Why is it important to buy and eat organic food? There are two main reasons:
1. Buying organically is always the healthier option. Besides the fact that organic foods do not have pesticides, there have been some studies that have shown that organic food is intrinsically healthier. Some scientists think its because they have to fight off the pests and so have more phytonutrients which we need as well to fight off disease.
2. Buying organically is better for the environment. Not only are the lack of pesticides better but the way the land is farmed is also far superior to the usual methods. Farmers have to rotate crops so that pests are minimized and this helps keep the soil healthier. Natural manure and other composts are added to the soil to enrich it.
Ok, so we know that buying organic or growing your own fruits and vegetables is the healthiest and most environmentally safe option. But not all of us can afford to buy organic, buy it all the time, or buy all organic. So how can you distinguish which veggies and fruits are lower on the pesticide scale?
A good rule of thumb for determining which vegetables have low pesticide risk and are therefore safer to buy without an organic label are those that have a peel of some kind. However, this can also vary from vegetable to vegetable. Vegetables that have a low pesticide risk include: avocados, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, sweet corn, and onions. However broccoli and asparagus which do not have a covering are also low in pesticide risk.
Fruits are easier to determine in terms of pesticide risk since all the fruits that are low risk have a covering or peel of some kind including bananas, papaya, mango, kiwis and pineapple.
Some fruits to always eat organically includes strawberries, apples, nectarines, grapes, pears, and cherries. Think high water content and no covering; these are more likely to absorb pesticides. Vegetables to always eat organically are carrots, lettuce, potatoes, and spinach.
How do you know if something is organic? Of course you can read the signs, but a sure fire-way to know is the code listed on the fruit itself. If it begin with a "9" it’s organic, if it does not it is not. So always do a double check on your fruit and veggies even if the sign leads you to think you are buying organically.
To save money you can also buy frozen vegetables that are low on the pesticide scale. Sweet peas, corn, and broccoli would be good examples of vegies you might consider buying frozen.
