3 basic ways to determine if organic produce is right for you
This article is the second part of, “Should you bother with organic fruits and vegetables?“. If you enjoy these posts, please consider sharing them through Digg, StumbleUpon, or the social media of your choice. Thanks.
In part 1 (“Should you bother with organic fruits and vegetables?“) I suggested that when it comes to the debate over organic vs. conventionally grown produce, if you are relying strictly on the moving target that is statistical evidence you are likely to be confused at best, and disillusioned at worst.
With so many loud opinions on the subject, deciphering which pieces are truthful and accurate is nearly impossible. But for me, ultimately the statistics are not making my decision. My wallet has something to do with it of course; but really it comes down to one of those Life questions. (Ughh…not one of those…)
For me, it’s a question of Risk
To state the obvious, life involves a degree of risk. You choose to accept the risk of driving a car at 70 miles an hour on the freeway. You accept the risk that the guy who is hooking up your bungee cord KNOWS that everyone lies about their weight, so he’ll shorten the rubber band for that extra 15lbs that you forgot to mention. You accept the risk that watching The Soup may actually ruin your Dancing with the Stars viewing pleasure.
We all have to choose what we’re willing to risk in our lives. So how does risk play into organic vs. conventional produce?
The next time you’re in the produce department, scrolling through your iPhone trying to have the decision made for you on organic vs. conventional, think of this simple question: Is it worth the risk that the folks who say the chemicals are safe, might be wrong? My answer to that is Maybe - depends on how comfortable you are, and what you can reasonably afford.
3 basic ways to determine if organic produce is right for you
Here is a short list of my decision-making priorities on organic vs. conventional:
- If you truly can’t afford it (some of us): Simple: Don’t buy organic, HOWEVER (and its a big However), a) don’t rule it out - keep your eye open for opportunities to buy organic items that are local and in season, because those items are likely very close to being the same price, and b) Most importantly, be sure to buy fruits and vegetables, period.
Look at it this way: If you are choosing between an orange that was grown using chemicals and a 3-pack of Twinkies (no chemicals in that, right?), choose the conventionally grown orange. The nutritional benefits of eating fruit are too important, regardless of the conflicting reports and loud shouting from both sides of the argument.
The risk? All you’re really risking is that 1/2 of the debate - the chemical side - is wrong (or slightly less than forthcoming) in their findings yet again. Remember that plastic taste you get from that sun-warmed plastic bottle that the chemical industry said was perfectly safe all these years? That would be an example of the chemical advocates being wrong, in potentially catastrophic ways.
- If you can afford it sometimes (most of us): Buy organic produce, but only what’s in season and if possible, locally grown. A peach that is out of season and shipped 3,000 miles is not only going to cost more, but the benefits are greatly reduced, especially in flavor and texture. In other words, if you go to a farmer’s market and you have the choice between the organic apples and the conventional apples, and they are within the same price range, opt for the organic.
For those of us who can afford to move our spending priorities around even a tiny bit, make room for organic when its local and in season. We have been convinced by the endless multi-million dollar marketing campaigns from big industry that you can’t afford to eat well, so you might as well buy their volume-priced junk. I would argue that this is untrue for 90% of us here; it’s more a matter of what you make a priority in your life. Vegetarians often eat well for example (of which I am not, at this point); Are all vegetarians wealthy, and that’s why they can eat well? I hardly think so. It is, for the most part, a matter of what is important to you.
The risk benefit? You’ve just greatly reduced your risk that the chemical lobbyists in D.C. are not skewing the facts to make even more money at your health’s expense. But they would never do that, right?
- If you can afford it all the time (Governor of California): By all means, buy the organic, but try to stick to locally grown from smaller farms.
For the upper social strata that don’t have to worry much about what they spend, it becomes an even more important social/environmental issue (although I would argue that this is important at any economic level in a Westernized world). Buying local reduces carbon emissions by reducing transport impact. Buying local supports a local economy (real families and real jobs that may keep your community thriving). Buying local, particularly at a Farmer’s Market, means you can buy fruit that was picked at the peak of freshness, rather than being picked a month early when it’s easier to ship from Chile. I could go on.
Risk? The risk is virtually none, except that you may get a few bugs in your Romaine. But we’ve been digesting those for thousands of years too.
Who’s advice do you follow?
I spent some time looking for a good, solid quote on life’s risks, and although there was a lot said by people like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Walt Whitman, ultimately I love this one best:
“Life is full of risks anyway, why not take them?” - Lindsay Lohan
I guess this is what you would call reverse psychology; Of all people to take advice from, somehow I think young Lindsay and Ralph Wiggam are continually trading places as last one picked on the mental Dodge ball teams. After the Dodge balls.
So should you buy organic? Which side do you listen to? It’s really up to you of course. For me, I have shifted my finances around so that we spend more on eating well and less on cable TV. That seems like a good life choice for me - although I’m still hooked on reruns of Project Runway.
In the next part of the series on organic vs. conventional produce, I’ll get into more detail on making the choice between specific fruits and vegetables. If you’re going to pay a little extra for organic, where is the biggest bang for your buck? What foods are the best and worst when it comes to chemical residues? Check back for the next article.
