Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Not Everything Needs to be Organic


Some of you who stop by here are trying, like me, to make the smartest choices when buying food to put on your family or yourself. Whether it is the "carbon footprint" of the food, whether or not is organic or even "all natural". Some of us are trying to buy local produce and some of us are even growing some of our own. There are a lot of things to weigh...cost, organic, local, natural, pesticides and on and on. I try and buy organic and local but that is not always an option.

It is not an easy job but it is getting easier. You are seeing more organic choices in the stores but they are on average 20 -30% more expensive that conventionally grown fruit and vegetables. If you are like me I hate wasting money but don't mind paying for what I get. If you are trying to limit your exposure to pesticides but can't find or afford to always get organic you can still have some control over what you eat. According to the non-profit Environmental Working Group , soft-skinned fruits and vegetables like peaches, apples and bell peppers retain the most amount of pesticides. Buying organic when buying these makes sense even if it is more expensive. Onions, avocados and corn are practically pesticide free whether the are grown organically or not so you you have some wiggle room with these types of things. Foodnews.org the Environmental Working Group's website has a handy guide you can download that lists conventionally grown fruits and vegetables by typical pesticide content. The list will help you make a little better decision when it comes to whether you just have to have organic.

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