Organic Panic

Armed with a detailed grocery list (organized by department and aisle because I’m that Type A about such things) I confidently steer a shopping cart into the overflowing produce department of my local Mariano’s. I head straight for the organic section.

I always have such high hopes of filling my cart with beautiful, healthy, organic fruits and vegetables. And those hopes are almost always dashed once reality sets in. Today the red peppers are wrinkled and their stems are brown. The kale is limp. The three avocados left in the basket are super soft. The strawberries look amazing, but, really, $5.99 for a pint?

That’s when I’m hit with Organic Panic.

Do I buy the peppers since I’m just going to be cooking them anyway? Maybe the kale will perk up if I trim the stems and set them in water. But there’s no way those avocados will work. Should I get what I can here and then go to another store for the rest? Do I change my meal plans for the week – right here, right now in the grocery store? I could just Google another recipe, right? But then I’ll get home and realize I was out of some other needed ingredient.

Or, do I, perish the thought, simply buy the non-organic variety?

How could I possibly do that when there are health and environmental standards I’m trying to support, for crying out loud! Organic Panic.

It’s easy to decide to eat organic food. It’s even easier if you’re a lottery winner. Because there can be some serious sticker shock the first time you try filling your cart with strictly organic foods.

What does organic mean anyway?

Short answer: Organic food is required to be free of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and, in the case of meats, antibiotics and added hormones.

Long answer: I’ll cover that another day!

Prioritize

At first I felt like, well I have to be all in or what’s the point? But the point is to grow and evolve a new way of thinking about food. Growth takes time. And often, a realignment of your weekly food budget. So I recommend picking your battles. For example, a few years ago I decided to buy organic whole milk because at that time we were going through 4+ gallons of milk a week. I know you’re thinking wait, at $5-$6 a gallon that’s a lot of money for milk. Hear me out. I figure the foods we consume in the greatest quantity over the course of a week are the ones that ought to be organic. (To my friend Joyce, I’m on the look out for organic Twizzlers for you 😉 )

I might opt for conventionally grown tomatoes or onions if the organic ones are looking less than fresh, especially if they’re not the main ingredient in a meal. And now that my dairy-loving daughter is away at college, we’re back to non-organic milk, unless organic is on sale.

Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen

Another way I pick and choose my organic battles is to consult the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen chart. This chart is based on an annual ranking of pesticide levels typically found in popular kinds of produce. If it’s listed as dirty, buy organic whenever possible. If it’s clean, it’s considered okay to buy non-organic.

Everyone in our wellness group has a laminated copy of this list. I pull it out (when I can find it in my purse) if the organic produce is sketchy looking or too expensive.

To learn more about this year’s list, take a look at Mind Body Green’s article. You can get a copy of the list from the Environmental Working Group website, but they’ll want your email. Maybe just bookmark the link or take a screen shot?

Happy shopping and whatever you do, don’t panic about organic!