TO GO ORGANIC, OR NOT GO ORGANIC? THAT IS THE QUESTION

As I devoir my spinach cheese enchilada casserole, I’m not considering whether my organic spinach tastes better than the non-organic kind. How could I tell anyway when it’s slathered with a delicious enchilada sauce? My body on the other hand is very thankful for my organic choice.

There continues to be debate on whether organic produce is better for you than non-organic. Not to get all conspiracy theory on you or anything…but let’s just say one side has more expensive lobbyists and the other has science and common sense on its side. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states, “By their very nature, most pesticides create some risk of harm - - Pesticides can cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms.” * According to the Environmental Working Group, the top 12 pesticide-contaminated produce contain 47 to 67 different pesticides per serving. But if the government says it’s ok, it must be safe right? The EPA also states, “Laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time. However, these effects depend on how toxic the pesticide is and how much of it is consumed.” ** Common sense makes the answer clear to me. Chemicals in my food are probably not good for me.

Organic produce has something else going for it other than being pesticide free, it’s more nutritious. There are numerous studies out there that confirm organic produce contains more nutrients and higher concentration of antioxidants. In fact, you’d have to eat three non-organic apples to get the same nutrients in one organic apple. When the produce doesn’t have pesticides to fight their battle against enemies, they are forced to be stronger. That strength translates to more protection for our bodies too.

There might be some of you out there who would like to go organic but get sticker shock when actually purchasing it. When my organic red peppers go for $5 each, I quickly push my cart right on by and revise my menu. Luckily for us, there is a middle ground. The Environmental Working Group compiled a list of produce that was safe to eat and those we should avoid. It was based on 96,000 studies done by the USDA and FDA between 2000 and 2008. The “Dirty Dozen” are produce that contained the most amounts of pesticides and the “Clean Fifteen” contained the fewest. The EWG has a handy dandy cheat sheet you can print out and hang on your fridge to help you remember.
http://static.foodnews.org/pdf/EWG-shoppers-guide.pdf

Health, environment, and finances are all things that one balances when deciding to purchase organic products or not. Hopefully the lists below will assist you in making those decisions. I would like to end this article on a funny note, but my morning sickness is preventing me from finding humor right now. When baby number three arrives and the sleep deprivation sets in, things might get more amusing. Either that or more confusing.

THE DIRTY DOZEN
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries – US Grown
Nectarines
Sweet Bell Peppers
Spinach
Kale and Collard Greens
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes – Imported from outside US

THE CLEAN FIFTEEN
Onion
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potato

* http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/about/#what_pesticide
** http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/food/risks.htm