“Going organic” is 100% a personal choice. For some, consuming only organic fruits, vegetables, meats, etc, means less chemicals ingested into the body, less strain on the environment, and a cleaner lifestyle. For others, organic eating means unnecessary increased cost of food and drinks.
One can find a happy medium, though, with these simple tips:
- Focus on buying organic fruits and vegetables if the food in question is typically high in pesticides. The following are the top 12 foods to buy organic, apples, strawberries, grapes, celery, peaches, spinach, sweet bell peppers, nectarines (imported), cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas (imported), potatoes, hot peppers, and kale/collard greens.
- Buy organic produce when it’s on sale. Take a look at the store’s circular for sales - Buying frozen organic produce when fresh produce is out of season is often a cheaper alternative.
- Do not buy pre-washed produce as it typically costs much more. Wash produce yourself.
- Buy organic foods in bulk when possible and bring a measuring cup to the store so you buy the exact amount needed and no extra.
CHALLENGE: Regularly replace three of your most commonly consumed fruits or vegetables with organic options. Bonus points if you use items from the list above!