Organic vs Non-Organic

farmers-marketThe choice between buying organic vs non-organic is a constant debate in my household.  If finances allowed I would be purchasing organic meat, vegetables and fruit.  However, how practical is that?  And is it even doing you any good?

Many products are now labeled “organic” to make their label seem more palatable.  They are often green washed so they can increase their sales.  So, when is it profitable to make the leap from non-organic to organic?  When is it truly going to help your health?

My husband and I have decided to make the switch with fruits and veggies that we know are heavily laden with pesticides.   Whenever you will be consuming the skin of a fruit or vegetable you may want to consider buying organic.   And yes, if you can afford it, making that leap to grass-fed meat is extremely profitable.   Buying grass-fed you have the benefit of knowing that you don’t have to consume the antibiotics and steroids that the animals did.  I don’t know about you, but I most certainly don’t want to be taking in antibiotics and steroids that only lessen my immune system and open my body up to all sorts of harmful diseases and carcinogens.

Here is the list on the fruits and veggies we absolutely will not budge on:

  • Berries (Did you know that strawberries are one of the highest in pesticide coating?)
  • Apples (You can literally taste the pesticides on a non-organic apple vs. an organic one.  Ew!)
  • Peaches
  • Grapes
  • Greens
  • Celery (I can taste the pesticides in a side by side comparison test with non-organic vs. organic.  It’s disgusting.)
  • Bell Peppers
  • Broccoli
  • Potatoes (Now this is a new discovery for me!  We rarely eat potatoes due to their high starch and carb content, but wow!  The USDA discovered that 81 percent of all potatoes tested in 2006 contained pesticides even after being washed and peeled.  Scary.  I would typically say go ahead and buy non-organic due to not eating their skin, but I would be wrong on this one!)

See!  The list isn’t that extensive or overwhelming and anyone can do it—even on a tight budget!  I also recommend buying grass-fed beef as well.  Beef has one of the highest amounts of growth hormones in it and it affects our body’s natural processes.  In fact, the European Union banned all hormones in their beef!  If that doesn’t tell you something then I don’t know what does! 

My husband and I have found a way to buy organic grass-fed beef.   We were buying grass-fed chicken as well, but even Costco doesn’t have a reasonable enough of a price to entice us.  However, since we don’t consume as much beef we go for Costco’s three pack organic beef.  We feel it’s worth it. 

I know this article is about buying organic foods and staying away from pesticides and hormones, but I also have to mention something that is also of the utmost importance.  Make sure you are staying away from toxins!  You may be eating healthy and you may avoid consuming any chemicals, but are you using Windex, Clorox, or burning nasty carcinogenic candles? 

I suggest switching to a company that sells non-toxic cleaning products or even to a company like Norwex where the rag(s) (with colloidal silver in it) does all the work.   Making sure you are healthy from the inside out is so very important; not only for you, but for those around you.

 Now that you’ve read this article what will you alter in your choices at the grocery store?

This is a guest post by Hannah @ Preciously Preserved. If you’re interested in guest posting please read our guest posting policy and then contact us.

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  1. Because of the prices I sometimes do both organic product cost way too much for average people but then again the taste for nonrganic product is unbearable sometimes

  2. It is very difficult for anyone to measure the costs vs benefits of eating sustainable and ethical food over the long term for both the individual and their community.

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