How to Shop Organic

Lets be honest, it can get quite expensive sticking to a strictly organic diet. Also sometimes its hard finding certain things you want in the organic section. It may be out of season or a hard to find specialty item. I'm an avid Pinterest reader and I've come across many lists that can are "must buy organic" in comparison to "buying conventional won't hurt you". This is because some produce is heavily sprayed by pesticides while others have a protective barrier or thicker skin. Its sad that we have to compromise on this, but thats the world we live it (sigh). With that being said, its best to know what you're eating and whats going into your body.

I remember talking to one of my best friends about this very thing years ago. We both grew up in Oxnard, which is the strawberry capital. During the Summer the air smells like sweet ripe berries and you can drive for miles through strawberry fields. One day she decided to take her small son to a strawberry field to look at the fruit more closely. When they were walking towards the field, a person fully covered in a white jumpsuit, head covering and all, started to run towards them. He told them they had to leave immediately because he was spraying the strawberries and it was very toxic. I remember her telling me about this and I was mortified. How could you spray these berries with toxic chemicals and then eat them?! Needless to say from that point on, both of us only buy organic strawberries.

So anyways back to the "do" and "do not buy" grocery list thing. I've had a makeshift list on my fridge for years to remind me what things I should ALWAYS buy organic. So today I figured I'd type this list out properly and share it with you friends. Its a mash up of other lists that I've seen, but customized to what we eat. Like I said earlier, it can be pretty expensive shopping exclusively organic, but adding a stop or two to your grocery shopping day is totally worth it. I usually shop at Sprouts and Trader Joes for my large hauls. Their prices are very good when it comes to organic produce. I also shop at the Farmers Market at least once a week to stock up on seasonal produce.

Just to be clear I'm not a doctor, nutritionists or dietician. These are just suggestions I'm passing on to you that have been helpful to me. Let me know your thoughts!

DIRTY DOZEN

Always buy Organic since these are more commonly saturated with high levels of pesticide residue. Make sure these are properly washed before cutting and eating!

Strawberries

Peaches

Tomatoes

Grapes

Potatoes

Celery

Bell Peppers

Snap Peas

Nectarines

Greens (Spinach, Kale, Lettuce, Collard Greens)

Apples

Cucumber

CLEANISH THIRTEEN

These foods have tougher skin or lower levels of pesticides. Make sure they are properly washed before cutting and eating.

Sweet Potatoes

Kiwi

Onion

Corn

Cabbage

Eggplant

Pineapple

Asparagus

Cantaloupe

Grapefruit

Cauliflower

Peas

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