Have you ever contemplated on whether or not you should be buying organic fruits and vegetables? Do you really know what it means to be "organic" or do you just assume that it must be "healthier"?
I use to teach this lesson in my nutrition class and this is what I would tell my students.
If a fruit or vegetable is labeled as organic, it simply means that product was grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or sprays. The soil is enriched with organic fertilizers such as animal manure or plant matter decay that release nutrients into the soil. If there is a chance you are worried about left over pesticides on your produce, than buying organic is the way to go.
Its hard to tell the difference between an organic fruit or vegetable and an non organic piece. Actually organic fruits and vegetables have the same nutritional quality as non organic fruits and vegetables.
Have you heard of the "Clean 15" and Dirty Dozen?
The Clean 15 is a list of produce that the Environmental Working group has claimed "Okay" to buy non organically because of the low risk to pesticides effecting the product.
The Dirty Dozen is a list of product that the Environmental Working Group suggested consumers should be buying organically because there is a higher risk of pesticides effecting the product.
I'm not quite sure why, but this list seems to change slightly from year to year.
I have never read any clear explanation of why certain products make certain lists, but each year I have taught a lesson on organic foods, and the students like to make their best guess! My conclusion, as is theirs, is that the Clean 15 list are all products that have a skin on them (thus making the consumer less susceptible to pesticides because they will be taking those skins off). But then we have Asparagus on the list. I don't know about you, but I've never peeled my asparagus. So that kind of throws a wrench in our theory. Unless they believe that asparagus has such a hard outer coating that its not really susceptible to pesticides?
The Dirty Dozen however, are all items that wouldn't necessarily need to be peeled, so in this instance our theory would hold true.
Do you buy organic produce? What is your theory about how they came up with the list? Even in all the nutrition text books I have, I have never found a concrete answer to the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen debate. If you have found this somewhere can you please let me know where? ( but please do not post the link in the comments).
Here's another tip for you: next time you put fresh fruit in your crisper draw in the fridge, put a sponge in there. This draws out the moisture and keeps your produce fresher longer. Also, don't wash your produce before you store it. Wait till you are ready to eat it. You don't want to add any more moisture to it before putting it in the fridge.
Oh, I almost forgot. The Winner of the Bondi Band is....
John, please contact us through email or message us through Facebook with your address. Thanks.
We are linking up with Lean Lena again for another Tasty Tuesday.
Go ahead and link your best food post up. Remember to mention that you are linking up with us and please visit a fellow blogger on the list.