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When you’re at the grocery store, you always go for organic produce. It protects you from pesticides, there are no additives, it’s…it’s just better for you, right?
Not quite. Or at least, not always. A new study by Stanford University has discovered that these organic foods may not really be worth the extra money.
If you’re buying organic produce because it has fewer pesticides, you may not actually be doing very much. Researchers found that all the foods they studied, even the non-organic ones, fell well within safety limits for pesticide levels. And even though organic produce does have a significantly lower risk of pesticide contamination (30% lower, to be exact), they’re probably not totally free of pesticides.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t avoid pesticides if you want to. However, there is a lot of produce that you can save money on. Food with thick skins, such as avocados, bananas, pineapples, and kiwi, are at an especially low risk for pesticide contamination, as most of us don’t eat the skins on those fruits. Fibrous vegetables, such as asparagus, cabbage, and broccoli, are also unlikely to have pesticides, due to the fact that they don’t naturally attract insects.
If you’re looking to buy organic produce and really get your money’s worth, you’re looking at soft fruits and veggies with thin, edible skins. These include apples, stone fruits, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, grapes, and cucumbers.
So if you’re looking for safe produce at the best value, you don’t have to go all organic. And when in doubt, buy local! Then you're not only supporting your healthy eating habits, but you're supporting small farms in your community.
What are some foods that you'll always buy organic?
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