Your quick guide to buying organic vs. non-organic food

You’re in the grocery store, filling your bag with delicious looking apples when the big bold sign post catches your eye…”Organic.” You compare the ones you’re about to take, with the ones in that basket…they look alike, only the organic ones are a dollar more. In the next 5 seconds you have to decide whether to make the splurge or risk the toxins. I’m here to help you figure this out.

I’m all for clean food but I also like to get plenty of bang for my buck—so I find myself prioritizing on what foods are better purchased organic and which ones can get the pass.

Organic foods are produced through farming practices that only use natural substances. This means avoiding all artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) (Heathline).

Multiple studies comparing organic and non-organic food have been carried out and although the results have mixed conclusions, there is evidence that organic food could be more nutritious.

A study carried out by the British Journal of Nutrition revealed that organic crops on average, had higher concentrations of antioxidants, lower concentrations of toxic metal cadmium (Cd) and a lower incidence of pesticide residues.

So, what do you buy and what do you leave?

Fresh produce

The Electronic Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of foods with the highest levels of pesticide residue every year. At the top of the list, strawberries, spinach, apples and potatoes among others.

Foods made from produce highly exposed to pesticides

Wine and coffee are made from produce containing some of the highest amounts of pesticide residue and are better off purchased organic.

More food to buy organic…

Diary; Milk, butter, yogurt and cheese

Meat; Chicken, beef and ham

Breakfast staples; Eggs, bread and oatmeal

And of course, chocolate.

I know, it seems like you should buy everything organic. To put it simply, buy organic when it comes to fresh produce and food that you consume the most. I personally don’t eat bread that much, so I would skip on buying it organic and opt for organic chicken.

And if you’re wondering what the deal is with pesticides; Four different studies have linked pesticide exposure to Cancer, Parkinson’s disease and Autism, plus a possible loss in IQ.

As for the foods that you can pass on, here’s a few to put on your list.

Bananas

Olive oil and other cooking oils

Rice

Tea

Sweet potatoes and grapefruit.