How to Buy Organic Produce
Buying organic food is a good idea--for both your own health and the environment--but it's more important with some produce than with others. Strawberries, for instance, tend to soak up toxins from pesticides, while grapefruit is protected by its thick skin. Many grocery stores and farmers' markets have a broad selection of organic foods.
Instructions
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1
Learn some of the produce items that are more likely to be contaminated. These are good to consider for organic purchase. Some notable items are: Apples, apricots, celery, cherries, green beans, peaches, peppers, spinach and strawberries.
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2
Familiarize yourself with sturdier produce. These are more resilient or less susceptible to contamination. Asparagus and avocados are good from both racks. Blueberries, bananas, broccoli and eggplant are other foods that are safe bets either way.
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3
Buy fresh, and don't read too much into the doomsday "contaminated" label. Most fruits and vegetables are not going to damage your health if their purchased fresh and consumed before they go bad. Still, organic produce is typically cleaner, albeit in small doses (step 1) or extremely small doses (step 2).
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Research the environmental benefits of organic produce. Sometimes the way in which a fruit or vegetable is cultivated is safer for the environment, thus giving it organic status (this is particularly true of beef and poultry).
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Tips & Warnings
Farms must meet strict growing laws and practices to qualify as organic grade. Farmers pay yearly for the title, which is one reason organic produce can be more expensive.
Join a community-supported agricultural farm (see LocalHarvest.org), which sends you a weekly box of organic, seasonal goodies.
Always wash your fruits and vegetables. Even organic produce can carry residual pesticides or waste from animals that share the fields.
