Post #35: Easy Shopping for Non-Toxic Food

September 14, 2009

The Daily Green, a terrific website that I check regularly, has just published two separate lists of fruits & vegetables.  At a glance, shoppers can learn some basics.

Even though folks debate the meanings of  “organic” or “local,” two definitions are as clear as day:   In produce, “organic” means without pesticides.  In meat products, “organic” means without hormones or antibiotics.

WHAT TO DO:

Sometimes you need to “Buy Organic” to avoid toxins, and sometimes not.  The following lists will help you decide.

Produce to Buy Organic or Not at All:

From The Daily Green, here are the “Dirty Dozen,” –  twelve fruits & vegetables probably coated with pesticide residues that pretty much cannot be washed off.  So you should buy only the organic versions.

1) Peaches. Most orchards use pesticides on peaches, whose thin skins let pesticides in.

2) Apples. The  poisons are used to grow apples can’t be completely scrubbed or peeled off.

3) Sweet Bell Peppers. Their thin skins can’t keep out insecticides.

4) Celery. No skin.  Helpless against chemical sprays.

5)    Nectarines. Sprayed with all kinds of pesticides.

6)    Out-of-season Strawberries. Imported from countries using heavy pesticides.

7)     Cherries. Even local cherries have lots of pesticide residue.

8)      Kale. They tested kale this year.  Big pesticide residue.

9)      Leafy greens. Alas, these are often grown with the most potent pesticides.

10)      Grapes: Washing or peeling can’t eliminate the pesticides, which penetrate the skin and get into the grapes.

11)      Carrots: Unless they’re organic, scrub them and peel them well.

12)      Pears: More and more pesticides are used on these, as insects get resilient.

P. S.  Three More  Foods to Buy Organic:

For these three common foods,  “organic” means not only pesticide-free, but also free of hormones and antibiotics:

1)    Meat. USDA-standard meat is the “organic” kind, with no hormones or antibiotics.

2)    Milk. Organic dairies use no antibiotics or growth hormones or grain grown with pesticides.

3)  Coffee. USDA Organic means grown without chemicals or pesticides. Fair Trade Certified means the farmers are paid fairly and treated well.  Shade-grown means some rainforest shaded the plants.  Let’s make shade-grown super-popular.

Produce You Don’t Need to Buy Organic:

These 14 fruits and vegetables are usually pesticide-free or thick-skinned.  Just rinse the skins before cutting.

Onions.
Avocados.  (rinse)
Sweet Corn.
Pineapple.  (rinse)
Mango.  (rinse)
Asparagus.
Sweet peas.
Kiwi.
Cabbage.
Eggplant.
Papaya. (rinse)
Watermelon.
Broccoli.  (rinse)
Sweet potatoes.

Tomatoes?  Testing has mixed results.  Find local ones, and rinse them.

For more tips on all these fruits and vegetables – safer alternatives, good recipes – check the ever-excellent site, The Daily Green.
Happy Eating!