Is it necessary to buy everything organic?

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Karen

Thank you, Arminda, for emailing me this link.

Don’t we all just love earthfare?

A Guide to Organics – PART 3 – What To & Not To Buy Organic

Posted by: earthfare | February 19, 2010

Is it necessary to buy everything organic?  Definitely not.  There are many reasons organic is good for you and the earth, but it is definitely okay to choose conventional or local for some produce items, especially when price is a factor.  The Environmental Working Group (EWG)* has been producing the reliable “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” since 1995.  The produce listed below is based on their research.

MUST buy ORGANIC:

Produce:
The following produce items are the “dirty dozen” because they have the most pesticide residues.  Buy these organic and reduce pesticide consumption by 80%! 

  1. Peach
  2. Apple
  3. Bell Pepper
  4. Celery
  5. Nectarine
  6. Strawberries
  7. Cherries
  8. Kale
  9. Lettuce
  10. Grapes (Imported)
  11. Carrot
  12. Pear

Meat:
Buy all-natural or organic meat to avoid antibiotics and hormones.  All-natural and organic also means the animal feed is free of pesticides.

Dairy:
Organic dairy means antibiotic and hormone free.  Organic is a must, especially for kids.

OKAY to buy CONVENTIONAL:

Produce
The produce below has the lowest pesticide residue.  It is okay to buy these conventional:

  1. Onion
  2. Avocado
  3. Sweet Corn
  4. Pineapple
  5. Mango
  6. Asparagus
  7. Sweet Peas
  8. Kiwi
  9. Cabbage
  10. Eggplant
  11. Papaya
  12. Watermelon
  13. Broccoli
  14. Tomato
  15. Sweet Potato

Whatever you decide works for you and your family, it is most important to consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day! How do you and your family make sure to get enough fruits & vegetables?

This entry was posted in Organic. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Is it necessary to buy everything organic?

  1. Cindia Woellhof says:
    February 14, 2011 at 4:29 pm

    We try to get our daily fruit and vegetables with our new Vitamix Blender. It is great for whipping up smoothies filled with fruits and vegetables. My kids don’t even realize they are eating vegetables that they would never eat whole. The smoothies and sorbets taste great. I reccomend the Vitamix blender for that very reason.

Comments are closed.