Organic vs. Conventional: The Debate Goes On

I was knocking about on the World Wide Web this morning and stumbled upon this website from the Environmental Working Group regarding pesticide levels in fruits and vegetables. This website ranks fruits and vegetables according to the levels of pesticides that are found in them. The worst foods - containing the most pesticides - have a high number and the better foods - containing the least amount of pesticides - have a low number. I was not too surprised to see some of my favorite fruits and veggies listed high on the list (darn it)! Those fruits and veggies are typically the ones that we consume with the skin - apples, strawberries, grapes and lettuce.

The website lists 43 fruits and veggies, and ranks all of them. It then gives a handy little breakdown of the 12 worst produce items and the 12 best produce items regarding pesticide levels. The website encourages consumers to purchase organic produce of the 12 worst, thereby decreasing your consumption of pesticides up to 90%! That is awesome!

If anyone eats organic, or has researched it, you know how expensive organic foods can be. Places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's help with price, but I'll be darned if I'm paying close to $2 a pound for organic bananas. But reducing pesticide consumption by 90% just by purchasing a dozen organic produce items is pretty tempting to follow.

If I had more time and money, I would eat exclusively organic foods. They do taste better and I don't have a weird aftertaste in my mouth when eating certain organic foods (seriously, compare organic grapes and conventional grapes. You'll know what I'm talking about). But alas, I work for a non-profit and my funds are limited. Also, I don't have time at night to spend two hours cooking a fully organic meal for the family. Alas, I just try to do my best by eating what I think is healthy and purchasing relatively healthy food for my husband (organic chocolate rocks by the way - ROCKS!). But I think the handy little produce guide on the EWG website may influence my next trip at the grocery store. After all, the more people that buy organic, the lower the price should come down (eventually), right? (Wow - would my Econ 101 professor be proud).