Color Your Palate, Week 5

Why Organic?

What is the Problem?

If you're eating non-organic celery today, you may be ingesting 67 pesticides with it, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group. The group, a nonprofit focused on public health, scoured nearly 100,000 produce pesticide reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and made some surprising discoveries.

Most alarming are the fruits and vegetables dubbed the "Dirty Dozen," which contain 47 to 67 pesticides per serving. These foods are believed to be most susceptible because they have soft skin that tends to absorb more pesticides.

The good news? You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 80 percent by buying the organic version of the “Dirty Dozen.”

The group also discovered a number of non-organic foods that contained little or no pesticides. This group has been dubbed the “Clean 15” and are thought that because of their strong outer layer, they are better protected against pesticide contamination.

Can't you just wash pesticides away?

Well, not necessarily. Although some pesticides are found on the surface of foods, other pesticides may be taken up through the roots and into the plant and cannot be removed. So while washing doesn’t really eliminate all pesticides from your produce, it is still a good idea to wash them to remove dirt and potentially harmful bacteria.

To the extent you can afford to do so, buying organic has been shown to be more beneficial for your health. Good studies are showing that people who eat mostly organic food reduce 95 percent of pesticides in their body within two weeks.

Organic on a budget:

Eating organic doesn’t have to break the bank. Here’s a couple tips:

1. Make a switch to buy the “dirty dozen” in an organic form, at least those foods that your family eats a lot of.

2. Buy direct from the farm or join a co-op that grows organic. Local sources tend to be cheaper than the organic brands in the store and are often organic too.

3. Buy store brands that are organic. Most generic brands are starting to come out with organic produce. Look for coupons as well

4. Grow your own. Take control of the food you eat and grow an organic garden. Even one tomato plant is satisfying!

5. Buy in bulk.

6. Buy in season. Organic produce takes a dip in price when the market is more competitive so take advantage of the savings.

This Week's Challenge:

With so many great resources during the summer to buy fresh fruits and veggies, choose two items you normally buy conventionally (from the super-market) and go buy local and support our local farmers! You’ll appreciate the extra flavor you get from locally farmed produced that was picked that day and meet some great, hard-working farmers in the process!

Post Title : Color Your Palate, Week 5

Color Your Palate, Week 5,

vegetables,

Color Your Palate, Week 5