To be organic or not to be....

I've had a lot of questions from readers about healthy eating.  With all the different types of products out there, I think healthy eating can be a confusing thing for people.  Very often healthy eating gets masked by trendy fads and people get blinded to what really matters.  This is especially true when it comes to organic vs non-organic food.  Organic, it sounds cool, it's more expensive, & therefore must be better for you than non-organic food.  But is it?  And is it necessary all the time???

Organic means that the food was not produced using synthetic pesticides & chemical fertilizers.  Sounds great!  No extra chemicals, or additives, definitely better for you right???  Actually no, the nutrients in organic & non-organic foods are the same, however with organic foods you save yourself the exposure to the extra chemicals.  This safety measure is really only helpful if you are going to eat the outer layer of the fruit or veggie.  Things like apples, tomatoes, grapes, etc where you are going to eat the outside layer are a good choice for organics, however fruits & veggies you will peel like carrots, potatoes, banana, pineapple, etc, no real need to pay the extra fee.  Some will argue that pesticides penetrate the outer layer and still contaminate the produce, however in various tests its been found that only trace residue is able to penetrate the skin, if any at all.  In my mind, a $6 pineapple vs a $2 pineapple is a no brainer for my budget.  I will pick the $2 non-organic pineapple & risk the trace residue any day!  Nutrients are the same, taste is the same, non-organic it is!  Now when it comes to leafy greens, I definitely tend to splurge a little and go with organic.  They last longer, taste fresher, & have no barrier against pesticides, so organic is the only way to ensure that they safe for me & the hub.  Now, don't be confused I am specifically talking about fruits & veggies in this post, organic vs non-organic meats are an entirely different story!!!  We'll tackle meat another day.....

Be sure that when grocery shopping you are also checking the labels.  Don't be blinded by the crafty marketing of the signs that separate Organic & Non-organic, check the label!!!  If the label does not say USDA Organic, you may be paying more for something that isn't even actually organic!!  It's sort of like when a hanger says a size small, but then you look at the tag in the shirt & it says it's a large.....lies. If you are going to splurge and get the organic make sure it is actually organic!

My rule of thumb is if we are going to eat the produce whole, outer covering included, probably go with the organic (if it's not too overpriced).  If it's a piece of produce where the outer skin is going to be peeled or removed, it's safe to go with the cheaper non-organic.  Trader Joes & Aldi are more affordable groceries where you can purchase a mix of organic & non-organic foods.  If all else fails, and you can't decide look at your budget that day & it may help you say "hey we can risk the pesticide exposure this week."  Or if you won the mega millions maybe you can splurge and go entirely organic!  Either way, I hope these little tricks & tools help all of you in your grocery shopping for the upcoming holiday weekend!  Until next time, my practically fit peeps......