Thursday Thirteen Organics

November 9, 2006 /

 

 

Cherry and I were at the grocery store on Sunday, buying groceries for dinner.  We had a short conversation about organic foods, and how it’s important to support organic and sustainable farming whenever we can.  It’s better for the earth, better for the environment, better for our health, and it tastes better.  Of course, there is always the issue of the pocket book, because organic foods typically cost between 50% and 150% more than conventionally raised food. 

We all know that organic food is healthier for us than conventionally raised food.  This is even more true for children, due to the fact that their bodies and brains are still growing and developing.  A recent study showed that the level of pesticides in the urine of children who eat only organic food was 6 to 9 times lower within just 5 days, compared to children that ate conventional foods.

So, if organic food is better for the environment, and better for our bodies, but too expensive to maintain in every aspect of our lives, how to decide which foods are worth the extra money?  I looked around a bit, and it seems that the answer lies in whether it is possible to effectively get the pesticides off of the food before consumption.  So, here for your information and health, are the top 13 items that are worth the extra money, so pay up:

  1. apples
  2. bell peppers
  3. cherries
  4. dairy
  5. imported grapes (not sure why only imported?)
  6. meat, poultry & eggs
  7. nectarines
  8. peaches
  9. pears
  10. potatoes
  11. raspberries
  12. spinach
  13. strawberries

These foods are worth the extra money, because the FDA found that they still contained substantial levels of pesticides, even after washing.  They also said organic baby food is worth the money, as is organic celery, but since I don’t care for celery, and I only had room for 13 items, I pulled that one. 😉

It is also suggested that if you can afford it, you should go organic when you buy canned or frozen fruits and vegetables as well. 

Interesting, huh?  I wonder how much of this I can afford.  And remember, if you’re broke, it’s better to buy conventional fruits and veggies and work on getting them as clean as possible, rather than eliminating fruits and vegetables from your diet altogether.

16 Comments

  • Ml

    November 9, 2006 at 11:06 am

    I agree, organic foods, while very good for you is expensive. Darn! I’ve purchased some of the said organics from Wild Oats and discovered their produce is CRAP! Nasty stuff! Whole Foods is coming to town (thank goodness cause Wild Oats is starting to piss me off!) and I can’t wait to check their stuff out.

    I would have pulled celery from the list too 😉

  • Cherry

    November 9, 2006 at 11:43 am

    I found the full list here:
    http://foodnews.org/

    The man of my house, said that the reason Imported Grapes are higher up on the list as compared to Domestic Grapes is due to the types of pesticides used in other countries. Some pesticides that are illegal here, are not regulated elsewhere. At least that is what he said.

  • Tracy

    November 9, 2006 at 11:59 am

    Thanks, J! I went to a certified organic farmer’s market on Saturday, and the produce I bought there tasted fabulous!

    Thanks also for the comment you left me this morning. It meant a lot. 🙂

  • Caylynn

    November 9, 2006 at 12:55 pm

    Great list. 🙂 We buy organic apples (since we eat them with the peel on) and organic meat whenever possible. Thanks for the list of other organic items we should be looking for.

    Happy T13. 🙂

  • Mysterious Lady

    November 9, 2006 at 1:05 pm

    We have Earthfare grocery store here in Knoxville TN. It’s get. Mostly organic food. I’m hooked on organic milk. I can’t stand the taste of processed anymore. Organic is sweeter. I noticed going through menopause, whenever I drank alot of non organic milk, I had terrible periods, I think it has to do with the hormones. My daughters have found if they stop drinking milk, or switch to organic a week before they are do to start their periods, their periods aren’t as heavy.

  • Melissa

    November 9, 2006 at 1:21 pm

    I’m with you on this. I try really hard to buy organic, but the only place i know I suceed is in the dairy department. All our dairy is organic. I can’t stand goign to two stores and whole foods does not carry everything I want to buy, so mostly I go to the Ralphs or Pavallions closest to us and hope for the best. I do go to whole foods once a month though and buy our meat there and freeze it. But it is freaking expensive. Organic milk is the worst, because we go through so much of it. But we love it.

  • Beenzzz

    November 9, 2006 at 5:31 pm

    I’m bad. The only organic stuff I buy is chicken broth and bananas. I spend a fortune on all the gluten free items at the health food store. It sucks that all that stuff has to cost so much!

  • Phantom Scribbler

    November 9, 2006 at 6:29 pm

    Well, it’s not a black and white issue by any means. Obviously no exposure to pesticides is better than some exposure to pesticides, but Environmental Working Group doesn’t really provide enough information to let you make an informed decision about how much risk is involved. Are people who eat non-organic peaches at higher risk of disease?

    All other things being equal, I would choose to buy organic whenever possible. Buying organic isn’t just about reducing your family’s pesticide exposure — it’s about reducing exposure for farm workers and farm towns, and about reducing the amount of petroleum products it takes to grow our food. But. I live in New England, where it is very difficult to grow organic apples or stone fruits. I could buy organic fruit flown in from 3000 miles away, but is that really better for my family and the environment?

    I don’t know. I don’t have the answers. But I do have a refrigerator full of non-organic apples from our local farmers’ market.

  • Shelliza

    November 9, 2006 at 7:26 pm

    I’m with you all the way on this. Once Connor was ready for solid foods, I did a lot of reading on organic foods.Needless to say, I was in awe at what I learned. We do most of our shopping at Whole Foods and even though it’s so VERY pricey, it’s worth every penny. I would compromise on stuff for the grown ups, but I make sure that Connor eats 100% organic. Great post, as always.

  • J

    November 9, 2006 at 11:48 pm

    Great points Phantom Scribbler. For the organic apples and peaches, I’m guessing that the answer there is to only eat what is local and in season, and forgo the things that need to be shipped in from far away, organic or not. Am I willing to practice that, and give up strawberries in the fall and winter? Give up pineapple and bananas? Not really. We each have the choices that we need to make in our lives, and try to live according to those choices.

  • Susan in Italy

    November 10, 2006 at 4:06 am

    All I do is grow organic (and then in the pollution of Milan, I dunno… The outdoor vegetable markets here, for all their considerable loveliness, are staffed by people who would tell you somthing was organic even if it wasn’t, so I assume I’m going conventional when I shop there.