12 Foods You Should Buy Organic

Strawberries

When it comes to healthy eating, making a grocery store list and deciding which foods to buy organic can seem like a daunting task. While eating a diet that includes fruits and vegetables is key to supporting your health and well-being since they are rich in nutrients, opting for organic food is even better for your health. Organic foods can limit your exposure to extra pesticides and insecticides that are used on conventional, non-organic products. The problem with pesticides and insecticides are that they are poisons which can cause health problems such as cancer, infertility, vomiting, allergies rashes, skin problems, hormonal health imbalances, and more.

That said, buying strictly organic food may be expensive, outside of your budget, or not readily accessible. Regardless of whether a fruit of vegetable is organic or not, it’s important to include them in your diet because they are nutrient dense and support your overall health and well-being. The key to improving your health is progress not perfection — this does not have to be an all or nothing approach. Swapping out some of your produce for organic is a great place to start.

The best strategy to take when deciding how to get the most bang for your buck and prioritize which foods are worth buying organic and which are not, is by following the EWG’s dirty dozen shopping list. This is a guide that ranks the most heavily contaminated conventional produce so that you can prioritize your spending. 

So without further ado, here’s the 2020 shoppers guide to the dirty dozen aka foods you should buy organic.

  1. Strawberries

  2. Spinach

  3. Kale

  4. Nectarines

  5. Apples

  6. Grapes

  7. Peaches

  8. Cherries

  9. Pears

  10. Tomatoes

  11. Celery

  12. Potatoes

  13. ++ Hot peppers

Also note that foods like sweet corn, papaya, and summer squash oftentimes come from genetically modified seeds. Buying organic varieties of these foods can be key if you want to avoid genetically modified produce. A nice little trick or rule of thumb is, if you eat the outside of it — think the skin of a banana, pepper, grape, then buy organic!

So when in doubt stick to the dirty dozen list at the minimum when it comes to buying organic versus conventional produce. The investment on your health is worth the few extra dollars to buy higher quality food so that you can experience your best health.

Sara Hubbard