To Organic or Not to Organic?

By Melissa Bosslet, RD, LN, CPT

What a great question!

With the economy the way it is, every dollar counts. Food prices have gone down in the past year as fuel prices level out, but you will still pay more for organic food than conventionally grown food. When it comes to organic, certain crops are more heavily treated with pesticides than others. To get the most for your money, choose organic produce for the chemically laden or thin skinned products and opt for conventional for the others. Here is the breakdown...

Purchase ORGANIC for these foods:

• Peaches
• Apples
• Pears
• Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Kale
• Grapes
• Carrots

Don't worry about buying CONVENTIONAL, but still wash this produce well:

• Onion
• Avocado
• Corn
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Papaya
• Eggplant
• Watermelon
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes
• Yams
  

To wash your fruits and veggies well, combine 3 parts vinegar with 1 part water. Add a bit of salt to draw out the dirt and grit. You can keep this mixture in a spray bottle for easy application. This solution works just as well as the "veggie sprays" you will find in the produce aisle. Keep in mind water will not remove the waxy finishes or the pesticide buildup on your fresh produce.