Foods that DON’T Need to be Bought Organic

Some foods, we definitely believe should be bought organic whenever possible- and here is our list.  However, now we are also making a list of foods that you don’t need to splurge on and can buy conventional. To be honest, when it comes to certain fruits and veggies, there is very little, if any, advantage to eating certain organic produce from a health perspective.  Here is our list of food that DON’T need to be bought organic:

• Onions:  Onions don’t see as many pest threats, which means less pesticide spraying. Onions don’t just make you cry for cutting them, they make pests weep at the thought of eating them. Onions are naturally resistant to pests, which is probably why just 0.3% of onions tested for chemical residue came up positive.  Unlike many other fruits and vegetables, conventionally grown onions have the same level of polyphenols as organically grown onions.

• Bananas:  Have a thick skin that get’s peeled away, so the chemicals don’t get to the fruit.

• Avocados:  Not only are they high up in trees, but avocados also have thick skins that protect the fruit from pesticide build-up. Just remember to wash the peel before cutting into them to get rid of any residue.

• Sweet Corn: Sweet corn does take a lot of fertilizer to grow, but you’re unlikely to end up with any pesticides on the kernels. Lots of pesticides are used on corn, but most are removed with the shuck.

• Pineapples:  You won’t be eating the tough pineapple skin, which protects the fruit from pesticide residue. As with all your produce, you should rinse the pineapple before cutting.

• Mangoes:  Sweet mango flesh is protected by its thick skin from pesticides. Still, rinse under water before cutting open to avoid pesticides from the skin getting onto the flesh.

•  Asparagus: Asparagus grows in relatively cool weather, before bugs are active and plant diseases become a problem, so they don’t need to be sprayed with pesticides- it really is one of the cleanest vegetables around, especially if bought domestic vs imported!

•  Sweet Peas:  According to the Environmental Working Group’s latest survey of government data, sweet peas are among the least likely vegetables to have pesticide residue.

• Kiwi: The fuzzy kiwi peel provides a barrier from pesticides. Give them a rinse before cutting.

• Cabbage:  Full of beta  carotene but not pesticides, cabbage doesn’t hold on to so many pesticides because a ton of spraying isn’t required to grow it.  Cabbage grows fast in hot, dry climates where there isn’t so much need for pesticides. Even when crops do get sprayed, their outer leaves are discarded in the field at harvest.

• Eggplant:  Maybe it’s the thick skin, but eggplants are among the least likely to be contaminated by pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group. Eggplant is grown in hot, mostly dry weather that isn’t hospitable to plant disease or insects as well.

• Papaya: Pesticide residue stays on papaya skin, so always give a rinse!

• Watermelon:  With that thick rind, watermelon has a natural defense against the onslaught of any chemical.

• Broccoli: Conventional broccoli doesn’t retain so many pesticides because the crop faces fewer pest threats.

• Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are a hardy bunch, sot only are sweet potatoes unlikely to be contaminated with pesticides, but they’re also a superfood, packed with Vitamin A and beta carotene.