What to Buy Organic

Wondering if organic is really worth it?

In a word, yes.

• Organic foods have been found to contain more vitamins and antioxidants than their "conventional" counterparts.
• Organic foods tend to taste better than "conventional" versions. Do a taste test with conventional and organic celery. Leave a comment below if you do.
• Organic foods support sustainable farming practices, that keep those same toxic chemicals out of your drinking water, too. 

In an ideal world everything you eat would be organic, but unless you live on an organic farm, I know it's not always economical or available.   

Enter the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 lists to make your grocery shopping easier on you and your wallet. 

Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes the ranking of the fruit and vegetables with the most and least amount of pesticide residue. They use pesticide-testing data straight from US government scientists in the US Department of Agriculture and the federal Food and Drug Administration. 

This year, they added a plus category for two items that didn't have the highest amount of pesticides, but rather had specific types of pesticides that are known to be particularly toxic: organophosphates (known neurotoxin that can affect children's IQ and brain development, even at low doses) and organochlorines (including DDT, which were mostly applied until the 1970's when they were phased out, due to causing human and wildlife toxicity, yet still remain in contaminated soils).

The EWG estimates consumers can lower their pesticide exposure by 80% just by purchasing the organic versions of the foods on the Dirty Dozen List. 

The Dirty Dozen + 2

(Always buy organic) 

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Grapes
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Nectarines (imported) 
9. Cucumbers
10. Potatoes
11. Cherry Tomatoes
12. Hot Peppers

PLUS (Always buy organic) 

1. Dark Leafy Greens (Kale, Collard Greens)
2. Summer Squash and Zucchini 

The Clean 15

(OK to buy conventional) 

1. Asparagus
2. Avocados
3. Cabbage
4. Cantaloupe
5. Sweet Corn 
6. Eggplant
7. Grapefruit
8. Kiwi
9. Mangoes
10. Mushrooms
11. Onions
12. Papaya
13. Pineapples
14. Sweet peas (frozen) 
15. Sweet Potatoes

NOTE: At the grocery store, organic food will always say it's organic, however, at farmers markets, it's best to ask each farm how they grow their crops. Becoming a certified organic farm is expensive, so some small farmers choose to grow their crops without spraying them, which makes them organic, but  they can't advertise as such. Simply ask! 

Any other tips for saving on your organic grocery bill? Comment below!