Becoming a health conscious shopper has been on the rise in the US consistently since the early 1980s and has now become a world wide trend as consumers in all parts of the world are on the alert to what they put in their mouths. In 2005, organic food sales in the US reached $13.8 billion dollars. With increased supermarkets and grocery stores offering more organic food choices. For sure, that number pales compared to current financial stats on organic foods.
So, why are so many of us choosing organic over "conventional?" Most people want to avoid the harmful effects of pesticides, synthetic hormones found in milk and meat along with the antibiotics commonly used in factory farming. Others simply want to preserve the environment and support small farmers. All these reasons and many more for going organic are just a broad view. I could write a much larger piece with more information that could bore you, but for now It's more important for you to know what foods if any you should really buy organic.
Buying organic certainly makes a dent in many a budget so here I will give you a list that will indicate which foods are best eaten organically if eaten at all. If you're watching your pennies, at least buy these foods organically grown. Since 1987, the FDA has been releasing results of pesticide residue on some domestic and imported fruits and vegetables. An environment activist group called the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is dedicated to using public information for the benefit of the people. They take the results the FDA puts out and create a list of the foods that contain the most pesticides and those with the least. Click here to go to their website for the list. This is really a good place to start if you want to be a well informed organic food shopper.
Happy Shopping!
