Organic Produce — Is It Worth It?

Which fruits and vegetables you should buy organic, and why, from a registered dietitian nutritionist

Photo by Wendy Wei from Pexels

You want to buy organic produce. You’ve heard it’s lower in pesticide residue. But what if you can’t afford to pay more for your produce? Or it’s hard to find. Is there that much of a difference between organic and conventional foods?

If you can’t buy an organic food item, should you avoid it completely?

Is it worth the extra cost?

Nutritionally, organic and conventional fruits and vegetables are basically the same, although some studies show that organic produce is higher in antioxidants. So you’re getting the same amount of vitamins and minerals, but more protective phytochemicals.

Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of the top 15 foods with the least amount of pesticides (Clean 15), and the foods that have the most amount of pesticides (Dirty Dozen.) The lists are based on 35,200 samples tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FDA.

Here are the lists for 2022

The Dirty Dozen

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, Collard, and…