Organic or Not, That is the Question
08 Dec 2010
There are many reasons to buy organic produce. First, it’s better for the environment, no pesticides means healthier soil, water, and wildlife. It supports small farmers, organic farmers can earn a fairer price for organic produce compared to factory farming and are organic farmers are growing a wide variety of non-genetically modified (non-GMO) fruits and vegetables. Where factory farming has decreased our choices in the supermarket to one or two types of any produce variety, organic farmers are resurrecting many heirloom varieties and increasing our choices.
“They” say the research on whether consuming organic food is healthier for people remains inconclusive, however, the USDA’s own tests show that most non-organic produce contain residual pesticides even after washing. The long term affects of consuming these pesticides has not been sufficiently studied, but they can’t be good for you.
In a perfect world, all our groceries would be organic. Unfortunately, organic food is still more expensive (although the prices are dropping) or even unavailable. To make wiser choices here are two lists. The first, refered to as “The Dirty Dozen”, is a list of the fruits and vegetables with the highest level of pesticide contamination and should always be purchased organic. The second list, referred to as “The Clean 15”, have the least amount of pesticides. These fruits and vegetables are fine purchased conventional. Notice that many in the list of the Clean 15 have thick, inedible skins which protect the fruit and may be peeled.
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The Dirty Dozen |
The Clean 15 |
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For a wallet size list to carry with you to the market please visit: http://www.foodnews.org/
Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.
