Eating organic fruits and vegetables is good for you and much safer but most times more expensive, often costing as much as twice (or even more) than non-organic fruits and vegetables. So what’s a family on a budget to do? First of all, don’t stop eating fruits and vegetables, even if you can’t afford organic, because the health benefits outweigh the risks.
The Good
So here’s a few suggestions on how not to blow your budget but still feel safe in what you’re putting on the table….
- Look at what produce your family eats the most of. Generally speaking, fruits and vegetables with thick skins that are removed before eating are going to be safer and therefore, not really necessary to buy organic.
- According to WebMD, the following fruits and vegetables have some of the least amounts of pesticide, and you’ll notice that most of these have thick, inedible skins which protect the food. So if your family loves any of these items, feel safe in knowing they don’t have to be organic, which will save your pocketbook money, and then you can spend extra on other produce that should be organic.
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Corn
- Kiwi
- Mangoes
- Onions
- Papaya
- Pineapples
- Sweet Peas
Tammy’s Tip ‘O the Day
Found this awesome tip on Facebook:
The Bad
Now for the “bad” list….according to “the daily green“, these twelve items are the most likely fruits and vegetables to harbor pesticides.
The Real World
But what if you’re on a really, really tight budget and you really can’t afford the extra cost of buying organic? According to “the world’s healthiest foods”, (www.whfoods.org) gently scrubbing produce with a natural bristle brush under clean water will help make your produce safer. No need to spend extra money on commercial produce cleaners because according to them, when it comes to vegetable washes, they have yet to see any research that documents the effectiveness of these fruit and vegetable washes in terms of pesticide removal or removal of other potential toxins. So save money on not buying vegetable washes if they’re not really doing anything more or better than an inexpensive bristle brush and water.
And just because you might buy your produce at a local farmers market, it doesn’t mean it’s organic. Typically if it is, they will have a sign posted stating that it’s organically grown. If you’re not sure, ask. Local grocery stores are carrying more and more organic produce so keep your eyes open when shopping and take advantage of them when they are on sale. And don’t forget about your local smaller grocers and indoor markets that often have organic produce at lower costs. One of our readers, Ginger Murray, suggested we take a look at Sunflower Farmers Market (an indoor market) that she enjoys shopping at and you know what, they really have great produce at REALLY great prices! (Thanks Ginger!)
Now I’m just one person, so if you have a favorite store/market that has exceptional organic produce at low prices, we’d love to hear about it so we can pass on the word to others….since I can’t shop at ALL the stores in town!