This is such a hard decision now a days. Of course we want to get the best fruits and vegetables for our family but sometimes* organic is much, much more expensive than their conventional counter parts. So I have put together a list combining lists from the Environmental Working Group, Dr. Mercola and my doctor. This list is not by any means complete but it is a good starting point.
*I haven't found this to be true all the time. The organic apples at Whole Foods were only 10 cents more per pound than the same type of conventionally grown apples.
Must buy organic
Highest in pesticide levels
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberry
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines-imported
7. Grapes
8. Bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blue Berries-domestic
11. Lettuce (all types)
12. Kale
13. Collard greens
14. Potatoes (use sparingly)
15. Cherries
16. Sweet Corn (use sparingly)- sweet corn is low in pesticides but has potential to be Genetically Modified.
Ok to buy conventional
Lowest in pesticide levels
1. Bananas
2. Pineapple
3. Onions
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangos
8. Egg plant
9. Cantaloupe- domestic
10. Watermelon
11. Kiwi
12. Cabbage
13. Sweet Potatoes (use sparingly)
14. Grapefruits
15. Mushrooms
So what do we do?
I try to buy what I can local and organic. I have found a few local farmers that even though they aren't certified organic still grow their produce with the same amount of care. It takes something like 7 years to get certified organic so I figure this is the next best thing. I also like Whole Foods. They have a big selection of fresh organics and they list the place of origin. However, one of my favorite fall backs is Costco. There produce is super high quality and they carry a lot of organics. I bought Organic Honeycrisp apples there for 20 cents less a pound than the WF sale price plus they have organic frozen berries that we use for our smoothies.
Happy eating!
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