When To Buy or Not Buy

05/08/2022

Broccoli tastes great blanched, boiled, or made into a soup. And it's a significant source of vitamin C, whether it was raised on an organic farm or a conventional farm. If you want the most vitamin C, though, get this vegetable in the fall. Fall broccoli can have nearly twice as much vitamin C as broccoli harvested in the spring.

05/08/2022

Many people love papaya for breakfast. Every bite of this slightly sweet fruit provides vitamins A, C, E, and some B complex vitamins. The FDA studied 91 samples of papaya fruit and juice, and found about 14% of them contained higher levels of pesticides than allowed by federal standards.

05/08/2022

There have been very few studies looking directly at the differences between organic baby food and the conventionally-grown type. One study found that organic food had less cadmium, a harmful heavy metal tied to kidney failure. But it also had low selenium, a nutrient essential for healthy brain function.

05/08/2022

In this case "organic" means "less processed." Conventional peanut butter is a highly processed food. It comes with added sugar and hydrogenated oils. Organic peanut butter is just ground up peanuts (and maybe some salt). Sometimes called "natural peanut butter," the simpler organic peanut butter offers a healthier nutrient profile. Just mix the top layer of oil into the peanut butter when you bring it home.

05/08/2022

Organic meat is mostly made of the same nutrients as conventionally-grown meat. But there is one difference, and it could be important. Organic meat has been shown to contain higher concentrations of long-chain fatty acids. Eating this type of animal fat may help reduce blood pressure, inflammation, and heart arrhythmias. The difference is thought to be due to the natural grazing patterns used for animals raised using organic farming methods.

05/08/2022

Organic milk stands out for having more omega-3 fat. Omega-3s are being studied for possible heart health benefits, and as a source of protection from Alzheimer’s disease. One word of advice, though: avoid raw milk, which may also be organic. Raw milk is unpasteurized milk, which makes it a more common source of Listeria food poisoning.

05/08/2022

Whether you mash, boil, or bake them, potatoes round out almost any meal. Does it matter if you get the organic type or not? For nutrition, studies say it doesn't matter which type you cook. Potatoes grown organically or conventionally show similar nutrition values.

05/08/2022

Lettuce and spinach are both exposed to the elements. And when they're farmed, that means they're exposed to pesticides, too. Imported varieties show more pesticides and are more likely to violate the FDA's safety standards. But domestically grown types sometimes violate FDA standards, too. Since organic vegetables have lower pesticide residues overall, organic lettuce and spinach may be best.

05/08/2022

If you want to avoid pesticides in grapes, stick with domestic suppliers. Imported grapes are more likely to have pesticide residues, and those residues are more likely to exceed FDA standards. Organic grapes may have a leg up in nutrition. A study of grape juices found organic types usually had more vitamin C and resveratrol. Resveratrol has been studied for its ability to mimic caloric restriction, which has been shown to extend the lifespan of some animals.

05/08/2022

Pears, with their thin, papery peels, are often eaten with the skins. The skin is where the pesticide can linger, although about 40% of sampled pears and pear products contained no pesticides at all according to an FDA review. In one study, organic pears were shown to have more antioxidants, including vitamin C, than conventional pears. They also had more polyphenols. Some polyphenols may play a role in reducing inflammation and blood pressure.

05/08/2022

In the lab, extracts from organic strawberries have been shown to have more cancer-fighting antioxidants. And they may be lower in pesticides as well. The FDA found one of 38 strawberry samples was tainted with excessive pesticides in 2017.

05/08/2022

This close cousin of the peach is best in the summer between June and August. This high-potassium fruit can be peeled, but is often eaten skin and all. If you don't plan to peel your nectarine, be sure to wash it to remove any germs or pesticides. Although no sampled nectarines exceeded FDA pesticide standards in 2017, the activist group Environmental Working Group singled them out as a fruit best bought organic.

05/08/2022

About 96% of conventionally-grown celery carries insecticide residue. The FDA found in 2017 that more than 38% of imported celery sampled was in violation of government standards for pesticide residue. That's one of the highest violation rates found for all vegetables. Imported produce is more likely to exceed FDA standards for pesticides. Organic celery may be the wisest choice.

05/08/2022

This colorful summer/fall vegetable is low in calories and high in vitamin C. But bell peppers also tend to have more pesticide residue than some other veggies. If that's cause for concern, choose organic, especially if you eat these regularly. When it comes to nutrition, though, a three-year study found no difference between organic and conventional bell peppers.

05/08/2022

05/08/2022