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Choosing Organic

kandacekandace Raw Newbie

I ran across this list of foods that you definitely want to eat organic because of their high pesticide retention:

  1. apples
  2. bell peppers
  3. celery
  4. cherries
  5. imported grapes
  6. nectarines
  7. peaches
  8. pears
  9. potatoes
  10. red raspberries
  11. spinach
  12. strawberries

And a list of fruits and veggies that retain a fairly low amount of pesticides even when grown conventionally:

  1. asparagus
  2. avocados
  3. bananas
  4. broccoli
  5. cauliflower
  6. corn
  7. kiwi
  8. mangos
  9. onions
  10. papaya
  11. peas
  12. pineapple

Any others?

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Comments

  • Thanks for the info kandace. What about tomatoes? I don’t see them on either list, are they somewhere in between?

  • jenergyjenergy Raw Newbie

    Here’s my two cents. This isn’t anything I read or anything, but my rule of thumb about organic has always been to at least get the things with permeable skins, or that you’d eat the skins, organic. Like apples, pears, cukes, zucchini, etc. Grapes, mushrooms, greens, peppers… things like that. Things with really thick skins or that you peel the skins off before eating, maybe not necessary to get organic. Those would be like mangos, pineapple, winter squashes, etc. I usually try to get EVERYTHING organic (including meat & dairy products for my non-raw husband), but I know that’s not always practical (or affordable, unfortunately). I’ll be so glad when the farmer’s market starts back up! :o)

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    i had a conversation with an organic gardener who REALLY knew his stuff. he said corn isn’t sprayed with pesticides (because it’s pest-resistant), but that it has fungus problems and is sprayed with A LOT of fungicides. there are also herbicides to consider.

    i’m with jenergy. i’m most aware of eating organic greens. in a pinch you could peel a pear, but you can’t peal spinach.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Most European tomatoes are grown hydroponically, I assume that there aren’t any pesticides used when growing with this method because it is all done indoors, all sealed away from the outside world and any bugs, but I dont know for sure.

  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    I agree with the above posts! I’m a HUGE supporter of organic farming. But if it comes right down to it and I can’t have organic I will only buy stuff that can be pealed!

  • shgadwashgadwa Raw Newbie

    I eat a lot of non organic fruits and vegetables such as apples and lettuce and such. I try to get mostly organic but that is expensive. My salads always tastes amazingly better if I use Earth Bound’s Baby greens. They are a delicious blend of sweet and bitter flavored greens. it costs $5.00 for a pound I think.

    I find that if we eat all non organic produce, even if we eat non organic apples and such, we are still much more energetic and healthy than others who eat junk. So, even though it is not the best, if it is all money can afford, definably get the non organic but try to eat as much organic as possible and GROW YOUR OWN.

    As for foods I try not to eat, apples are usually too expensive to get organic (except then I go shopping once a week and splurge on two BIG delicious organic apples). I try to buy my greens organic but usually end up eating some collards or kale or romaine that is not organic. I usually do not use Celery unless its organic as that is said to have a lot of pesticides. Also, what about a spray cleaner??? Some are said to remove them while they have found that others do not remove pesticides but do remove other things. Have any of you tried them?

  • Hope I am not being a bummer here but I have a family of three and if it isn’t Organic it doesn’t come home with me. I look at it from this stand point of that the organic farmer is supporting the soil which makes for a great tasting but also a well nourishing fruit or veggie with complete minerals. The whole fungicide/herbicide thing is just a huge let down and all the reason not to eat conventional. Plus conventional fruits/veggies taste like crap I am sure you all have to agree with that. One more thing who has time to buy 5 apples that only equal up to 2 apples grown organically. So in essence you are paying less and getting less with conventional, and also supporting people who could care less about your health. I would love to have watermelon but it seems to be the only thing I can’t find organic. Maybe this is where jenergy post applies.

  • lzhptlzhpt Raw Newbie

    Oh a great read is “The Omnivors dilemna” All about sustainable agriculture and a fascinating book, especially when he goes to Joel Salatin’s farm. The history and accuracy of how we got into pesticides and fertilization will just make you never want anything other than organic. I can get lots of organics in the Atlanta area, but my papaya is not. I use a good wash. I’d rather the store HAD organic papaya, but I was not leaving there without papaya yesterday. Ardesmond, did you ever figure out your burger?

  • shgadwashgadwa Raw Newbie

    I think, personally, that wanting only organic and not eating certain vegetables and fruits is beyond what is necessary. Though if you have the money, definably go for it. Organic produce is a lot more expensive. I agree about the land and taking care of it. But my budget does not at all support all organic produce.

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    i don’t live near a year-round farmer’s market unfortunately. as it is, i think the commercial organic business also has it’s downfalls (“grown in mexico” isn’t exactly lowering my carbon footprint) and i’m always aware of that when i go to whole foods. they get local stuff that is conventional. and sometimes i make that choice if it’s peelable.

  • Izhpt do you live in Atlanta, me to. I was wondering if there were anymore GA people on this site. Just to let you know The Decatur Farmers Market carries organic papaya, I think they are like $3 dollars a piece. I did a papaya seed flush for a week, and noticed they keep them on stock pretty frequent.

    I found a recipe for a burger that may work, but for now me and my family had to settle for going to our fave living foods restaurant and buying there sage burger. We always go there once a week for a treat. I am at work eating the other half now.

    PEACE to ALL

  • So true JoyceH so true…...

