When it's Smart to Buy Organic
I was speaking to a group about healthy eating last week (on Zoom of course) and one of the participants asked if she really needed to buy organic produce since she always thoroughly washes her fruits and vegetables.
It’s a good question and I used to think that way as well. However, I’ve learned that while you can reduce the amount of pesticide residue on the surface of produce, it’s impossible to eliminate it completely—you can’t remove chemicals that have been absorbed by the roots of the plants.
You don’t want to ingest pesticides. The most common herbicide used on conventional (nonorganic) crops is glyphosate (the main ingredient in the weed killer Roundup). Glyphosate, which has been called “a probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization, has been linked to cancer and endocrine disruption. Insecticides such as the widely used chlorpyrifos is associated with damaging the developing brains of children.
In fact, chlorpyrifos is currently in the news: A federal appeals court last week ruled that the EPA has 60 days to ban all food-related uses of the chemical—or prove that it’s safe. In 2015, the Obama administration moved to revoke all uses of chlorpyrifos after EPA scientists determined that existing evidence did not meet the agency’s threshold of a “reasonable certainty of no harm.” But in 2017, the Trump administration reversed course.
There’s a great deal of evidence linking the exposure of pesticides to an increased risk of chronic illnesses including cancer, diabetes, brain diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and ALS, birth defects, reproductive disorders, asthma, and learning and behavioral problems in kids. Children, by the way, are at higher risk for pesticide toxicity than adults because their developing brains are more susceptible to neurotoxins.
Eating organic produce reduces your exposure to pesticide residue and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Although organic fruits and veggies are not entirely pesticide-free, the pesticides that are allowed to be used are produced or extracted from natural sources and are far lower in toxicity than those used on conventionally grown produce. Organic is a bit more expensive, but the good news is you don’t have to buy all organic. The nonprofit Environmental Working Group compiles an annual list of the most and least contaminated produce—the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15. So, if you can’t (or don’t want to) buy exclusively organic, at least aim to buy organic for items in the 2021 Dirty Dozen list:
1. STRAWBERRIES
2. SPINACH
3. KALE, COLLARDS, MUSTARD GREENS
4. NECTARINES
5. APPLES
6. GRAPES
7. CHERRIES
8. PEACHERS
9. PEARS
10. BELL & HOT PEPPERS
11. CELERY
12. TOMATOES
You can get away with nonorganic for the 2021 Clean 15:
1. AVOCADOS
2. SWEET CORN
3. PINEAPPLES
4. ONIONS
5. PAPAYAS
6. SWEET PEAS (FROZEN)
7. EGGPLANTS
8. ASPARAGUS
9. BROCCOLI
10. CABBAGES
11. KIWIS
12. CAULIFLOWER
13. MUSHROOMS
14. HONEYDEW MELONS
15. CANTALOUPES
To find out info on produce not on these two lists, as well as the level of toxicity in other foods, personal care products, sunscreens, and household cleaners, download the EWG Healthy Living app on your cellphone (there’s even a feature to scan barcodes!)
Vegetarian Italian Chopped Salad
Recipe from Cookie & Kate
10 oz chopped romaine lettuce (about 2 medium or 3 small heads, chopped)
½ medium head of radicchio, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
½ medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
⅓ cup stemmed and thinly sliced pickled pepperoncini peppers
⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and roughly chopped
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup (4 ounces) ¼″ cubes of provolone cheese (optional)
Italian vinaigrette
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1. In a large serving bowl, combine the chopped lettuce, radicchio, onion, celery, cherry tomatoes, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas and cheese (if using). Toss the ingredients together and set aside.
2. To prepare the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a liquid measuring cup. Whisk until blended. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
3. If you’ll be serving all of the salad at once, drizzle enough dressing in to lightly coat the salad and toss to combine. If you plan to save some of the salad for another day, store the salad and dressing separately.