Top 5 Foods To Consider Buying Organic

Organic is something that almost everyone has an opinion on these days.Eating organic isn’t a new trendy movement. In fact, it is a much older concept as your parents and grandparents probably ate more organic food before. And while everyone may not agree with me about the benefits and necessity to choose organic produce whenever possible, I know that sustaining a healthy lifestyle is something that we ALL can agree on! I’m sure if organic food was more affordable to consumers, there wouldn’t be much debate on the topic. Cause let’s face it, with today’s demand in food transparency, nobody wants to ingest pesticides, chemicals and harmful GMOs.

Essentially, nobody wants to eat crap!

Unfortunately, our governing food system makes it challenging for a lot of folks to conserve an  entirely organic healthy diet without completely emptying out our wallets. It’s no surprise that organic food comes with a hefty price tag! It definitely all adds up at the end of the day which can be discouraging and off putting especially to someone who’s on a conscious budget. This is when it pays to attend your local markets on the weekends, perhaps subscribe to organic box delivering services like Mama Earth, or even select and budget which particular foods you buy organic to help save some dollars. If you can lower your exposure to pesticides and chemicals, why not?

Here are my suggested top 5 everyday foods that are worth buying organic (and if you can, local!):

1) Apples

If you eat an apple a day, opting for organic apples should be your first swap. Conventional apples has been ranked as the top fruit contaminated with the most pesticides and GMOs at your grocery store. The peel of the apple is 100% covered with herbicides and accumulated pesticides and you definitely don’t want to be eating that!

2) Leafy Greens

Eat your greens! But make sure you have the good kind. Conventional kale, collard greens, lettuce and especially spinach have been heavily sprayed with scary high levels of pesticides. Pesticides that even a little bit ingested can be an interference to your hormones thus can lead to many illnesses in the future. Do you really want to be eating food that contain obscene amount of chemicals which crop workers wear masks to prevent inhaling? Heck no! So if you’re an avid leafy monster like moi, this is #1 on your food list.

3) Berries 

Sorry conventional berry lovers. But the berries you’re eating probably contain more than 10 types of those pesky insecticides. Yikes! Also, ever wonder why conventional strawberries at the store are the size of golf balls these days? You can credit GMOs for that. Organic berries are much smaller, juicier and healthier! Your best bet is to buy them local and in season too. Your smoothies will thank you.

4) Corn

Most corn in the world is genetically modified and engineered. Sad but true. Whether you’re skeptical or not about GMOs, there’s really no reason you should be eating crops that potentially have the DNA and genetics of another species. Corn has been tampered in labs for many years in labs and that should be logic enough for us to avoid it. Or just buy locally harvested organic corn products. I won’t make you give up popcorn or corn tacos. 🙂

5) Bell Peppers

Approx 68% of conventional bell peppers sampled and tested came back positive for pesticide contamination. They are considered one of the most pesticide laden vegetables available today. And bell peppers is a staple in a healthy eater’s pantry. They’re packed with vitamins C and A, so choosing organic peppers allows you to reap all of its nutrients without the added toxins.

Choosing organic/local is great for both your personal health and the health of our planet. After all, Mahatma Ghandi said that ultimately our health is wealth!