Most people would love to go “all organic” with their food choices. Who really wants the pesticides, hormones, and preservatives in their food anyway? But going organic can be a pricey proposition. If your family is like most, your budget cannot afford 100 percent organic, so why not consider buying organic for some foods? Here is some simple advice on prioritizing your organic food purchases.
Eat organic at the top of the food chain: Purchasing organic dairy, egg, and meat products is a great place to begin organic food purchases. Livestock eat pesticide-laden feed, are often dosed with antibiotics and hormones, and all of this ends up in the package at the supermarket. Even though produce is often associated with organic food, many of the residues on these foods can be eliminated or greatly reduced by properly cleaning and peeling them. There is no way to remove or reduce the contaminants in the meat, dairy, and egg products.
Buying organic for produce with the highest levels of pesticides: Pesticides levels vary in produce. Foods that take a long time to grow have higher pesticides levels and foods that are high in sugar content tend to attract bugs and insects, and as result are sprayed more frequently.
The Environmental Workers Union analyzed a large number of foods and found that you can reduce risks of pesticide exposure by as much as 90 percent by avoiding the dirty dozen, or the top twelve produce items with the highest pesticide residues. Here is the list:
- Apples
- Bell peppers
- Celery
- Cherries
- Grapes (imported)
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Pears
- Potatoes
- Red Raspberries
- Spinach
- Strawberries
On the flip side, these fruits and veggies have the lowest levels of pesticide residues:
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Corn (sweet)
- Kiwi
- Mangos
- Onions
- Papayas
- Pineapples
- Peas (sweet)
Buying organic for children’s favorite foods: Babies and toddlers are notorious for having some strange eating habits. One of them is eating the same foods day in and day out. This is a perfectly normal development step for your child. Buy organic foods for what your little one is eating the most of at meals.
