Buying Organic Once upon a time, organic food was available only at health food stores, marketed to “tree-hugging” consumers willing to pay extra for “natural,” environmentally friendly foods. Today, organic foods are undeniably mainstream. Not only can they be found at most every neighborhood grocer, but even giants like Loblaws and Walmart are getting into the act. People who buy organic are seeking assurance that food production is gentle to the earth, and/or looking for safer, purer, more natural foods. But are organic foods really worth the added expense? Regardless of whether you choose locally grown, organic, or conventional foods, the important thing is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. The health benefits of such a diet far outweigh any potential risks from pesticide exposure. Don’t confuse terms such as “free-range,” hormone free” or “natural” with organic. These food labeling terms are not regulated by law. Foods bearing the organic label are required to be grown, harvested, and processed according to national standards that include restrictions on amounts and residues of pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Just how much more expensive is it to go organic? You can expect to pay 50%-100% more for organic foods. That’s because, in general, it is more labor-intensive, and without the help of pesticides, the yield is not always as favourable. To maximise your organic food dollar, going organic on the “dirty dozen” — types of produce that are most susceptible to pesticide residue: Peaches Apples Sweet bell peppers Celery Nectarines Strawberries Cherries Pears Grapes Spinach Lettuce Potatoes And which organic produce is probably not worth the added expense? These 12 items as having the least pesticide residues: Papayas Broccoli Cabbage Bananas Kiwifruit Sweet peas (frozen) Asparagus Mangoes Pineapple Sweet corn (frozen) Avocados Onions You can help keep costs down by shopping for sale items, comparing prices, buying locally grown, seasonal produce at farmers’ markets.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 04:25:35 +0000
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