Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Top Foods to Buy Organic

We have all been told to buy local and organic foods as much as possible, but with the economy as tough as it is buying all organic becomes a financial challenge. So, I decided to research which foods are the most important to buy organic. I examined half a dozen different references to see which items displayed a common theme and here is what I found:

1.) Baby Foods - infants immune and nerve systems are more vulnerable to toxins; try making your own from organic foods.

2.) Stone Fruits (peaches, nectarines, cherries, apricots).

3.) Apples including fresh apples, applesauce, and juice.

4.) Bell Peppers

5.) Celery

6.) Strawberries

7.) Leafy greens such as Spinach and Lettuce

8.) Grapes including raisins, juice and wines.

9.) Potatoes

10.) Carrots

11.) Green Beans

12.) Hot peppers

13.) Cucumbers

14.) Bananas - this one is questionable as some say these are definites to buy organic where others say they are safe. I would go for organic if possible because they usually come from foreign countries where laws are different, and also they are gassed and fumigated for shipping.

15.) Dairy Products (milk, yogurt, cheese, butter) - high fat foods retain chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, also may contain antibiotics and growth hormones.

16.) Rice

17.) Meat, Poultry & Eggs - contain antibiotics and hormones.

18.) Corn - because much of our corn is now genetically modified and actually has pesticides already contained in its DNA. Yuck!

19.) Soybeans - also genetically modified.

20.) Raspberries


For more information on organic products and locally grown foods see the following websites:

The Organic Consumers Association at http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Local Harvest at http://www.localharvest.org/

Consumer Reports at http://www.consumerreports.org/



Eat healthy. Be happy!