Nancy Rae

June 8, 2021

I haven’t always eaten healthy food. When I was growing up, my mom made lots of homemade meals, but we were a very busy family, so many times on the way to gymnastics practice or between dance lessons we grabbed a meal at McDonald’s. On Saturdays, before my sisters and I helped teach dance all day, we had donuts for breakfast and Twinkies or

Ho Hos in our lunches. And what better drink to hydrate our bodies with during a whole day of dance lessons than a can of soda—“pop,” as it was called in Iowa where I grew up. 

When I got my first teaching job, I would often make a pitstop at a drive-through to pick up my “breakfast of champions”—two cake donuts with chocolate frosting and sprinkles and a diet Coke. During those days of my adulthood, I binged on sweets and soda, and I’m not sure I ever had any living food in my fridge. I rarely even walked through the produce section of the grocery store. I didn’t realize I wasn’t eating healthy—I just didn’t know better.

It wasn’t until several years later that I began to learn the role of nutritious food in supporting my body’s health. When my two oldest boys were little, I began to follow a natural health doctor online and subscribed to his newsletter. He opened up a whole new world of nutrition to me and got me thinking about what food I wanted to prepare for myself and my family. I specifically remember the very first time I heard of kale and saw it in the grocery store. How had I never seen it before? Little by little, I made tiny changes in how my family and I ate, including lots of fruits and vegetables. I still succumbed to sweets and soda (I was a closet soda drinker and sweet eater and will write an entire post about that someday), but overall our diet transformed into a much less processed, whole foods way of eating. 

Then, further into my journey towards healthy living, I learned about how our food is grown and processed. Organic vs. conventional, did it really matter? As I discovered more and more about the food industry and farming practices, it truly opened my eyes, and I began to make even more conscious choices with what food I bought for myself and my family. I want to share some of this information with you.

The Benefits of Organic Food

There are lots of benefits to choosing organic foods over conventional.

• Organic food reduces our exposure to chemicals, specifically pesticides. For a food to be labeled organic, it can’t have been grown using synthetic pesticides. Some pesticides may be used in organic farming, but natural substances are used rather than chemical-laden pesticides. (Federal regulators and independent experts screen organic foods for synthetic substances—fewer than 40 can be used in organic packaged food. In contrast, an estimated 2,000 synthetic chemicals can be used in conventionally packaged food.)

• Organic fruits and vegetables are more nutritious and vitamin-enriched. Organic crops extract minerals and nutrients from the soil. This microbial life can be destroyed by synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc. 

• Organic dairy, meat, and eggs are healthier. They are raised without hormones, genetically modified (GMO) feed, or antibiotics. When you consume animal products that are raised with these things, you ingest them too.

• Products from organically raised animals have higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids than that of conventionally grown because livestock raised organically are required to graze more than those raised chiefly indoors. Conventionally raised livestock also eat lots of grains, many of which are genetically modified.

• Certified organic food is GMO-free. When you see the Certified Organic label, you know that no organisms are genetically engineered or modified in any way. (GMOs are a topic for yet another blog post.)

• Organically grown food is healthier for the environment. It reduces pollution, conserves water, reduces soil erosion, increases soil fertility, and uses less energy. Farming without pesticides is also safer for neighbors’ health because they aren’t exposed to these chemicals, either.

• No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives are allowed in organic food.

Synthetic chemicals, GMOs, growth hormones, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives don’t belong in our bodies. All of these can wreak havoc with our health. They have been linked to obesity, chronic inflammation, cancer, diabetes, ADHD, and other health issues. Choosing organic foods can help eliminate these risks.

But Buying Organic Food is Too Expensive

I agree. Until the demand for organic products expands even more, buying everything organic feels like it might break the bank. Fortunately, it isn’t necessary to buy everything organic to make consciously healthy food choices. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) researches farming practices each year to determine which fruits and vegetables have the highest concentration of pesticides. They create a list called the Dirty Dozen™. These fruits and vegetables should be at the top of your organic grocery list. The produce listed on the Clean 15™ does not really matter if it is organic or not. Use these lists to help budget for the organic produce you want to buy.

EWG’s 2021 Dirty Dozen™ includes:

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, collard & mustard greens
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Cherries
8. Peaches
9. Pears
10. Bell & hot peppers
11. Celery
12. Tomatoes

When buying these fruits and vegetables, try your best to choose organic.

The EWG’s 2021 Clean 15™ includes:

1. Avocados
2. Sweet corn*
3. Pineapple
4. Onions
5. Papaya
6. Sweet peas (frozen)
7. Eggplant
8. Asparagus
9. Broccoli
10. Cabbage
11. Kiwi
12. Cauliflower
13. Mushrooms
14. Honeydew melon
15. Cantaloupe

*When buying these fruits and vegetables, it’s okay to buy conventional. However, the majority of conventional corn is genetically modified. I personally add corn to my organic list.

To follow and learn about the EWG’s work to keep our food clean, or to receive a free shopping guide printout of the Dirty Dozen™ and the Clean 15™, go to their website. 

Print a simple PDF list of the Dirty Dozen™ and the Clean 15™ here.

Shopping Tips for Healthy Food Choices

• Focus on choosing organic produce when you can, especially items on the Dirty Dozen™ list, to avoid synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides.

• Aim to purchase organic meat, dairy and eggs, unless you know they come from farms that allow the animals to range freely, are not fed GMO feed, or given hormones and antibiotics.

• Shop at your local farmer’s markets. Get to know your local farmers and learn about their farming practices. Many farms have not met the standards to be certified organic, but they follow best practices for raising clean crops and livestock. Support them by giving them your business.

• Whether the produce you eat is organic or not, focus on consuming lots of fruits and vegetables. Eating conventional fruits and vegetables is still better than eating none of them at all.

“The body is your temple.

Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.”

~ B.K.S. Iyengar