Organic vs. Inorganic

Do you ever get confused about the whole organic vs. non-organic thing? I do.

Which foods should you always buy organic and which do you not really have to? Is it always more expensive to buy organic? If you can only have one, what’s better – organic, or local?  What does organic really even mean?  Is it really that much better for you to eat organic?

These are all questions I’ve wondered or asked at one point or another.  I try to read about topics like these whenever I can because I love learning about ways to be healthier, but the fact of the matter is: I still have a lot to learn.  I know that, in theory, eating organic is better for you than not, and that eating organic can be more expensive than not, but I really don’t know the specific details beyond that. 

I would love to eat 100% organic because, let’s face it, you can’t be worse off from consuming less pesticides.  But for me, it can get a bit expensive, so my general philosophy is to eat as many fruits and vegetables as I can, and worry about organic vs. not organic whenever it’s feasible.

That being said, I often look to the “dirty dozen” list to decide which produce to buy organic, and which to save my money on.  I’m not ever going to eat fewer fruits and veggies just because I can’t get them organic, but if I can lower my pesticide intake here and there, then why not?

Below is the list of the Dirty Dozen, which you should buy organic, and the Clean 15, which are lowest in pesticides, according to the Environmental Working Group,

(source)

Like I said, I’m not going to stop eating strawberries or spinach just because I can’t afford to buy them organically because the benefits of eating fruits and veggies outweighs the risk of pesticide exposure in the first place.  But if I can be a little healthier here and there, or I can afford to do it 100%, then I’m going to do it!

Questions:

What are you thoughts on organic vs. inorganic?

Are there some foods you will only buy organic?