There are many useful sources of information available to clarify which foods are most likely to contain significant additives, pesticides and hormones. The categorization of food below (Buy organic, buy conventional and buy local) summarizes reliable information in a simple layout. Generally, foods listed with one star (*) have been labeled as members of the “Dirty-Dozen”, foods you want to buy organically whenever possible. Added to this list are animal products, nuts and other foods well known to contain undesirable chemicals. Foods listed with a plus sign (+) are members of the clean-fifteen, produce known to most likely contain very little contaminants, often due to a hard casing or peel.
Buy organic as a priority
Almonds, Apples*, Baby Food, Bell Peppers*, Meat (Beef, Poultry, Pork), Carrots, Celery*, Cherries, Coffee, Citrus (if you want peel), Cucumbers, Dairy (Milk, cheese, yoghurt), Grains, Green Beans, Grapes (not grown in US), Eggs, Juice (particularly apple) , Leafy greens, Kale, Nectarines*, Peaches*, Pears*, Peanut/butter, Potatoes*, Raisins, Raspberries*, Rice, Spinach, Strawberries*, Tomato/Tomato products.
Buy conventional (when local not available, when on a budget)
Asparagus+, Avocado+, Bananas+, Beans-dry (if washed well), Blueberries+, Broccoli+, Cabbage+, Chocolate, Cashews, Citrus (unless you need peel), Garlic+, Grapes (grown in U.S), Kiwi+, Mangoes+, Mandarin Oranges, Onions+, Peaches (canned), Pineapple+, Shelling Peas+, Sweet Potatoes, Watermelon+ (most melons).
Buy locally-grown when possible for best taste and food sustainability
Berries (other than raspberries and strawberries unless organic), Bread, Corn,Eggs, Melons, Organic Locally-Grown Foods, Meat, Tropical Fruits, Seafood, Tomatoes.
Choosing seafood is tricky. Many seafoods, even if from the ocean, contain toxic metals like mercury. Many fish farms use industrial methods and are not able to raise fish under ideal conditions. It’s recommended to determine the source of your fish, particularly if you consume fish frequently. Check out the following excellent resource for seafood choices.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx
Where do you start? If you have not yet transitioned to organic foods I, agree with author Cindy Burke (To Buy or Not to Buy Organic), that you should start with organic produce and what you and your household eat the most of or most often. If you have a baby, definitely choose organic baby foods. If you or your child drink cow’s milk, buy organic cow’s milk – it will taste better too. Next, if you eat peanut butter, eggs and meat I would commit to choosing 100% organic or not eating them at all. If you need more support in buying and preparing organic foods, or just produce in general, Jeff Cox’s book, The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide, may be useful
How does my family shop? First, we grow what we can and limit eating out. Next, we exclusively buy organic for the foods we eat frequently like grapes, apples, greens, celery, carrots, peanut butter, dairy and eggs. We choose either organic or locally grown meats under good conditions and be modest in portion size and frequency of consumption. For other items, like tomatoes, corn and watermelon we buy local when we can and stick to buying foods in season.
References.
Burke, Cindy. To Buy or Not to Buy Organic. Marlow and Company, New York, 2007.
Cox, Jeff. The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide. Wiley, 2008.
Tags: canned pineapple, dairy milk, dirty dozen foods, leafy greens, mandarin oranges, milk cheese, organic bread, sweet potatoes, tomato products, toxic metals