As you browse through the produce section of your local grocery store, you notice that more and more space is now given to organic fruits and vegetables. As a good shopper who is concerned about your health, you compare that bright shiny apple to the less shiny organic one and wonder if the extra cost of the organic apple is really worth it. Is it safer? Is it more nutritious? Finally, what does organic really mean? In order to be classified as organic, the USDA has established strict regulations about how food is to be grown and processed. Only natural methods of farming are to be used, and chemicals, pesticides are herbicides are prohibited. Nutritionally, there is very little difference between organic and non organic fruits and vegetables, but the thought of ingesting all those chemicals and pesticides remains a major concern.
So, should you buy all your produce in organic form? Not necessarily. The Environmental Working Group (an organization of scientists and researchers) has comprised a list of produce you should always buy in organically. Even after a thorough washing, these fruits and vegetables still tested positive for between 47 and 67 different chemicals. These include:
Apples Nectarines
Blueberries Peaches
Carrots Pears
Celery Peppers (Sweet)
Cherries Potatoes
Collard Greens Raspberries
Grapes (Imported) Spinach
Kale Strawberries
Lettuce
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