Ron and I grocery shop almost exclusively at Whole Foods, that well-lit haven for yuppies in search of multi-hyphenate food products to buy in order to rid themselves of their gobs of superfluous income. Free-trade gluten-free locally-sourced-buckwheat soba noodles, anyone?
We shop there for a couple of reasons. Primarily, laziness- it's the the only grocery store within walking distance of our house.
But even when we lived directly across the street from a Harris Teeter, we'd still make trips to Whole Foods to supplement our produce and meat. Those items in particular are much fresher and of much higher quality at Whole Foods.
When we bought produce from the Teet, it started out looking somewhat depressed at its own underachievement, and would go downhill from there. It would be moldy and soft within a day or two; the fish and meat seemed to visibly decompose even as you stood considering it.
Even at Whole Foods, though, a lot of what is for sale is not organic, so pretty much everything I buy requires a decision- buy "conventional" produce, or fork over the big bucks for the organic version?
I have tended to choose the organic version whenever it is available. Certainly I prefer it for meat, fish and dairy, and definitely for any vegetable or fruit whose skin I consume- tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, apples, grapes, berries.
Few, if any, scientific studies have demonstrated significant health benefits to organic foods. Still, I believe that they have to be better for you- consuming fewer pesticides and antibiotics couldn't be anything but good. But it is a considerable investment.
Further complicating things is the fact that there is often locally sourced produce available, but it is rarely organic. Many of these small, local farmers don't have the wherewithal to secure the "organic" designation- I understand it to be a maze of bureaucratic paperwork and hoop-jumping. My liberal, environmentally conscious heart is rent in two!
So, how to decide what to buy organic, what to buy local, and what to buy conventional?
This week, the Environmental Working Group released its list of the "Clean 15" and "Dirty Dozen", indicating which produce is safest to buy organically, and which can be reasonably purchased conventionally. I've copied them here, and there's a link to the full report at the end. You can even download an app with the list to your phone to take with you to the store.
So you can browse for clean produce to put in your reclaimed hemp reusable shopping bag while drinking your shade-grown, women's-collective soy latte. See ya there- I'll be the one in my Lululemon stretchy pants even though I haven't gone to yoga.
The Clean Fifteen (OK to Buy Conventional)
The Dirty Dozen (Always Buy Organic)
+PLUS
 |
| Basically, yeah. |
We shop there for a couple of reasons. Primarily, laziness- it's the the only grocery store within walking distance of our house.
But even when we lived directly across the street from a Harris Teeter, we'd still make trips to Whole Foods to supplement our produce and meat. Those items in particular are much fresher and of much higher quality at Whole Foods.
When we bought produce from the Teet, it started out looking somewhat depressed at its own underachievement, and would go downhill from there. It would be moldy and soft within a day or two; the fish and meat seemed to visibly decompose even as you stood considering it.
Even at Whole Foods, though, a lot of what is for sale is not organic, so pretty much everything I buy requires a decision- buy "conventional" produce, or fork over the big bucks for the organic version?
I have tended to choose the organic version whenever it is available. Certainly I prefer it for meat, fish and dairy, and definitely for any vegetable or fruit whose skin I consume- tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, apples, grapes, berries.
Few, if any, scientific studies have demonstrated significant health benefits to organic foods. Still, I believe that they have to be better for you- consuming fewer pesticides and antibiotics couldn't be anything but good. But it is a considerable investment.
Further complicating things is the fact that there is often locally sourced produce available, but it is rarely organic. Many of these small, local farmers don't have the wherewithal to secure the "organic" designation- I understand it to be a maze of bureaucratic paperwork and hoop-jumping. My liberal, environmentally conscious heart is rent in two!
So, how to decide what to buy organic, what to buy local, and what to buy conventional?
This week, the Environmental Working Group released its list of the "Clean 15" and "Dirty Dozen", indicating which produce is safest to buy organically, and which can be reasonably purchased conventionally. I've copied them here, and there's a link to the full report at the end. You can even download an app with the list to your phone to take with you to the store.
So you can browse for clean produce to put in your reclaimed hemp reusable shopping bag while drinking your shade-grown, women's-collective soy latte. See ya there- I'll be the one in my Lululemon stretchy pants even though I haven't gone to yoga.
The Clean Fifteen (OK to Buy Conventional)
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Corn
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Mangos
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Papayas
- Pineapples
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Sweet potatoes
The Dirty Dozen (Always Buy Organic)
- Apples
- Celery
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Grapes
- Hot peppers
- Nectarines (imported)
- Peaches
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Sweet bell peppers
+PLUS
- Collards and kale
- Summer squash and zucchini
LINKS
No comments:
Post a Comment