Going Green: Buying Organic for the Budget Conscious

I am the type of person who buys organic without thinking of the price. I know, bad, bad. But right now it is just me and the hubs so we do that. It most likely will not be that way forever and I will have to put myself on a shopping budget. I still want to buy organic, but what if it does not fit into my budget? Well, there are some things that you should buy organic (whether you are trying to go green or not) and there are some that it does not make that big of a difference. So when should you make the investment to go organic.

The Environmental Working Group scored food pesticides levels on a variety of produce from 1 to 100 (1 being the lowest). These pesticides can cause a variety of health problems including risks of cancers and hormone imbalances.

These fruits and vegetables have higher rankings due to pesticide use or absorption:

The Worst (you definitely need to buy these organic)

• peaches


• apples


• bell peppers


• celery


• nectarines


• strawberries


• cherries


• kale


• lettuce


• grapes (imported)


• carrots


• pears

The Cleanest (save the money if you cannot afford it)

• onions


• avocados


• sweet corn


• pineapples


• mangoes


• asparagus


• sweet peas


• kiwi


• cabbage


• eggplant


• papaya


• watermelon


• broccoli


• tomatoes


• sweet potatoes

Check out the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides here. Happy and Healthy shopping.