Why eat organic food? Because organic food is produced without synthetic (petroleum based) chemicals. Instead, cultivating organic food relies on all sorts of substances produced in nature which are added to the soil and to crops to keep both healthy. When you buy organic food, you’re buying food without any dirty little secrets – what you see is what you get.
When should you eat organic food? In a perfect world, all the time because of the way it’s produced, the way it tastes, and because it’s good for you. It’s still pretty unrealistic for most of us to do that. Realizing this, while we at notakeout.com whole heartedly support organic food, we also think it’s ok to buy food that isn’t organic, if it is produced as locally and responsibly as possible. We would rather eat a locally produced bell pepper, for instance, than an organic pepper cultivated in Peru (unless you live in Peru). Transporting that organic pepper from Peru winds up being counter-productive, when considering the size of its carbon footprint.
That said, we do consider it essential that certain foods be organic. These include citrus fruits when the zest is called for, dried fruits, fruits and vegetables that are eaten with their peels on.
Conventional (non-organic) fruits and vegetables, particularly those from afar, are usually dipped in a fungicide wax to help them keep. You’ve seen those waxed fruits and vegetables – they look eerily fake, almost plastic. Not only have these foods been produced with synthetic chemicals, but they’re covered with synthetic chemicals which go right into your body when you cook and eat them.
Top 12 list of high-pesticide foods you should purchase organic:
Strawberries
Bell peppers
Spinach
Cherries
Peaches
Cantaloupe
Celery
Apples
Grapes
Green beans
Citrus
Potato
