In a perfect world, you would eat everything organic. The more organic food you eat, the less incomplete chemicals you’ll be ingesting, i.e. pesticides, which by their very definition are designed to kill other living things. And although we are not weeds or insects that feed on crops, do eat the products that end up being sprinkled with things.
That’s a big deal, as research has linked pesticide ingestion to ADHD in boys, lower sperm counts in healthy young men, and fertility problems, but more research is needed to fully understand those links.
Because various types of pesticides can find their way into your food, you may be ingesting a cocktail of chemicals. These mixtures can increase your risk of genetic mutation and stop your body’s ability to repair damaged DNA, which has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, according to a report from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Going organic won’t completely eliminate your exposure to these chemicals, but depending on the foods you choose, it can help. For example, a large meta-analysis from the Stanford University Medical Center found that organic fruits and vegetables did not really differ in nutritional quality compared to conventional produce, but had a 30 percent lower risk of pesticide contamination.
The problem? Organic food is expensive. Knowing which foods to splurge on can be tricky, but a good rule of thumb is to look for products that are more likely to have pesticide residues, explains Gary Adamkiewicz, an assistant professor of environmental health and exposure disparities at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, who which means that many products should top your list.
When you’re browsing the grocery store, keep the following foods in mind if you’re looking to go organic. They won’t be hard to find: look for the “USDA Organic” label.
STRAWBERRIES, SPINACH AND NECTARINES
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A good place to start, Adamkiewicz says, is with the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) list of farm products classified by the amount of pesticides they contain, categorized as Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. The EWG compiles these lists each year based on 36,000 product samples collected by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The samples are taken when the food is normally consumed, that is, after washing and , in some cases, peel them.
Strawberries ranked number one on EWG’s most recent Dirty Dozen list because they had the most pesticide residues. More than 98 percent of the strawberry samples had pesticide residues, and a single strawberry sample showed 20 different pesticides, according to the EWG.
Spinach ranks second, as these samples had twice as many pesticide residues by weight as any other crop on average. Nectarines follow at number three, 98 percent of which showed pesticide residues.
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APPLES, PEACHES, PEARS, CHERRIES AND GRAPES
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Apples rank fourth on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list. Your thin skin is the culprit here, explains Rachel Roberts, RD, a dietitian at Detroit Medical Center’s Your New Self Weight Loss Solutions Program.
“The general rule of thumb is to choose organic fruits and vegetables with thin skins, like apples, strawberries, and celery, and non-organic vegetables with thick skins, like pineapples and melons,” he says.
That’s why peaches, pears, cherries, and grapes are also on the Dirty Dozen list. They are thin-skinned fruits that you would not think twice about biting into.
Related: 3 organic food recipes that are mind-blowingly delicious
CELERY, TOMATOES, POTATOES, PEPPERS AND HOT PEPPERS
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These pantry staples also have a thin skin, which means they don’t have as much of a protective barrier against pesticides, says Roberts.
Peeling foods can help, but it may not remove all of the pesticides in your produce, according to Consumer Reports. Some pesticides are actually absorbed through the roots of the plant, which means they could end up in the pulp of your food. In addition, the skin is loaded with beneficial nutrients.
A good wash (with a vegetable brush like this one) is still recommended, even if you buy organic.
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PEANUT BUTTER
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If you’re buying peanut butter with just one or two ingredients (hint: it should just be peanuts and salt), then it’s a pretty healthy source of fat when you control the serving size.
But Roberts says go organic for an even better option. “Peanut butter should be purchased organically to avoid pesticides, which permeate the thin outer shells of peanuts,” she says. “Non-organic peanut butters can be high in pesticides or mold, and often use fats, sugar, and sometimes hydrogenated oils to increase shelf life.” Check out this creamy, light roasted variety from Santa Cruz.
Related: These Peanut Butter Protein Bombs Will Make Your Muscles Grow
POULTRY
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Aside from fruits and vegetables, Adamkiewicz says there isn’t as much evidence of pesticides in meat and dairy products. Although he personally likes to spend his money on organic milk, it’s not as necessary to consumers as the Dirty Dozen.
Still, USDA requirements for organic meat require that the cattle be free of hormones and antibiotics, raised in conditions that mimic their natural behaviors (such as being able to graze on a pasture), and fed 100 percent organic feed. .
“Organic farming makes a lot of sense for the environment and health. This extends to feed derived from livestock, although we don’t have many studies showing differences in chemical residues between organic and conventional milk specifically,” says Adamkiewicz.
Roberts recommends choosing organic poultry, like chicken and turkey, if you have extra money to spread around. We like this Organic Chicken Breast from Perdue Harvestland and these Roast Turkey Breast Slices from Organic Prairie.
Related: 50 easy and delicious ways to cook a chicken breast
PORK
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The same USDA standards for cattle apply to pork.
“Organic poultry and pigs are fed feed without synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers, which helps improve animal health and reduce environmental impact,” explains Roberts.
She adds: “Non-organic meats differ in the amount of antibiotic use during production. Excessive use of antibiotics in conventional meat may lead to an increase in treatment-resistant bacterial infections in humans.”
Pork Skewers with Fresh Herb Sauce:
BEEF
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Grass-fed beef contains more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef, since grass-fed beef naturally contains more omega-3s, which are great for heart and brain health.
“The fatty acid composition in organic animal products is much better; omega-3 fatty acid levels [in organic beef] they’re about 50 percent higher, which is beneficial for lowering your risk of heart disease,” Roberts says, possibly because they can help fight inflammation in your body.
It is also raised without hormones or antibiotics. Check out this grass-fed beef from Organic Prairie.
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