Why Buy Organic Produce?

In a perfect world, we would buy all of our groceries organic. Unfortunately, organic food is still more expensive (although the price is dropping) or even unavailable. To make wiser consumer choices I will list the produce with the highest level of pesticide contamination. The information is based on information and studies by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Working Group. The latter is a nonprofit environmental research organization the says you can lower your pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding conventional versions of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

There are lots of reasons to buy organic. First, it's better for the environment. No pesticides means healthier soil, water and wildlife. Buying organic supports small farmers. Organic farmers can earn a fairer price for organic produced compared to factory farming. Organic farming is good for biodiversity. Organic farmers are growing a wide variety of non-genetically modified (non-GMO) fruits and vetetables. Where factory farming has shrunk our choices in the supermarket to one or two types of any produce variety, organic farmers are resurrecting many heirloom varieties. Finally, organic foods are healthier for you, although research remains inconclusive. The long term effects of consuming pesticides has not been sufficiently studied, but they can't be good for you.

So here are the top fruits and veggies to buy organic, with the percentage of sampled produce that contained pesticides: nectarines, 97.3%, celery 94.5%, pears 94.4%, peaches 93.7%, apples 91%, cherries 91%,strawberries 90%, imported grapes (Chile) 86%, spinach 83.4%,potatoes 79.3%,bell peppers 68%, red raspberries 59%. Produce with thin or porous skin is more likely to contain pesticides. Strawberries and raspberries in particular will just absorb the pesticide.

Now here are the fruits and veggies found to contain the least amount of pesticides. Notice that many of these have thick, inedible skins which protect the fruit. Asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, kiwi, mangoes, onions, papaya, pineapple, sweet peas.

Yes, organic food is still expensive, but by buying organic produce from the list of food that is loaded with pesticides you can try to keep healthy and stick to your budget .

Healthy food should be a right, not a privilege just for the rich. Keep healthy and watch your budget by eating organic produce from the list with high amounts of pesticides. Your body will thank you.