What to Buy… Organic vs. Non-Organic Foods
Learn where you can save money!
I know how hard it is to eat healthy and make it fit within your budget. My husband, Luke, and I are always looking for ways to save money while also eating healthy. We are always doing research so I wanted to pay it forward and give you a simple way to determine what foods you should try to always buy organic, whenever possible, and foods you can save some money on and buy non-organic.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), which is a non-profit organization that analyzes FDA research and testing on many products and food, comes out with updated lists each year called the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15.” Lets dive into these two lists and learn what they are all about.
The Dirty Dozen List
Lets begin by defining what organic actually means:
“Non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) and free of pesticides.”
This list informs you of the foods which are MOST likely to be contaminated with pesticides. These are the foods that are STRONGLY recommended to buy organic whenever possible.
A 2020 report showed that almost 70% of non-organic foods tested positive for at least one pesticide. Most tested positive for many more.
A lot of people think,
“Oh that’s ok I will wash all my produce and it will get rid of the pesticides.”
Actually, washing and peeling your fruits and vegetables with NOT remove all pesticide residue so please be aware of that.
Now lets get into the actual list. Here are the top twelve “dirtiest” foods of 2020:
I know many or you might be surprised at the first food on the list. I love strawberries! However, I never bought organic strawberries before knowing about this dirty dozen list. Now I do!
Side note: Meat is something I would recommend buying organic, specifically organic grass-fed beef and organic pasture-raised chicken and turkey.
Spinach and Kale are actually the two on this list that top the charts as the WORST of them all when it comes to being contaminated with pesticides, 18 to be exact. One of those 18 being Dacthal (DCPA). This is a known carcinogen and herbicide that is used to control grasses and weeds. Many farmers use this herbicide to protect their crops. In 2008, the European union even prohibited the use of this toxic herbicide. However, it is still legal in the United States!
Wow that is scary to think about right?
Over time, these toxins can build up in your body and can cause many serious medical conditions like autoimmune diseases, ADHD, infant autism, diabetes and even cancer. Just look at this chart that shows how the cancer rates in this country are sky rocketing!
So please limit these foods in their non-organic form whenever possible.
The Clean 15 List
Now here comes some good news! This list provides you with foods that are least likely to be contaminated.
Here are the top 15 “cleanest” foods of 2020:
A rule of thumb to go by, if you happen to not have this list with you at the time of purchasing your produce, is
Anything with a tough outer skin
is usually a food you can get away with buying non-organic.
Please note: Some papaya, sweet corn, and squash found in the United States are considered GMO foods. If possible, buy these foods organic if you are in the United States.
One last thing to wrap up these two very informative lists. That is RAISINS. Raisins are not found on the dirty dozen list but actually rank worse than strawberries when it comes to being contaminated with pesticides. On average, there are 13 pesticides found when testing raisins. There are even pesticides found on organic raisins! If you are a raisin lover like myself and Luke, then maybe opt for prunes instead. Cut them up and add them to your favorite dish and you, more than likely, won’t even notice a difference!
Please save this article for later so you always have these lists with you when you head to the grocery store. It can really help save your health and also save you some money!
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