A friend of mine, who is aware of my veggie obsession, recently asked if we buy all organic produce. My simple answer to this is no. While I do buy organic some of the time, there is an equal amount of time when I don't. To be honest, there really is no rhyme or reason for when I buy organic. Partly, it depends on which store I happen to be shopping at. If I'm at Whole Foods, I have a greater tendency to buy organic simply because their organic selection is excellent. If I'm at Costco, I just buy the vat of strawberries that look the best. At the farmers market, I also just buy what looks best. I know there is information out there about which fruits and veggies hold the most pesticide residue on them and we should definitely take this into consideration. Here is the "Dirty Dozen" list from Crazy Sexy Diet that lists the foods grown with the most pesticides:
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Bell pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (imported)
11. Carrot
12. Pear
I think it is important to consider these foods and buy organic when possible. But here is the reality: 1) Organic food is expensive and 2) When I am running errands with my 2 year-old son and he's starting to get fussy, I'm not going to get fussy about organic versus conventional strawberries. I'm going to get my darn berries and get out of the store! This is my bottom line: I believe it is better to eat any fruit or vegetable (organic or otherwise) than not. At least you will be eating a strawberry and not a strawberry Pop Tart!
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