Is Organic Worth the Price?

Does buying organic matter?

The short answer is yes, absolutely.

Anytime you can reduce exposure to harmful chemicals, the better for your health. Plus, many organically raised fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients than their “conventional” (non-organic) counterparts. This depends on a variety of factors, including how a farmer manages his or her soils.

All that being said, buying organic usually costs more money – ugh!

That’s where the handy Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists come in. Check out the Environmental Working Group’s website, ewg.org to download the latest lists, fresh off the presses.

Most simply, I encourage my clients to avoid conventional varieties of fruits and veggies on the Dirty Dozen list, due their pesticide load. The Clean 15 list includes fruits and veggies with the lowest pesticide risk. Of course, there are many items that don’t make either list. Ask me if you’re not sure what to buy.

I encourage all my clients to follow a few simple tips:

1. Buy the highest quality foods you can afford, including organic fruits and veggies. Consider splurging on nutritious foods you eat most often. (You’re investing in your health!) And perhaps there’s a not-so-healthy item you can cross off your list?

2. Buy fruits & veggies in season. You get more nutrition, usually at a lower price.

3. Talk to your farmer. When you visit a farm, farm stand or farmer’s market, you get the freshest produce money can buy, short of growing it yourself. But keep in mind, requirements for organic certification are cumbersome and costly for small farmers. As such, many do not sell certified organic produce, but also do not use pesticides, which makes these fruits and veggies a great option.  

4. Buy frozen fruits and veggies! Usually harvested at the peak of ripeness, frozen produce is a great option, especially when the “fresh” alternatives are from far away and really not so fresh after all.