8 Foods You Should NOT Buy Organic

You always hear about how much healthier organic foods are for you – and it’s true.  But it’s also true that eating entirely organic (unless you grow all of your own food) can get pretty pricey. If you’re on a budget, here are 8 foods you can feel a bit safer buying without the organic label.

Trying to save money while eating organic foods can be a balancing act, but it can be done, if you go about it strategically. While some foods, as we mentioned on Saturday, are commonly very polluted with toxic chemicals, others are less so, depending on the nature of the food.

This helpful article mentions 8 different foods which are usually okay to buy conventionally grown, so you can save your money for eating organic when it really counts.

…You can strategically save money and still buy and eat healthy foods, if you know which non-organically raised foods to avoid, and which ones are okay to eat. That way, you can put the “organic” portion of your food dollars towards foods that really shouldn’t be eaten any other way.

For example, I always choose organic meats and animal products whenever possible. Industrial farming is not only terribly destructive for the environment, but also for the health of the animals that are raised in these CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations – is there any phrase that sounds LESS like a natural, healthy life for an animal??) – and consequently, for the health of those who eat them.

While organic meats (preferably grass-fed) may cost a bit more, it’s one of those things that’s definitely worth the money to me. (And once you’ve tried real, grass-fed, sustainably raised meat and dairy, you’ll never go back! Seriously, it’s that good.)

That said, I’m certainly all about saving money if it makes sense, especially if there’s really not much additional benefit to eating the organic vs. the non-organic version of a particular food.

Here’s what I mean by that. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, one of the main benefits of buying organic is to avoid consuming the pesticides and chemicals that are typically used on the non-organic versions.

However, certain foods have a thick skin barrier between the outside world and the fruit inside, which protects it from most of the pesticides and other chemicals it may come into contact with. Also these types of fruits are the kinds where you usually don’t eat the skin.

Here are 4 foods with thick skins that you remove before eating, which are generally okay to buy in the non-organic versions:

• Bananas

• Avocados

• Grapefruits (and other citrus)

• Melons

For the next 4 foods, plus some tips for determining which kinds of foods are okay even if they’re not on this list, see the full article at New Holistic Living.