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healthranker.com Says: 01.05.08 at 2:17 pm
3 basic ways to determine if organic produce is right for you | AlmostFit.com…
The debate over organic produce vs. conventionally grown produce makes it really hard to decipher what the truth is. Here are 3 ways to determine if organic is right for you….
Great blog! There’s plenty of useful information and motivation. I’ll definitely be back. Check out my blog at Http://www.realfoodforlife.blogspot.com . I’ve been juicing for years starting with a “Vitamix” in the 70’s to a “Juiceman in the 90’s and love juicing’s benefits. Recently I found a ready to mix “Instafresh” powder that has 30 fruits and berries, 30 super greens and vegetables, 11 nuts, seeds and sprouts all in an easy to mix, delicious, organic concentrate that has 83 Active Enzymes and Minerals and 22 Resilient Living Probiotics. It’s absolutely the best raw whole food supplement on the market today. Great for people on the go! And all for just $1 per serving! Now that’s juicing for the new millennium! Just read the label and get a sample like I did at Http://www.urilife.com/realfoodforlife/products.html I think you’ll love it! And yes, organic farming is the best for the land, animals and humans! Support your local organic farmers!
Grace and Peace,
Ed
Http://www.urilife.com/realfoodforlife/opportunity.html
I love it in the fall when the fruit trucks come in from British Columbia. There is such a difference in the taste and texture of the fruit. That is what fruit tasted like when I was a kid! I never buy grocery store peaches. They never are right. I think it is from the irradiation process to keep them from spoiling before they get to the store. Have you ever noticed how lovely the fruit can look only to bite into it and it is dry and mushy. Are organic selection is not always great. It is hard to find an organic grown peach for some reason. And I wonder…what do they mean by organic? Does that mean they have not irradiated the produce too? I do go to the farmers market in the summer. Our farmer market only has produce maybe 3 months out of a year due to the short growing season here.
Should you bother with organic fruits and vegetables? | AlmostFit.com Says: 02.05.08 at 10:30 am
[…] The next article on the organic vs. conventional debate provides a set of really simple guidelines on how to decide if organic is the right choice. [UPDATE: Here is the link to part 2, “3 basic ways to determine if organic is right for you“.] […]
Excellent help about eating organic. Everything you wrote is so true, the cost is a real factor for most of us. I found it was easier to buy organic by not buying the junk food. I stay away from the snack isles, boxed cereals, and most canned food. I admit I am the extreme, I will not budge and buy non-organic but my reasons are very deep and mine. I do not push my choices on others.
It’s up to each person to decide what is best for them. With your great points in this article the decision can be guilt-less and easier.
Thank you for the always well written easy to understand topics. You are making a difference for many of us, thank you.
Robin
My apologies to everyone on this thread - I’ve been on a deadline for work up until literally two minutes ago, so I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to reply.
@Ed: We also use a vitamix, although not as much for juicing as for soups and such. We love it - it was one of our first big purchases after moving into our first house together. I will check out your recommendations as well.
@Christine: I really know what you mean about the peaches. They are definitely hard to get, particularly up here in the northern climates. I must say, that was one of the benefits of living in Southern California - not only could you get citrus fruits for most of the year, but they was an abundance of locally grown selections as well.
@Robin: Thank you for your kind words - I hope folks read the articles!
This is a nice article about the decision making process of buying organics. There’s a list that ranks produce by the amount of pesticides used to grow them at foodnews.org. Peaches are at the top of the list, so those would be a good item to buy organic even if it wasn’t for the better taste. I’d think that the amount and type of pesticides used might vary from one grower to another, but it’s still useful to get a general idea as to which foods typically get the most.
Hey, cool you have a Vita-Mix! Aren’t they the greatest?!
My 20 year old machine just started showing signs of motor death this past month… expect to see the obit on my blog soon… it’s in progress. Hubby was kind to replace it for me with the latest model for my birthday and I love the new even better!
It was fun to zap up a fresh tomato/cheddar soup in front of him, when he could actually see it in the blender cooking!
Another excellent article! You’ve given people a much needed break from the guilt trip. My philosophy is very similar. I try to buy in-season produce whenever possible. Because I can’t afford to buy everything organic, I try to buy the higher sprayed items organic and not worry about the other items. As you said, it’s better to eat real produce that is sprayed than to eat processed foods.
@Cynthia: Yes, we love our Vita-Mix - I was amazed at the soup thing! In fact, I had to borrow the money from a friend years ago to get it for my wife on our anniversary. Don’t get me wrong; it was really for both of us :), but it was at her request as her grandmother had one, and she had one for years as well.
@DG: Thanks. That is one of my goals, really - no guilt! It gets us all in all sorts of trouble.
The one bad thing about buying a Vita-Mix is that you never again want to go without owning one! I totally understand. Thank goodness they last so long! I’m the first in my family to have one. Buying the first was definitely a leap of faith!
Eat Real Food - It's what your Grandma would do | AlmostFit.com Says: 13.05.08 at 9:39 am
[…] I mentioned in the last article on the subject of organic vs. conventional produce, it is a matter of the choices you make, and in particular where you feel the risks of life are […]