When to Skip the Organic Produce

Do I Really Need Organic Produce?

We’d all love to feed our little angels an all-organic diet… but who can afford it when organic produce can cost almost 50 percent more? I mean, avocados are currently my daughter’s favorite food, and one organic avocado can cost more than a gallon of milk!

Money aside, I don’t always have time to drive out of my way to Whole Foods just to buy an organic avocado.

The good news is, I don’t have to!

Each April, the Environmental Working Group publishes its guides to the Dirty Dozen (produce you should always buy organic) and the Clean 15 (produce less likely to contain high levels of pesticide residue).

While there isn’t much change on this year’s Clean 15 list, strawberries now top the list of the Dirty Dozen (my daughter’s other fave!).

Bottom line, this guide will help you determine which organic produce is worth your time and money and which you can skip. A good rule of thumb: If it comes in a natural container (i.e. skin, peel, husk), you’re probably OK skipping the organic version.

Consumer Reports‘ special report: “Eat the Peach, Not the Pesticide” is also a great resource. 

The report highlights some startling stats and myths that demonstrate why eating organic isn’t just for the “granola” crowd. According to the CDC, there are 29 pesticides in the average American’s body.

Obviously, children are at greatest risk for the adverse health affects of pesticides, which are linked to lower IQ and ADHD. However, Consumer Reports cites 12 other known health risks associated with pesticide exposure for people of all ages. They range from fertility issues to prostate cancer to breast and ovarian cancers.

While stressing that organic is always best, Consumer Reports says pesticide risk varies greatly by type of produce and country of origin.

The report provides this handy risk guide based on 12 years of agriculture pesticide data from 12 different countries.

This is a great resource to help parents narrow down when to go out of the way to buy organic, and when you can get away with running by the corner store to grab an avocado on the way home from work.

This #TBT (throw back) KPIX report also highlights some tips and tricks to keep in mind when shopping for the 27 produce items that contain the highest and lowest levels of pesticides, according to data from the USDA.

Read more at CBS San Francisco:

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A lot of us spend our shopping time wondering whether it’s worth spending extra money for organically grown fruits and vegetables. An environmental group is offering advice with a list of products that contain the most and least chemicals.

The “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15” are the 27 produce items that contain the highest and lowest levels of pesticides, according to the latest data from the USDA.

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Julie Watts
Julie is the consumer-investigative reporter for CBS in San Francisco. Her reports air nationally on CBS stations across the coun ...Read More