I just read a study on which organic foods we should buy.
I was shocked at the pesticides, additives, and hormones that are used to grow them.
I just read a study on the pesticides, additives, and hormones that are used on our meats, fruits, and vegetables and was shocked at what I read!
The report listed the top foods that were affected and it just reinforced how important it is that we choose organic alternatives whenever we can.
We grow many of our own vegetables, raise our own beef, pork, and chicken and buy raw milk, so I feel good about checking those items off the list. However, many of the other foods on this list I buy organic fruits and vegetables when I can, and I wash everything.
When I do bring fresh vegetables and fruits home I wash and soak them in a vinegar solution of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. I’ve even purchased a Veggie Wash All Natural Fruit and Vegetable Wash.
I encourage you to read through this list of what organic foods you should buy and be aware of all the foods that are on this watch list.
- Meat – Beef leads the list with 10 pesticides being identified. Pork had as many as 8 pesticides, and chicken thighs were found to be the most contaminated.
- Buy organic grass-fed beef and hormone free chicken and pork.
- Milk – A staple in most children’s diets, milk is one of the foods that is most concerning. Typically 12 pesticides have been found in milk.
- Buy raw milk from a certified dairy or look for organic milk at your grocery store.
- Coffee – Most of the coffee beans we buy come from countries that have no regulations on using chemicals and pesticides.
- Look for the label that states it is USDA Organic Fair Trade Coffee. This label means the beans have been grown and processed without harmful chemicals.
- Celery – Since celery has no skin to peel, it’s almost impossible to wash off any harmful chemicals.
- This is one vegetable that you should always look for the organic alternative.
- Peaches – If you can’t find organic peaches always peel the harmful skin that will have pesticides applied at the orchards.
- Most strawberries you buy that are out of season will come from countries that don’t have strict regulations on pesticide use. This is a fruit that should always be washed before eaten.
- Apple growers struggle with a variety of pests, from fungi to insects and often use pesticides. Scrubbing and peeling won’t eliminate chemical residue completely, so it’s best to buy organic when it comes to apples.
- Blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.
- Nectarines have been found with 33 different types of pesticides, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit.
- Peppers have thin skins that don’t offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They’re often heavily sprayed with insecticides.
- Spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.
- Kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year.
- Cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries.
- Potatoes can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides.
- Grapes can be sprayed with various pesticides during different growth periods, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape’s thin skin.
- Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides.
- Carrots have 26 different pesticides that have been detected in food residue.
- As insects become more resilient to the pesticides used on pears, more and more chemicals are used.
- The thin skin of tomatoes can allow pesticides to enter the fruit, so it’s always a good idea to buy organic when possible.
You can reduce your family’s risk of pesticides and the bacteria on produce, simply by washing them in vinegar and water wash or use the Veggie Wash All Natural Fruit and Vegetable Wash before handing your child that piece of fruit.
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