Are you interested in buying organic produce but turned off by the price tag?
One solution is to buy some organic produce and then purchase conventionally grown for the rest of your grocery list.
So which foods should you buy organically?
The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG), a nonprofit, identifies fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest pesticide residues based on new data from the USDA and FDA on pesticide residues in produce.
One solution is to buy some organic produce and then purchase conventionally grown for the rest of your grocery list.
So which foods should you buy organically?
The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG), a nonprofit, identifies fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest pesticide residues based on new data from the USDA and FDA on pesticide residues in produce.
The dirty dozen, the 12 fruits and veggies you should buy organically if at all possible are:
Celery- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Nectarines
- Bell peppers
- Spinach
- Kale/Collards
- Cherries
- Potatoes
- Grapes
For the complete list of "clean" and "dirty" produce check out the EWG website.
so does buying from a farmers market constitute "organic" Or does it have to actually say organic on it?
ReplyDeleteThe answer to this is actually a bit complicated.
ReplyDeleteNo, just because something is sold at a farmer's market does not mean it is organic.
For a farm to produce food that can be officially labeled organic there is a lengthy and legal process involved. It takes years and lots of money. Many farmers, especially small ones, cannot afford it. However, many of these farmers grow organically and sustainably, but they haven't completed all the legal hoopla to get the USDA organic stamp. So if you are buying from a farmer's market, you will need to ask each farmer if they grow organically. Chances are that they do. But you can't assume, you have to ask. They know this and are usually very happy to talk to you about it.
If you buy produce at a store it's a little easier. It will be labeled.
However, if you are looking to buy other organic products, like cereal, for instance, there is variation in the labeling. There are different levels of organic. Something can be 95% organic, for example, because part of the cereal might be organic and part might not. Then there are other labels designed to confuse the consumer, such as "natural." This really doesn't mean anything. It does not mean the item is organic.
Honestly, I don't go out of my way to buy organic non-produce items. I'll get them sometimes, if it's easy or cheap. But I really focus on getting as much produce as I can...especially the dirty dozen.
Does that help?