Organic vs. Conventional: What to Focus on and How to Make the Best of It
I sent out a newsletter recently where I stated that in my opinion, organic is all it’s cracked up to be. The certification is far from perfect, but it should give some peace of mind that your food isn’t totally contaminated with harmful chemicals.
But going 100% organic isn’t always possible, whether for accessibility reasons or financial reasons…food, unfortunately, is incredibly expensive, and healthy food is even worse. So how do I go about prioritizing organic vs. conventional? Keep reading for some tips.
Produce
When buying produce, I make sure anything with either a thin skin or a skin that we’re eating is organic. This includes things like berries, grapes, apples, pears, etc. This is because the pesticides can penetrate the skin and contaminate the interior flesh.
If I’m buying something like avocados, bananas, or melon I still try to get organic when I can, but I’m more comfortable settling on conventional because I’m not going to be eating the outer skin. However, I always make sure to thoroughly wash the skin so I don’t contaminate the interior flesh when I cut into it.
Grains, Corn & Soy
Produce is not the only food we should be buying organic. Grains, such as wheat and oats, corn & soy are heavily sprayed with pesticides, namely glyphosate, which we are learning is incredibly detrimental to human health. However, organic products are glyphosate-free, which is why it’s important to prioritize organic bread, quinoa, oats, pasta, corn, soy, etc. as much as possible.
What to do when conventional is the only option
Don’t fret. Honestly, stressing about it can be just as harmful to our health. Instead, make sure to thoroughly wash your produce:
Grab a large bowl or clean your sink (give it a good spray of hydrogen peroxide, let sit for a few minutes, and then wipe down and rinse)
Fill with your produce and cover with water
Sprinkle with baking soda (1 tablespoon to 6 cups water) and swirl around
Let soak for 12-15 mins, rinse, and allow to dry completely
If you don’t have or don’t want to use baking soda, distilled white vinegar is another good option that removes most larvae, parasites, and fungus, kills 90% of mold, and is 99.9% effective against bacteria.
If you choose to use vinegar, follow the steps above but use 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water. Note: conventional vinegar is made of crops sprayed with, you guessed it, glyphosate, so opt for organic if going this route.
I actually do this with our organic produce as well, because you never know who was touching (or sneezing, gross!) on that apple before you picked it up 😷. Also, generally speaking, a piece of produce goes through a lot of hands before it ends up in your fruit bowl (farmer, picker, truck loader, truck unloader, shelf stocker, other customers, YOU).
Other Resources
One resource I consult regularly is the Environmental Working Group. Each year they release the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen which helps you prioritize which foods are best organic and which are okay to purchase conventionally.