Budget Some Organic Dollars and Feed Your Family the Healthiest Fresh Foods

Penny-pinching has become a way of life for most of us, and the grocery store is one place everyone wants to save money. Spend your food dollars so you get the most nutrition for your money. Organic fresh produce may seem expensive at first glance, but the underlying problems with non-organic growing methods makes some non-organic foods unhealthy and nutritionally worthless. Savvy shopping really can help you keep your family healthier.

The Environmental Working Group compiled the information about pesticide residues in foods using data from 96,000 tests for residues made by the FDA/USDA between 2000 and 2008. More information about the fruits and vegetables that were tested, plus the evaluation data have been assembled at http://www.foodnews.org.

The EWG's "Dirty Dozen" are listed in order from the worst at no. 1:
1 celery
2 peaches
3 strawberries
4 apples
5 blueberries
6 nectarines
7 bell peppers
8 spinach
9 kale
10 cherries
11 potatoes
12 imported grapes

For the safest fresh produce, buy from organic sources of the Dirty Dozen when you can. If your grocery dollars are limited, budget to spend your organic dollars on the Dirty Dozen. Remember, we're talking about an average of 10 pesticide residues a day, just from trying to eat healthier foods! Some of the toxins are cumulative, and the effects of these toxic residues are more concentrated in a developing fetus or in the body of a young child.

The EWG's "Clean 15" foods are listed in order from the best at no. 1:
1 onions
2 avocado
3 sweet corn
4 pineapple
5 mangos
6 sweet peas
7 asparagus
8 kiwi
9 cabbage
10 eggplant
11 canteloupe
12 watermelon
13 grapefruit
14 sweet potato
15 honeydew melon

Notice that the Clean 15 tend to have thick skin or rinds that are not typically eaten, which also contributes to their safety.

Anytime you notice an odd smell on produce, it may be due to a fumigant or fungicide treatment used to prevent mold during shipping or to prolong shelf life. To prevent the spread of agricultural diseases or pests, some imported produce must be treated with chemicals before it can enter the U. S. legally. Here in the Midwest, I especially notice that grapes imported from South America have an odor almost like mothballs. I smell produce before I buy it. Fruit should smell ripe and maybe a little sweet, never dusty or moldy, and it should never have a medicinal or chemical smell. Potatoes should have a clean, earthy scent. Vegetables should smell clean.

The edible skin of ripe fresh fruit should not taste bitter.

If you aren't convinced that organic and non-organic produce have differences in taste, try this simple test. Buy an organic banana, and a non-organic banana, matching the ripeness by the color of the skin. Do your own taste test. The organic banana will have a smooth, sweet taste, with no bitterness. The non-organic banana leaves a definite bitter, dry and sharp taste in your mouth. And a final test...Give both peels to your chickens. They'll go for the organic peel first every time. (Put the other peel in the trash.)

Sources:
Personal Experience
http://www.foodnews.org