Best Foods to Buy Organic

Organic foods are popular with consumers because of their low pesticide counts. In our dipping economy, though, what foods should you prioritize? Here are some Must Buys for organic food and some foods that may be okay to buy non-organic. The Environmental Working Group studied an array of fruits and vegetables, then methodologically ranked them on a scale of 1 (lowest pesticide count) to 100 (highest pesticide count).

12 Highest-Pesticide Level Foods
The number one culprit was, like it or not, peaches. Peaches scored a 100 on the pesticide load and had the highest likelihood of multiple pesticides. The next highest levels were found in nectarines, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes.

12 Lowest Pesticide Level Foods
Onions had the lowest amounts of pesticide, scoring the lowest possible level, 1, on the rankings. Avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwis, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant also had low pesticide counts.

Foods like mushroom, cauliflower, lemon, watermelon, and sweet potatoes clocked in at the middle levels of the EWG rankings, with scores ranging from 20 to 60 on the pesticide scale. Though washing and peeling fruits and vegetables can reduce the amount of pesticides on produce, significant amounts remain nevertheless.

To compare the foods with the highest and lowest levels of pesticides, take this fact from the EWG into consideration: If you eat the 12 highest level foods per day, you will be exposed to 14 pesticides, on average. If you choose to eat the 12 lowest levels, however, you will only be exposed to two pesticides. The best candidates for organic purchase seem to be fruits like peaches, nectarines, apples, and berries. On the other hand, veggies like onions, broccoli, corn, and peas, and fruits like pineapple, mango, and kiwi, are not as important on your organic shopping list since they already have lower pesticide levels. It’s all food for thought when deciding what to buy organic.

SOURCE: HYPERLINK "http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php" http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php
HYPERLINK "http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php" http://www.foodnews.org/methodology.php