Five fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic

A common concern raised by people who are reluctant about moving to an organic diet is that it is simply too expensive to fully replace your diet with organic produce. This is a completely valid concern, as organic food is often quite a bit more expensive than its non-organic counterparts. In some of my earlier articles I provided tips on how you can consume organic food affordably, and within your budget. However I completely understand that many people cannot commit to a fully organic diet due to affordability or availability issues. However I really feel strongly that some foods, that is the foods that are highest in pesticides, should always be consumed organic when possible. If you are someone who wants to explore moving to organic but are unable to commit to a fully organic diet,, then this article is for you. I am going to tell you which are the 5 must-have organic fruits and vegetables to buy; these include produce which has been identified to have the highest amount of pesticides sprayed on them, based on a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

Apples

Apples are one of those fruits that you should absolutely be buying organic if you can. Apples are very high in the EWG’s list of most contaminated crop. Apples can be quite contaminated with pesticides because when they are grown, they are sprayed with mechanical devices that excrete significant amounts of pesticide to completely coat the skin of the apple fruit. The pesticide sticks to the apple skin and can even gets inside through to the core of the apple. Some non-organic apples have also been found to have pesticides on them that are not even approved – worrying right? This in and of itself should provide a compelling reason to move towards buying organic apples. Organic apples are also far tastier, crunchier and more flavoursome than their conventionally grown counterparts.

Spinach

Spinach is nutrient-dense, packed full of ample amounts of vitamins and minerals. However, the porous leaves of spinach means that it is a leafy vegetable that is highly prone to absorbing pesticides. If you can afford to, organic spinach is definitely worth buying. EWG reports that non-organic spinach contains a lot more pesticide residue by weight, than all other produce that were subject to tests and experiments. Organic spinach is also relatively easy to find and buy at the shops.

Grapes

The EWG has found that grapes have a significant amount of pesticide residue, which is difficult to remove even with laborious rinsing. It is worth seeking out organic grapes if you can, and given wine is produced from grapes, it is worth choosing organic wine over non-organic.

Strawberries

Non-organic strawberries contain significant levels of pesticide residue, so it’s definitely worth buying these organic when you can. Organic strawberries also offer a lot more nutritious benefits than non-organic strawberries. For example, organic strawberries provide a lot higher levels of vitamin C, antioxidants and phenolic compounds which are important benefits that these small but mighty fruits can offer you. Organic strawberries are also more vibrant and colour and sweeter.

Kale

Conventionally-grown kale is a big culprit when it comes to having pesticide residue. It is one of the most pesticide contaminated vegetables that you can buy at the shops. Like spinach, kale is grown close to the ground and therefore susceptible to more bugs which are targeted by conventional farmers through the use of pesticides. Much like spinach, kale, because of its texture, is quite absorbent to pesticides. Now if after reading this you’re thinking – are there any fruits and vegetables that I shouldn’t worry about buying organic? The answer to this is yes! In general, I don’t worry too much about buying organic where the fruit or vegetable has a peel, rind or skin that I am not going to eat (for example, bananas, pumpkin, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, onions and papaya to name a few). The reason for this is pretty obvious – if you’re not going to eat the skin (which is the part of the fruit or vegetable that is sprayed with pesticide), then you’re inherently not going to be too affected by pesticide residue when you consume that produce. You’re very welcome to still buy these organic if you’d like, but in general you don’t really have to, especially if you’re on a budget.

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