans over their lifetimes. The bottom line is that pesticides are poisons designed to kill living organisms and can also be harmful to humans.
Our top pick for organic juice is Uncle Matt’s.
- Smoothies
- Why to swap:
Adding organic fruits to a blender sounds easy enough, but what about those proteins and supplements – are they organic too? The best protein powders provide high-quality protein in organic, plant-based forms with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Organic protein powder promotes better results because it is easily absorbed and free of certain inactive ingredients that can cause negative reactions in some people. Our top picks for organic protein powder come from Orgain. And the company also happens to have amazing smoothie recipes to help you use its top products in your smoothies.
- Dairy and Eggs
- Why to swap dairy:
Organic dairy is a must swap for any breakfast. There are many reasons we recommend a swap immediately, but we’ve narrowed it down to four facts:
- Organic dairy animals must be pasture grazed throughout the grazing season.
- All of the supplemental feed organic dairy animals are fed must be organic, with no persistent pesticide use.
- Organic dairy animals are raised without antibiotics or endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as hormones and steroids.
- Organic dairy products have higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than conventional dairy products.
Learn more about organic livestock.
Our top brands for organic dairy products are Stonyfield and Annie’s.
Why to swap eggs:
Organic eggs are also a breakfast must.
- Organic eggs are higher in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Organic eggs are free of antibiotic residues.
- Organic eggs contain no arsenic, which is added to factory-farmed chicken feed to prevent infections and spur growth.
Learn more about organic eggs.
Our top picks for organic eggs are from Organic Valley and Pete & Gerry’s.
Organic Breakfast Swap Menu:
Get inspired to swap using these delicious organic recipes from our swap partners.
Orgain’s Bulletproof Smoothie for Focus Recipe
Traditional Medicinal’s Cup of Sunshine Organic Tea
Uncle Matt’s Orange Mango Turmeric Smoothie Bowl
Stonyfield’s Maple Vanilla Overnight Oats
Stonyfield’s Root Vegetable Egg Strata
Check out these breakfast ideas from our friends at Stonyfield and Orgain:
Orgain’s Quick & Healthy Breakfast On-The-Go
Stonyfield’s 5 Easy Breakfast Ideas
So now that you’ve seen week one, can you do it?
Challenge a friend to take the organic swap adventure with you.
Organic Giveaway:
