non organic produce

[T-Bird]

You can't always get everything you want organic......

do you go without? buy a few things non organic?

I just bought a big bag of mixed baby greens....but it's not organic - I was going to smoothie them up but now I don't know if I'll eat them or not.

What could they do to baby greens? They're just a week or 2 past sprouthood?

I can't afford all organic all the time, and sometime just raw can be money/time consuming enough....


Thoughts, opinions, ideas?

[Zanjabil]

I would go ahead and eat them, wasting is not cool. I almost always buy my greens organic. I always buy carrots, celery, herbs, organic. The fruits with thick skins I tend to buy the conventional. I do they best that I can with the options I have. I just signed up for a community produce co-op so hopefully that will save me some $$ and I'll be able to get mostly organic produce.

You can google or search on here, there is a list of the top 12 most contaminated produce and try to buy those organic.

[KindnessToAllCreatures]

Do the best you can. I think it's far better to eat inorganic produce than processed food of any kind.

[SweetTangerine]

Do the best you can. I think it's far better to eat inorganic produce than processed food of any kind.
I agree. I will take inorganic raw over organic cooked and processed any day.

[circle]

there is something called the dirty dozen. like 12 foods you should stay away from non organic, and the rest are not so bad. they are like the highest pesticide foods or something. let me try to dig that up...

http://www.foodnews.org/
(http://www.foodnews.org/)
^^^here's the guide ^^^

it has the highest and lowest pesticide foods.

buying organic is not always the most convenient. i try to stick by this guide. buy what i can organic when i can, and keep this list in mind when shopping for produce. not everything i eat is organic, but i try to buy the freshest and safest looking foods possible. i use my best judgement.


^^^ another link ^^^


cliff notes:


The Dirty Dozen: The 12 Most Contaminated Fruits and Veggies

Apples

Bell peppers

Celery

Cherries

Imported grapes

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Potatoes

Red raspberries

Spinach

Strawberries

The 12 Least Contaminated Fruits and Veggies

Asparagus

Avocados

Bananas

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Corn (sweet)

Kiwi

Mangos

Onions

Papaya

Peas (sweet)

Pineapples


some things i just buy organic because it isn't that big of a difference whether i buy organic or conventional. the cheap staples i always buy organic ie. celery, apples, carrots, kiwi, ect. I always buy greens organic, too. i don't know why, but i read somewhere that greens were highly contaminated. i grow a lot of my own greens, and i see that the bugs are a lot more attracted to some then others.

some things i can only eat organic, like apples. whenever i eat a conventional apple my throat swells for some reason. like i am allergic to something they put in the pesticides or something i don't know.

bell peppers i generally buy conventional cuz organics are sooooo expensive all the time. =( i really want to only buy organic sweet peppers though.

[kaybee]

i would go ahead and use what you have, but after that i always try to prioritize greens being organic if possible. im to the point where ive eliminated certain things unless i can get/afford them organic--apples, peppers,grapes, greens, most veggies. alot of the greens i grow myself though. my weakness is the fruits. i couldnt afford fruit if i didnt buy non-organic, and the health shop probably doesnt stock enough organic to feed me..they only get a shipment once a week. i try to eliminate things like non-organic strawberries, but ive failed. my oranges and lemons are tainted with phenylbenzylblah-blah-blah--even says it on the bag, but i cant afford organic, so.....

i would do a bit more research about bagged greens in the future though--didnt they start irradiating some of them? also, i think theres a thread on here somewhere about how the CO2 that is put into the bags to keep them fresh lowers the nutritional value...so i think i would shoot for the organic earthbound farms ones that come in tubs at wholefoods or in bulk at wholefoods, or another brand that comes in a tub...im assuming these are exempt, but seems like we know nothing for sure anymore. Great time to plant a garden if you have the space ;)

[gs4life]

i also go by the dirty dozen list and always get those items organic...or i just won't buy them. i always, always buy organic greens...but now that you have some non organic ones i would eat them.

organic produce isn't always readily available and in some cases is way more expensive than conventional. i do what i can...

[Raw Angel Mom]

If you check carefully in the 12 worst with pesticide they indicate lettuce.

Why don't you check your farmer market? You can save so much and you are helping your local farmer.

Now you bought them, go ahead and eat them but in the future i would buy only organic for any greens. I sometime buy none organic banana but only if the organic isn't available. I do buy frozen mango from Costco, this is really the only thing that i buy that isn't organic.

If you google dr. Emoto. You will find interesting research that he has done with the water. For instance if you say thank you to the water, it will transmute to a beautiful crystal. What i would do with your lettuce. I would say thank you to it and (if you are ok with prayer) ask God to bless that food. I really feel that this power of intention do miracles.

BLESS YOUR FOODS

[qnjnean]

angela stokes says she would rather eat raw nonorganic than cooked organic. I am not so sure about that.

cafe gratitude says everything is organic but the coconuts.

I've heard avacados aren't sprayed with anything, typically, but our local organic avacacados taste better than the non organic somehow.

that said, I buy organic whenever possible.

I've heard it really matters with ginger, too

[Frugal Raw]

I have a rule about organics - if they are not soft-skinned and cost more than 10 cents a pound more, I go with standard produce and use a good vegetable wash on them. There has not been a lot of organic foods available where I live, so I do the best with what I can get ahold of and afford.

[KtotheB]

I try to buy as much organic as I can, especially berries, spinach and apples. The foods you eat tons of are good to buy organic. I go with standard avocados, pineapple, & mangoes at the moment because of the cost and because I don't eat the skin. I'm hoping to change that though as I increase my income, because I'd rather support organic farmers. :)

[Coolexplosion]

For organics, the three most important are: Peaces, apples, and bell peppers. These are the most contaminated. If you can afford nothing else, buy these organically.

List of all 47 tested fruits/vegetables and pesticide levels (http://www.foodnews.org/fulllist.php)

Like people have said, farmer's markets are typically as good as or better than organic. Additionally, farmer's markets, since they're small, tend to use less pesticides than the big factory farms do. Most use a process called CPM (Controlled Pesticide Management, I believe that's the acronym), which means they spray when they have to, not all the time. While not technically organic, it is worlds better than what most people buy in a store.

[RawKnitster]

If I need to make a quick trip to a large chain grocery store, then non-organic will do.

Usually I plan ahead and shop where the organics are fresher and better priced. My first option is Community Supported Agriculture (order online with weekly deliveries), or a Farmer's Market when in season. After that the local fruit and vegetable stand or an organic grocery store. Last choice, a chain supermarket.