How Organic Does Your Food Have To Be?

A Belsandia reader asked me recently if there is really such a big difference between organic and non-organic food. She wants to be vegan but finds it hard to afford costly organic foods all the time.

So, how much of a health impact does organic food actually have?

The health benefits of eating organic lie in the fact that certain pesticides and growth chemicals inhibit the nutrients in some fruits and vegetables. It is not clear to what degree, but generally the nutritious value of your produce appears to be lower in conventionally grown foods. It's already good if you don't eat meat and fish, as these are by far the most highly polluted foods.

You don't need to buy everything organic, as there are some foods that are worse offenders than others. Also try multiple different places to get these foods cheaper. While I love Whole Foods, I only buy specialty products and great offers there, to spread my budget further. If you have a Trader Joe's or Fresh & Easy in your neighborhood, these grocery stores often have good deals on some organic produce. In Las Vegas, I also get some organic options at the Smith and Vons stores ever so often, albeit rather pricey. In the Eastern US, I found some organic options at Giant, Safeway, and Publix too.

By far the best for your organic and environmental food choices would be a local organic farmer, where you can buy produce in bulk.

But even if your budget options for healthy organic foods are limited, remember that not everything has to be organic. There are some foods that absorb chemical pollution more than others, and these should be bought organic wherever possible. With other foods it does not matter quite that much, so you can select these as conventionally grown from your trusted budget grocer.

Here is a list of the 12 worst contaminated foods with pesticides - get these organic if you can. At least peal the skin off the ones you can't get organic:

The Top 12 Offenders – Buy These Organic:
Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Peppers
Spinach
Cherries
Kale/Collard Greens
Potatoes
Grapes (Imported)

If you do consume soy products, I recommend to get these organic as well, as soy is almost always GMO and is heavily treated with pesticides too. It can make a difference here.

Below are the least contaminated foods, which you can buy non-organic too.

The Clean 15 Foods – Lowest in Pesticides:
Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn
Pineapple
Mangos
Sweet Peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe Melon
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet Potato
Honeydew Melon

I have compiled some additional "eating healthy on a budget" options here for further tips and ideas.