I try to avoid harmful chemicals anyway I can, whether it be in the foods that my family eats, the health and beauty products we use, or in the cleaners use around The House. When it comes to organic produce, I have found that certain fruits and vegetables are worth buying organic, while for others it may be unnecessary or difficult to find at the store. Perhaps you have heard of the "Clean Fifteen," a list of fifteen fruits and vegetables that typically will not harbor harmful pesticides and other chemicals, even if they're not organic. There is also a list of the "Dirty Dozen," fruits and vegetables that should be bought organic if possible because they are more likely to harbor harmful chemicals. (Here are the lists, for those of you who may not have heard about them:Log In.) I try to purchase organic fruits and vegetables when the sale price is comparable to nonorganic produce, however, sometimes the cost of organic produce is out of my budget, and I will purchase those nonorganic. I have found that purchasing organic produce while it's in season is a great way to save money on organic produce. Also, buying produce from local farm stands or farmer's markets is a great way to find organic produce for lower prices. I have even found discounted organic produce at our local farmer's market, because it was overripe and needed to be used within the next day or two. Another way I save money on organic produce is by shopping at Aldi. Aldi does not have a very wide selection of organic produce, but I have found organic baby carrots for $1 per pound as well as other organic produce deals. Do you purchase organic produce? Where do you find the best deals on organic produce? Are there any produce items you will only buy organic?
Ehhh... no organic in our house. It's too expensive where I live. I'm sure the foods I eat have chemicals in them, but I don't buy into GMOs irreparably harming the stuff I eat in most cases. If I saw a site that seemed kinda reputable making these claims - one run by scientists for a change - I might change my mind. Calling these foods 'organic' seems pretty disingenuous in the first place. All food is organic, whether it contains chemicals or not. If it was inorganic you wouldn't be able to eat it, period. Find a different word for it.
To be fair - most of what is said about “ organic “ foods is nothing more than marketing hype - as although they are assumed to be healthier, more nutritious and more importantly safer - these are all common misconceptions promoted by the 80 billion dollar a year " organic " food industry - as apart from the fact that there is no scientific evidence to support those claims - the term organic doesn't necessarily mean that something is organic or that all the ingredients of a product are organic either. However if concerned about pesticides One of the biggest myths surrounding organic food - is that that it is safe as “ organic farming doesn't use pesticides “ - when in actual fact - organic farming does use pesticides and although it could be assumed that they are relatively harmless as they are referred to as “ natural “ - this is not the case - as natural doesn't necessarily mean that it something is safe - particularly considering the fact that there are many natural substances that are toxic to humans and more importantly - the top approved pesticides used by organic growers - are Copper Sulfate, Elemental Sulfur, Borax and Borates - all of which are known to cause harm and in some cases be toxic to humans - which if you then factor in the animal manures used as fertilizer - which have been the cause of many E.coli outbreaks - it doesn't exactly paint a healthy picture or one of safety either. Therefore bearing in mind that - as “ natural “ pesticides aren't as effective as synthetic pesticides - meaning - organic farmers actually have to use more in order to get the same results and recent scientific research - from well respected and reputable sources - has found that - there is absolutely no difference in nutrient content between that of conventionally grown produce and that of organically grown produce - or to put it more simply - the only real difference between conventionally grown local produce and organic - is that the latter costs significantly more than the other. It in reality means that - as there are no guarantees in terms of safety or any extra health benefits to be gained from organic food - if buying produce for its nutritional value - it would be way better to buy conventionally grown produce from a local supplier at a lower price - in order to get the required nutrients - than it would be to buy organic - simply because its way cheaper to reduce pesticide exposure - by washing all fruits and vegetables in a mixture of water and mild dish-washing detergent before eating - than it is to buy solely organic - especially as you would have to go through exactly the same process - prior to eating organically grown foods too..
A few years ago I was totally into organic, but now I am somewhat away from that. The main reason? I really didn't notice any change in my health and it was a bigger expense and work.
Unless you plant the vegetables of fruits yourself there's no way you can prove that what you are buying is truly organic. As @gata montes points out, organic nowadays is nothing more than a label — a marketing ploy used to sell the produce at a higher price. While yes organic produce is healthier getting hold of it is very hard which is why it's better to buy "inorganic." That said I never seek out organic produce because it's healthier. I buy whatever is on sale.
There are, in fact, studies that show the difference, but for the most part it's just a label and nobody ever looks behind the label.. nobody researches where they get their food. Instead, they think the label is all the research they need to do. I'm out on this. I do believe "conventional" vs "organic" for the most part is going to give studies silly results, whereas "conventional" vs TRULY organic, would give much more honest and healthy results. Tastier too lol. I would love to get behind these studies and tell them what we really need to know about our food. Such a run around and so heavily biased for the most part. When I have to buy from a grocery store, it really doesn't matter what you buy.. though some will have a very clear taste difference. None of it will have many nutrients left (if any) unless picked nearby, like, yesterday lol. Whenever possible, I buy from local farmers whose practices I can get behind.. until I can grow my own, that's as organic as I'm going to get. Grocery stores are not a place we should be buying food lol.
I don't buy organic, I find it just too expensive. I love the idea of eating food that is pesticide free but like others have said there is just no way in knowing if the food is truly organic unless you grow it yourself. I have a small garden in our backyard and grow my own tomatoes and chili peppers. It's more for fun but I do like know my food is home grown and free from pesticides. I have bought produce from our local farmer's market and found them to be of great quality. I rather spend my money on good quality fresh produce.
That is the issue for most people @purplepen88 people find organic too expensive because they don't see the benefits as obvious. There is a lot of counter information too saying organic is not for better.
