12 foods you don’t REALLY have to buy organic

Posted on November 1st, 2009

I’ve always found it easier to do something when boundaries are relaxed. Even if you don’t always take up the hall pass, it’s good to know I have the choice. 

In the last little bit I’ve been steering my eating toward organic options as much as possible. It’s not easy. And it’s blooody expensive. At times I’ve thought, is this worth it? I mean, I live in a big, polluted city, my mobile is pressed to my ear much of the day and I eat my bacon carcinogenic-crisp (yeah, yeah, I know). Do the chemical savings earnt from a $7 cabbage negate this toxic baseline?

So I liked this list posted by integrative medicine font Dr Andrew Weil: 12 foods You Don’t Have To Buy Organic. It gives me room to move.

  • Broccoli
  • Eggplant
  • Cabbage
  • Banana
  • Kiwi
  • Asparagus
  • Sweet peas (frozen)
  • Mango
  • Pineapple
  • Sweet corn (frozen)
  • Avocado
  • Onion

Of course, while the chemical harm from ingesting the above foods is low, the toxic fall-out from the sprays etc still run into rivers and cause harm in all manner of other directions…and the more we buy organic, the more we create a demand for it, the more prices will come down.

And for balance, here’s a list of 12 Foods You Should Always Buy Organic:

  • Peaches
  • Apples
  • Capsicums
  • Celery
  • Nectarines
  • Strawberries
  • Cherries
  • Lettuce
  • Grapes
  • Pears
  • Spinach
  • Potatoes
  • Well I bought the organic apples today. Thank you for keeping this on my radar and quietly prompting me to think more about the choices I make …it is a process of finetuning your choices and habits.

    November 5th, 2009 at 2:40
  • Vanessa says:

    Hi Sarah,
    It’s great to have a list such as this, but I’d be interested to know why certain fruit & veg made it onto the ‘always buy organic’ list. For example, why lettuce and grapes?
    Thanks,
    Vanessa

    November 11th, 2009 at 22:46
  • rosie says:

    vanessa – not sarah here, but the usual reason is because pesticides used on some fruits/veg are systemic i.e. they are taken up into the body of the food and cannot be washed off.

    November 15th, 2009 at 21:31
  • Sarah says:

    Thanks Rosie!!! Everyone, meet my friend Rosie. She’s a scientist. She knows stuff.

    November 16th, 2009 at 5:35
  • Carmela Leone says:

    Hi Sarah,
    I buy whatever organic food I can find and have done for over 20 years.
    I figure that non-organic food is way too cheap. Have you ever tried to grow food? It costs! I believe that what I pay for organic food is like paying a fair price for the product.
    And it helps the earth – bonus.
    Buying only organic does mean I have less choice, it’s true. And what a blessing that is. I don’t have difficulty making decisions about what to buy and from where. I just buy organic. Now that makes my life simpler, easier.
    Carmela

    December 27th, 2009 at 23:17
  • Sarah says:

    i get a certain satisfaction, too, from thinking, “hey, I’m contributing to the demand”.

    December 28th, 2009 at 9:12
  • Prince says:

    Hi Sarah. You may find this amusing, but I never have been picky about organic or not. However, after reading this post I learned something…the pesticides and chemicals finding their way back into our rivers and underground water…and for me this is motivating enough to start going organic. Thanks.

    January 9th, 2010 at 18:42
  • Sarah says:

    I like this…this is the angle that gets me fired up, too!

    January 10th, 2010 at 16:44
  • [...] I eat organic produce where possible. For a list of foods that are best to buy organic, go here. I find eating organic also makes me a more mindful eating (mostly cos the stuff costs a [...]

    January 30th, 2010 at 16:15

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