Top Ten: What Should You Buy Organic
The Environmental Working Group is a great urbanMama resource. In their recent newsletter, they provide some great tips on packing healthy lunches. Yes, this is a favorite conversation of ours. But even better, is their produce list and scoring of fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticide. For those that use a combination approach of buying organic and conventional, this list is essential in determining which fruits and vegetables you may want to absolutely purchase organic. The top ten worst?
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Lettuce
- Grapes - Imported
- Pears
Visit the Environmental Working Group site to get the full list and wallet guide of 43 fruits and veggies! Do you have a strategy when it comes to buying organics? Are you all or nothing? Or does cost consciousness come into play?
This is great - thank you! I try to buy organic whenever possible, though sometimes I have that whole argument in my head about local vs organic.
What I wish was included in the link you posted though is a discussion on organic from WHERE. Oregon Tilth and California have the highest standards for organics that I'm aware of. I'd probably rate USDA organic after that (though I still grumble about that trademark). Below that I rank other countries, because really I know nothing about them.
Has anyone out there seen some kind of rating system for organics from other countries? What does "organic" mean in Mexico or Peru or Guatemala?
Posted by: Melissa | September 25, 2007 at 11:20 AM
Speaking of great organic food, does anyone know of a great u-pick place for organic apples and/or pears?
We sat in traffic last year on Sauvie's Island for tooooo long just for the opportunity to pick non-organic produce.
Posted by: Kristin | September 25, 2007 at 01:41 PM
I was told-- by someone in 'New Seasons' produce section-- that if it was a root or had a thick peel (like an orange), that it was a safer bet to buy non-organic. Any opinions on this?
Kristin, if you take a right off of the bridge when you get to Sauvies Island, you can find a couple of organic farms, and avoid the crowd.
The Pumpkin Patch is that way.They aren't 'certified organic', but they only use a fungacide in early spring, and nothing else.And they do have better prices than Krugers.
Posted by: Lea | September 25, 2007 at 04:43 PM
I was told-- by someone in 'New Seasons' produce section-- that if it was a root or had a thick peel (like an orange), that it was a safer bet to buy non-organic. Any opinions on this?
Kristin, if you take a right off of the bridge when you get to Sauvies Island, you can find a couple of organic farms, and avoid the crowd.
The Pumpkin Patch is that way.They aren't 'certified organic', but they only use a fungacide in early spring, and nothing else.And they do have better prices than Krugers.
Posted by: Lea | September 25, 2007 at 04:43 PM
Great resource - thanks for bringing it to our attention. And that is a very very cute foto of someone's berry-loving child...
Posted by: rockstar mama | September 25, 2007 at 04:45 PM
What do you mean "safer" to buy non-organic?
Posted by: averilpdx | September 25, 2007 at 07:48 PM
Thanks for posting this list. Sometimes we have to compromise and it is a great reminder of the worst offenders.
Regarding Melissa's question, any food item carrying an organic label must comply with the organic standards of the country where it is being sold. So any food carrying the organic label in the USA must be certified according to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP).
Has anyone compiled a list of the worst offenders in terms of overall environmental impact? For example, if you had to prioritize, is it more important to buy organic coffee, chocolate or even cotton? It is not a food item, but conventionally grown cotton is on of the worst in agriculture, consuming 25% of the insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world.
Posted by: sara | September 26, 2007 at 01:16 PM
I bought a book a few years ago that was much better than i expected about explaining what is best to choose organic (from fruits and veggies to meats, seafood, dairy and grains, a little of everything) and cost-effective too. It's called Fresh Choices by David Joachim and Rochelle Davis. It's also (well, primarily) a cookbook!
Posted by: Janet | September 27, 2007 at 12:28 PM