Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

We all know it’s better to eat more fruit and vegetables.  But concerns about the safety of conventionally grown produce versus organically grown always comes up as well.

When produce is organic, it means that it has been produced without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. There are some compelling reasons why people choose to buy organic produce. For one thing, organic produce minimizes exposure to pesticides and other chemical additives. By eating organic produce one can avoid the pesticide residue left on foods.  Hands down, organically raised food is better for the environment. Absence of pesticides results in healthier soil, water, and wildlife. Buying organically grown produce supports small farmers and contributes to biodiversity.

Some people choose organic produce because they believe it has a higher nutritional value than commercially grown produce. The comparisons of nutritional content between food organically grown and conventionally grown produce, however, shows little difference. Consider also that much of the produce we buy today is not always locally grown. We have many fruits and vegetables to choose from year round because they have been shipped from other parts of the country (or the world).  The fact that a fruit or vegetable is organic does not necessarily translate to nutritional superiority simply because it’s organic. If shipped from far away, it may already be past its nutritional peak.

For many health conscious families, the purchase of organic produce is cost prohibitive.  As much as they would like to eat more organically grown food, they simply cannot afford the higher cost.  Most of us have a food budget and have to make choices about what we buy, and perhaps a compromise is what’s called for. There are a two things you can do to take advantage of organically grown produce as much as possible.

1. Buy local organic produce when it’s in season.  In many parts of the USA, that means taking advantage of certain fruits and vegetables during the warmer months when available.  Freezing or canning local organic produce is a possible option when those items are out of season.
2. Buy conventionally grown produce from the “Clean 15” list, and organic only for those foods that are on the “The Dirty Dozen” list.   The Dirty Dozen are the fruits and vegetables which have the largest amount of pesticide residues, and the Clean 15 have the least amount.

•  The “Dirty Dozen”:

            celery

            peaches

            strawberries

            apples

            domestic blueberries

            nectarines

            sweet bell peppers

            spinach, kale and collard greens

            cherries

            potatoes

            imported grapes

            lettuce

 

• The Clean 15:

            onions

            avocados

            sweet corn

            pineapples

            mango

            sweet peas

            asparagus

            kiwi fruit

            cabbage

            eggplant

            cantaloupe

            watermelon

            grapefruit

            sweet potatoes

            sweet onions

When the warm weather arrive again, make a habit of visiting your local farmers’ markets and buy local organic produce throughout the season.  To find local markets in your area go to http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/

Tags: organic produce