Dear Jeff,

The recession has hit my sister and brother-in-law hard. She's a stay-at-home mom to my sweet niece and nephew (5 and 3) and my BIL has been out of work going on seven months. They've cut back on a lot of things, but my sister still only buys organic food for the kids. It's more expensive that non-organic food but she insists that the one thing she won't comprise on is her kids' nutrition. Is there truly that much of a difference between organic and non-organic foods for her to be spending that much more money on it? My BIL agrees that, at least for now, they should go back to regular food, but since my sister does the grocery shopping, it's up to her in the end. I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Nothing is more important than the health of your niece and nephew. But even in good times, we all have limited budgets. The question is, how to keep the kids (and all of us) healthy, given limited bank accounts.

The best we can do is look to the science for guidance. And while it may not be popular with well-intentioned  organic enthusiasts like your sister, the science is pretty clear: organic food is not more nutritious than conventionally grown produce. (And no, parts per million of residues of chemicals aren't dangerous, so long as the kids are human, not mice or pests.)

We also know that people who eat more (and varied) fruits and vegetables all year round, live longer and healthier lives. Perhaps you can educate your sister by telling her that with the money she saves by not buying over-priced organic produce, she can buy a greater amount of healthy fruits and veges for the kids to enjoy. This will give her a bigger health bang for the grocery buck.