  • Hey Joyce that is insane, I have to say the pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds are better for you anyway. I really believe there will be a resurgence of more recipe that will use more seeds. As most of us on here are just transitioning and of course nuts give you that old time cooked feeling. I have to say that I grew up eating cashews like by the bag full even though they were cooked. I switched over to raw and started eating cashews everyday, what do you know they now make me sick to my stomach. I can’t even have them in raw ice cream. Tried pumpkin seeds and hated them, tried them again and now they are my best friend in salads and for taco’s. Check out freshtopia.net she has a great taco meat using sunflower seeds. Hey JoyceH what about chia seed they are a good one to have in the kitchen also. Love them in pudding.

  • Hey joyce i just published the recipe on here try it out with your organic pumpikin seeds this is a really good one.

  • Oh yesss Joyce on a wilted KALE salad , I must have this tonight. THANKSSSSS

  • YESS joyce you are just giving me all kinds of ideas that would be a great Collard Roll. Happy Friday to you to. And if he ate cooked Kale he will love raw kale, as I find I hated Kale cooked it was the worst exit cooked enter raw and now I love kale.

  • roxiroxi Raw Newbie

    Hey ardesmond2, I’m from Augusta, GA. Not too far from ATL! I shop at Earth Fare and only buy the organic produce. I too have noticed you can’t find organic watermelon. Earth Fare opened up in our area back in October and I have been shopping there ever since. I have been transitioning to raw foods since the beginning of the year. I’m not 100% raw vegan yet, maybe about 80%. It may be expensive to eat organic, but I will foot the bill knowing that I am reeping the benefits. So what if I can’t buy that new car THIS year or upgrade my living situation or whatever it is that I really want. I will sacrafic those things in order to buy my beloved Organic food!!

  • jenergyjenergy Raw Newbie

    Here’s another way to think about it… think of all the money you’ll save on medical bills in the future by taking such good care of yourself now. :o)

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    Right on jenergy – my health in the future is why i’m raw now. Why should I wait till I become very ill to change? It’s a worthwhile investment – perhaps the most important one! Well said!

    I figure the whole nuts thing is an interesting question. But really, what it comes down to is, I probably shouldn’t eat more nuts than I would as a cooked fooder – about a 1/2 -1 cup MAX. But with all the other recipes around, it’s not hard to limit nut intake somewhat. Plus, if you buy only unshelled, you save $ (unshelled nuts are only $3/pound!) and limit your nut intake naturally! It takes forever to unshell them!

    Anyways, thanks for the list Kandace! It’s a good goal to purchase organic on those items where you eat the skin – very wise.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Eating organic really wasn’t important to me until this last month actually. I have had a huge shift in my eating and now I really don’t feel drawn to anything that isn’t organic. I think that at the start of my raw journey I just wanted to eat lots and lots and lots, and the only way to do this was to buy non organic, we just couldn’t afford organic and couldn’t afford to drive 30 miles every week to buy decent quality organic food. The North West UK is in no way as far ahead as the rest of the country in terms of organic food.

    But now after 3 years I really feel and taste the difference, and I didn’t really before. I think it is only now that I am clean enough inside to tell the difference with organic food. And now we live much closer to a fab veggie co-op which sells proper organic food. I just don’t take supermarket organic seriously, not compared to the amazing stuff you can get away from the supermarkets. So now I am a whole hearted organic fiend :)

  • Hello to all the Ga folks, I live Covington and travel to the Dekalb Farmers Market weekly. It’s a hump, but well worth it. I try to eat organic when I can, but it can be expensive. Some veggies I haven’t been able to find organic so I just buy regular and wash really good. Ardesmond2-what is the name of your fav live restaurant and where is it, I would love to go.

  • I know what you mean ZOE, supermarket organic is crap when it comes to co-ops and farmers market. Hard to take them serious when the whole place smells like CORN. Has anyone ever noticed that everything cooked people eat has corn in it . Corn dye in the packaging the plastic containers are made out of corn, high fructose corn syrup, the chickens they eat were fed corn, even right down to the building that they get there food from has corn additives in it, and the kicker is the wax to make there fruit look shiny and sticky yep you guessed it made out of corn. Please eat organic so these money hungry people don’t create a grapes of Wrath by not rotating the crops. Corn is going to be the only thing growing if you leave it up to them.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Yeah and all the corn is Monsanto’d GM’d up Frankenstein food as well.

  • It’s called LOVN it LIVE in East Point check them out when you come down to do your shopping at the farmers market… We may even run into each other one day as I go to the F-market everyday LOL I live right down the way from there. here is the link for LOVn It LIVE www.lovingitlive.com/contact.html

  • Right on ZOE , I just saw your pic on another site, for some reason you are exactly as I pictured. I think it’s also cool your middle name is Desmond.

  • Ardesmond2-thanks for the info. I actually stoppd in that spot before I went raw, they weren’t open for business yet, but they did give me a menu. I’m glad you like it, now I really want to go. You go to the farmers market everyday LOL, that’s funny. It’s sad, but I would probably go everyday too if I lived closer. Seriously, I thought about moving out the state, but the F-market is soooo great that I couldn’t bear leaving-it’s that pitiful. I’m a lost cause.

  • If you come down on Saturday’s try to catch the morningside farmers market (only on saturday) all organic and locally grown. Also starting in May there will be the East Side Farmers market which is really fun because there are all kinds of things going on music things for kids its great.

  • Sorry forgot to post the link for local harvest put in an Atlanta zip code and BOOM a whole list of everything you would have wanted to know about Atlanta and shopping for whole living foods localharvest.org

  • Where does the morningside farmers market and the East Side F-market take place and how are the prices in comparsion to the dekalb f-market?

  • Zoe, my father grows tomatoes in a greenhouse and I guess they have a lot of pesticides in them, there are a lot of big bags of chemicals in our backyard…

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