Image:Flickr, YoungToymaker

So you want to eat organic, but it costs more money and you feel that you just can’t afford to switch over completely.  Are there some foods that are better to buy organic than others? You bet!  You see, when it comes to produce there are some foods that are more susceptible than others to the synthetic chemicals that are sprayed on them.  However, when it comes to meat and dairy, non-organic is just plain bad for you, no matter what.

Organic Meat and Dairy

This means that if you only have the money to buy some things organic, then start with the meat and dairy.  There is no meat that is better than others.  All non-organic meat and dairy is going to be full of whatever farmers feed the animals and whatever they put into them, such as growth hormones, antibiotics, and other medications.  Stay away from this.  However, if you are vegetarian, then you won’t have to worry about the meat and if you are vegan, then you can spend all your extra grocery money on organic produce.

What to Buy Non-Organic?

What do you pick from the produce when you have to choose your organics carefully? Well, first I’ll tell you what is better to buy.  Any fruit or vegetable that is thick-skinned is safer to buy non-organically.  These include foods such as bananas, papayas, avocados, mangoes, and pineapples. Then there are vegetables that do not attract a lot of pests and therefore they need fewer pesticides sprayed on them.  These are plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and onions.

Top Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic

Now, the top 12 fruits and vegetables that you should avoid are: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes, carrots, and pears. You need to go through them in that order and purchase what you can that is organic.

Why Some Foods are Better?

So why are some foods better than others when it comes to organic? Well, when pesticides are sprayed onto plants they tend to be stored in the skin of the fruit or vegetable.  The thick-skinned fruits keep the pesticides out of the flesh quite nicely.  Also, we don’t tend to eat the skin of these fruits.  However, when it comes to fruits such as apples and peaches or berries, the skin is part of what we eat and is thin enough to allow more of the toxins to pass into the fruit.  Also, fruits and vegetables with more surface area to hold pesticides should be bought organically, such as grapes, berries, and lettuce.

Wash Your Fruit and Vegetables

Whenever you buy produce that is not organic use a good fruit and veggie wash on them, not just water, and wash them every time.  Don’t allow the kids or yourself to munch on the grapes or strawberries on the way home from the grocery store.

When soaking the produce in order to clean it, allow it to soak in the solution for a few minutes to ensure that the toxins are being washed away.  In an ideal world there would only be organic food, but since there isn’t, we need to try to minimize our exposure to the chemicals used on food as much as possible.  With that in mind, spend wisely, wash your produce, and eat happily.

If you have any questions please comment to this blog post, I will do my best to answer them. Please visit Organic Lifetsyle Blog regularly to find out more about organic and healthy lifestyle.

Buy Healthy Organic Food

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