Determining What Produce To Buy Organically

Many people are becoming educated on the dangers of eating fruits and vegetables with pesticides. Pesticides are meant to kill and deter bugs from eating these plant foods and can be hazardous for humans as well.

The fruits and vegetables that you definitely should buy organically are the ones with very thin skins like tomatoes, nectarines, peaches, peppers, summer squash and apples. These types of foods are unprotected and have to be sprayed heavily in order to keep the bugs away.

Another item is the various types of lettuces; iceberg, romaine, spinach, red leaf, and any other soft lettuce types. These all tend to need to be sprayed also.

This leaves many other types of fruits and vegetables that don't necessarily have to bought organically. The only benefit of buying organic produce in these types is the increased flavor and nutritional content.

Foods that are grown organically tend to have very rich soil. If the soil is rich with natural minerals and fertile with worms, humus, and bacteria then the plants will be more resistant to insects and not need sprays.

There are different types of fruits and vegetables that tend to not need pesticides. Or, they are good to buy for another reason.

First, the fruits that have thick skins that get taken off before consumption can be just fine if they are grown conventionally. Good examples are pineapples, bananas, oranges and other citrus fruits, melons, and nuts.

You can buy these thick skinned produce items anywhere and it is not a big deal, however the organic ones will have more nutrition and may have a better taste. But, conventionally raised would be fine since you can take the skin off.

Second, the cruciferous vegetables are naturally repellent to bugs because of their sulfuric content and strong taste. Asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, turnips, and mustard greens are some excellent examples of plants that bugs aren't as interested in.

Along with this naturally repellent group are the onions, garlic, leeks, and other onion-family foods.

The third group that doesn't really have to be bought organically are much of the root vegetables that grow underground and are protected from a lot. These are the carrots, beets, and various potatoes.

If you want to save money, it helps to know which produce items can be bought organically. However, the organic produce seems to be coming down in price as they are becoming more popular.

If you have money, then you may want to buy everything organically and enjoy the higher nutrition and better taste. If you are poor, then just get whatever produce you can that is in season.

Compared to the animal products that tend to be heavily laden with toxins, the vegetables and fruits have such a minimal amount of pesticides. You can still have great health if you buy conventionally grown produce and avoid the animal products.

Of course, you will want to avoid anything that is GMO or a "genetically modified organism" item. They cause sterility, birth defects, death and other health problems for the animals that have been tested and researched, using the GMO corn and soy.

Do what you can to have the best health possible. Once you learn all the little things to look out for, you can save your money and your health.

Destry Masterson is a health and nutrition expert. She publishes articles for http://www.foodinsurance.com and recommends them for food storage. Contact Info: Destry Masterson - MyOnlineArticleWriting@gmail.com - Twitter: @DestryMasterson