Organic Foods You Should Never Skip

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Americans are more conscious than ever of the food they are consuming. The obesity epidemic has made more shoppers aware of the health and medical consequences of the food they’re eating. But with all the health and political issues surrounding food, such as sustainable farming, pesticides, organic vs. conventional, and local food, it can be difficult to know what you should prioritize when you’re at the grocery store or farmer’s market. To make it a little easier, we’ve put together this list of organic foods you should never skip, when planning your next culinary experiment.

The Rationale

What exactly is organic food? The University of Wisconsin explains:

“Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled "organic," a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards.”

Pesticide residues from conventionally grown foods end up inside the bodies of those consuming the food. Although this residue is rarely high enough to produce visible side effects, the long-term consequences of consuming pesticides is not known. Many consumers prefer to err on the safe side, when it comes to ingesting pesticides.

Organic Must-Buys

• Baby Food: It’s wise to choose organic for any produce or baby food you’re feeding an infant. This is because the immune response in infants is weaker than it is in adults, and smaller amounts of harmful chemicals can have more pronounced effects. Pregnant women should also consider ingesting primarily organic foods.
• Meat & Dairy: Animals are exposed to a variety of agricultural chemicals and pesticides while they are being raised. When they ingest these chemicals, they become stored in the animal’s fat. When you consume conventionally raised meat or dairy products, you’re eating the animal fat and this chemical concentrate. (Emory)
• Peaches & Nectarines: These stone-bearing fruits incorporate more pesticides inside their flesh during the growing process than many other fruits and vegetables. In tests on these fruits, 86-90% raised the conventional way tested positive for pesticides. (Tsakiris)
• Bananas: As you might imagine, it takes some serious chemicals to get these fruits from Central and South America to markets around the world with that golden hue. The amount of pesticides and herbicides used on banana crops is particularly dense; in fact, workers on banana plantations have been experiencing health problems from working with the chemicals. (Wesseling)
• Strawberries: These small red fruits are particularly delicate, and those raised conventionally are sprayed very densely. Most U.S. strawberries come from California; they had the highest ratio of pesticide use of all California crops.