Tanya’s Tasty Tips: Is Organic Worth It?
People often ask me if organic food is worth the price since it’s often more expensive than conventional produce. My answer is “sometimes.”
Organic foods are grown without chemical fertilizers, insecticides or pesticides. People often choose to buy organic because they don’t want to consume any chemicals and/or they are doing to their part to conserve the environment. In fact, organic foods are so popular that nearly a quarter of American shoppers now buy organic products once a week. But are they more nutritious than conventional foods? The answer is probably not.
Studies suggest that organic foods do not contain more vitamins or nutrients than conventionally grown foods. So if you are choosing organic, do so because you don’t want to ingest chemicals or you want to help sustain the environment—not because you want more vitamin C.
If you are concerned about pesticide residue, spend your money on buying organic foods that you eat whole (with the skin—where the residue would be). Apple, cherries, grapes, nectarines, pears, peaches, raspberries and strawberries contain the most residues so these may be worth spending a few extra cents on. Kiwi, mango, bananas, papaya and pineapple (all fruits you peel,) contain the least residue and you can save your money and buy conventional.
Keep in mind that organic doesn’t always mean freshest. Many people are choosing to buy from local farms because the food is fresher even it isn’t organic. Keep in mind many areas of the country can’t grow produce year round, so if you are buying organic oranges in the winter, chances are they traveled from California or farther to get to your market. Eating seasonally is the best way to ensure that you are getting the freshest and most nutritious foods available.
Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being. For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.
Tags: apples, bananas, kiwis, local, market, nutrition, organic, seasonal
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Tanya is incorrect on several counts. There are plenty of studies, anecdotal evidence and 3rd party lab results that prove organics are on the average 25% higher in vitamins and minerals than their conventional counterparts.
Pesticide residue is found equally in a fruit or vegetable regardless of whether you peal them or not. When a pesticide is sprayed on the fruit, on its branches or limbs, the plant still distributes the pesticide through out the whole plant. This is true even if the pesticide falls on the ground and is absorbed through the roots.
While you are correct about organic not always being freshest, this is also true of conventional. Most consumers are buying local to support their local economy and cut down on personal gas environmental impact from shipping produce so far.
And of course organic canned food is as useless and unhealthy as conventional canned. The process of canning kills most vital nutrients and vitamins.
If you think you cannot afford organic fruits and vegetables, you just aren’t looking for low cost ones. With Sams and Walmart carrying them everyone can afford them.
It is much healthier to eat 1 organic apple each week than canned beans every night!
You can get this information and more as well as links to studies at http://www.abundantlifeessentials.com