Rebecca Meyerson is the founder of Simply Healthy Living and is a Certified Nutrition Counselor with a Masters in Nutrition and Food and Exercise Science. Rebecca is a weekly guest on our website. Check out her blog here. Meet Rebecca at the Nyack Farmers Market on October 11th, 9:30am – 1:30pm!
Many of us are constantly asking, “is it worth it to buy organic?” So, let me make it easier for you — here is the “dirty dozen” and “clean fifteen” list.
Dirty Dozen
When purchasing these fruits and vegetables it is safer to buy organic. Organic are grown without herbicides, pesticides, hormones and chemical fertilizers. Organic starts with nourishment in the soil, producing nourishing strong, healthy plants that have more nutrients.
- Celery
- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Nectarines
- Sweet Bell peppers
- Spinach, kale, collard greens
- Cherries
- Potatoes
- Imported grapes
- Lettuce
The Clean Fifteen
You’ll be safe buying these fruits and vegetables even if they are non-organic:
- Onions
- Avocados
- Sweet corn
- Pineapples
- Mango
- Sweet peas
- Asparagus
- Kiwi fruit
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Grapefruit
- Sweet potatoes
- Sweet onions
When considering what other fruits and vegetables you should buy organic, pay attention to how thick the skin is (bananas are alright). You should wash all produce. Even though it is not going to eliminate all pesticides, washing will help reduce them.
Although your local farmers’ market may not be certified organic, here are some questions that may be helpful to ask:
1) Who grew the food? It is important to make sure it is local and not shipped from out of state.
2) If they are not certified organic, how was it sprayed? Some farmers use little to no spray but do not enter for the certification process.
3) What is in season? If it is in season, it is local and fresh.
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