Organic or Not?

In a perfect world, the produce that we eat grows pesticide-free on the farm of someone who we know, or better yet, in our own backyard. Ha. Ya right. Clearly we don't live in a perfect world. We eat fruits and veggies that do not naturally grow in the region where we live (newsflash: pineapples are NOT native to New England). We rely heavily on supermarkets for our produce selection (though local farmers markets are becoming increasingly more available). And unless you live in a house with decent yard space, you probably aren't growing much of your own food. So where does that leave the quality and state of the produce we consistently put into our bodies? Should we buy organic produce, or not?

There are two sides to every story, and the story of organic produce vs. non-organic produce is just one example. Personally, I tend to lean toward the side that says putting pesticides and chemicals into your body can be harmful. Does this mean I buy all organic produce? No. I'm not made of money. Organic food is always more expensive than the regular ol' stuff, but there has to be a happy medium. Luckily, there is: the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen". 

The "dirty dozen" are the fruits and veggies with the most amount of pesticide residue (why? because they require large quantities of pesticide usage in order to be mass produced without bugs and pests getting inside of them). These are the fruits and veggies I prioritize to buy organic. The "clean fifteen" are the fruits and veggies with the least amount of pesticide residue (why? they require less pesticides to grow - one reason being that a lot of these fruits and veggies have thick, outer layers of skin that bugs and pests do not attempt to penetrate). I rarely buy organic varieties of these fruits and veggies. 

Honestly, even if you have the funds to buy all organic produce, don't. I encourage you to spend your money buying organic dirty dozen fruits and veggies, and save your money on non-organic clean fifteen produce. Buy some truffle oil or lobster with the money you save...just kidding (kind of). It is ultimately your choice as to whether you agree that pesticides can be harmful to our bodies. And it is up to you how you spend your money. All I'm saying is, it doesn't hurt to write down these two lists of fruits and veggies on a post-it note, so just in case the next time you're in a grocery store you ask yourself, "should I buy this organic or not?"

DIRTY DOZEN (buy these organic):

1. Apple

2. Celery

3. Strawberries

4. Peaches

5. Spinach

6. Nectarines (imported)

7. Grapes (imported)

8. Sweet bell peppers

9. Potatoes

10. Blueberries (domestic)

11. Lettuce

12. Kale/ collard greens

CLEAN FIFTEEN (don't bother buying organic):

1. Onions

2. Sweet corn

3. Pineapple

4. Avocado

5. Asparagus

6. Sweet peas

7. Mangoes

8. Eggplant

9. Cantaloupe (domestic)

10. Kiwi

11. Cabbage

12. Watermelon

13. Sweet potatoes

14. Grapefruit

15. Mushrooms