Is Buying Organic Produce Worth the Cost?

By Karen @ KB Naturally

 
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For me, one of the positives that came out of the quarantine was that I finally started my first ever organic vegetable garden. It felt so good to go out back and pick my own cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, and string beans. I have been buying organic fruits and vegetable for over 30 years…definitely before it was as familiar as it is now and way harder to find than it is today.

This is a great time to decide to eat healthier and fresher, do more home cooking, and avoid heavily processed foods. Next time you’re in the produce section, try a new vegetable or fruit you've never had before. Try out a new recipe, be daring and get creative. But since this blog post is about buying and eating organic, let’s get to it.

I truly believe eating organically is one the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. At one time all foods were organic…that was the norm. No special labels were needed. They were grown without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, GMO’s, hormones or irradiation.  In my opinion, they should be labeling the altered produce with the skull and crossbones ‘poison label’ and leaving the organic produce free and clear…just sayin’! The pesticides have been shown to cause many life-threatening diseases and digestive issues. They lodge and accumulate in tissue, resulting in a weakened immune system. Thus, making the body work extra hard in trying to rid itself of the toxins. We wouldn't knowingly drink poisonous pesticides, but they are hidden on your food.

I know what you might be thinking and saying…’But, it’s so expensive!’! I can’t deny that, and it is unfortunate. The certification for the farmers to be labeled ‘organic’ is a very expensive process. To me, they’re almost being penalized for working even harder to keep their soil and vegetation pure and free of chemicals. It’s easier to spray and buy GMO seeds. When I buy organic, I am doing it for a healthier life for me and my family, for a healthier planet, AND I am doing it for the farmers as well. It’s my way of saying ‘thank you’. So, yes, it is more expensive and it’s my opinion that it’s worth every penny! Do I wish it was different…you bet! Yes, I’ve been known to put back a bag of organic cherries that were just too much money…but overall, my personal view is, it isn’t a luxury…it’s a necessity for your health!

 The good news is there are some ways around the expense. Below you will find a list from the Environmental Working Group, it tells you which fruits and vegetables contain the most chemicals and which ones are least contaminated. You can use it when you go shopping to help make the best choices for you and your family - even if you can't buy entirely organic.  

The list is called, ‘The Dirty Dozen & The Clean Fifteen’. Although that name was penned a while ago, the list has grown a bit since then. But since it has a catchy sound, we’ll still call it that for the heck of it. The EWG updates this list every year.

 To see the full complete list, check out their website

The Dirty Dozen are the fruits and vegetables with the MOST pesticides and chemicals…so these are the ones to really try and buy organic when you can. The list has grown to be more than a dozen, so it’s now more like The Dirty Thirty…but these are the top ones to be on the lookout for. On a side note, I also try and find a good organic wine to keep in the house.

DIRTY DOZEN:

·      Strawberries                                 

·      Spinach

·      Kale

·      Nectarines

·      Apples

·      Grapes

·      Peaches

·      Cherries

·      Pears

·      Tomatoes

·      Celery

·      Potatoes

·      Hot Peppers

*And apparently raisins were the ‘dirtiest’ food on the EWG’s 2020 shoppers guide!

The Clean Fifteen are what we can sometimes buy non-organic and may be the least contaminated.  (except corn…never corn!)  I personally would never buy non-organic corn even if it is on this clean list! And there is a lot on this list that I still mostly buy organic. Anything that would seem the pesticides would be easily absorbed into, like onion, cauliflower, cantaloupe, asparagus, mushrooms, and broccoli. If it has a thicker skin, I may buy it conventionally, like avocado and eggplant.

 CLEAN FIFTEEN:

·      Avocado

·      Sweet Corn

·      Pineapple

·      Onion

·      Papaya

·      Sweet Peas (frozen)

·      Eggplant

·      Asparagus

·      Cauliflower

·      Cantaloupe

·      Broccoli

·      Mushroom

·      Cabbage

·      Honeydew Melon

·      Kiwi

 On EWG’s website it notes: A small amount of sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States is produced from genetically modified seeds. Buy organic varieties of these crops if you want to avoid genetically modified produce.

You can check out more on their website at:

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/

 Copy this list to the notes on your phone, so you have it with you when you’re food shopping. Even if you start out a little bit at a time, it’s better than nothing. I have said this before and will say it again…just do the best you can with what you have. If the cost is just too much, you do what you can, and you feel good about it. If your family eats a lot of strawberries, then just try and buy that organic…or raisins. Do some research and take baby steps. Wash the produce a little extra and even offer up a little blessing of thanks for the nourishment the food provides.

While I do buy mostly organic in my home…I do also like to go out to eat. Even I get tired of cooking sometimes! I just do the best I can when ordering out knowing it isn’t going to be organic or the healthiest of ingredients. The goal is we want to enjoy life and feel good. So, doing the best we can is a great motto to take with you wherever you go and whatever you do!

 On another blog post I will be going into GMO’s and what that really means and tips on how to avoid it.

 Do you shop in the organic section of the market?

I would love to know your thoughts!

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 
 

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Karen BenedettoComment