by Kara Burkhart, ND, L.Ac
Salud Integrative Medicine
Buying organic food doesn't have to sap your family's food budget. The following tips can help you save money while you serve your family the cleanest, healthiest food available to you wherever you live. A good place to start is to visit the website for the United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) to learn about organic farming production, farm standards and labeling: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ORGANIC_CERTIFICATIO
The “Clean 15” and "Dirty Dozen” lists are helpful (see below). Consult www.ewg.org to help you navigate which products to buy organic.
TEN RULES TO ORGANIC BUYING
#1 Visit websites of food producers for coupons and promotions.
#2 Make it yourself—organic granola bars, kale chips, smoothies.
#3 Price organic frozen produce over fresh produce.
#4 Buy local produce when in season and freeze to save for out of season.
#5 Buy a share in a community-supported agriculture CSA program.
#6 Local food can be less expensive than food shipped from another country. (Farmers market locator at http://www.localharvest.org/) Also, talk to the farmers in your region; do they apply organic farming practices (even if they are not certified organic farmers), how do they fertilize and protect from disease and insects?
#7 Buy unpackaged foods from bulk dispensers — oat groats, nuts, dried fruit, honey, syrup, peanut butter, etc.
#8 Meat & dairy (animals products like chicken, eggs, cheese, butter, yogurt, milk, etc.) are the most important to buy organic because of the combined risk of pesticide, anti-biotic and cancer causing growth hormone exposure.
#9 Join a co-op or buying club or on-line. A co-op is a member-owned business; members get food at a discount. A buying club membership allows members to buy food and organic products in bulk and have rewards programs.
#10 Before looking on line, consult the GreenPeople directory from the Organic Consumer Association (http://www.organicconsumers.org/btc/BuyingGuide.cfm)
The "Clean Fifteen" have the lowest pesticide load, and consequently are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume from the standpoint of pesticide contamination.
The Clean Fifteen
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupe
• Sweet Corn
• Eggplant
• Grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Sweet Peas (frozen)
• Sweet Potatoes
The "Dirty Dozen" are the most highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals — even after washing and peeling.
The Dirty Dozen
• Apples
• Celery
• Cherries
• Imported grapes
• Lettuce
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Potatoes
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Sweet bell peppers
