THE PITFALLS OF SHOPPING ORGANIC
Some fruits and vegetables aren’t worth paying the inflated prices
While there are many benefits to eating organic, the biggest downside is often cost.
According to Consumer Reports, organic foods are 47 percent more expensive than their conventional counterparts, usually because of costs associated with certification and farming practices. Not only does it take more time to raise food this way, but farmers also can’t cut corners by using pesticides to kill weeds or control infestations. Moreover, organic foods spoil faster because they aren’t treated with waxes or preservatives, so farmers have to absorb greater losses.
While some organic produce is safer than its non-organic counterparts, that isn’t the case for all your favorite fruits and veggies. Before you blow this month’s grocery budget, avoid these organic foods to save money on groceries.
FRUITS WITH INEDIBLE PEELS
Buying only organic fruits with inedible peels is one of the costliest mistakes you can make when grocery shopping. When it comes to fruits with inedible peels — like avocados, oranges, melons, bananas, mangoes, pineapples and kiwis — you don’t have to buy organic to indulge.
While you should ideally eat organic versions of fruits with soft or edible peels, it’s generally safe to eat non-organic fruits with inedible peels, because pesticides rarely get transferred to the fruit inside.
In fact, the biggest difference between organic and non-organic avocados is the price: Organic avocados cost, on average, $2.99 each, while non-organic avocados cost $1 less. Additionally, organic pineapples cost $4.20 more than non-organic.
While it’s OK to buy the conventional versions of these fruits, you should still wash the peels before cutting into them to avoid transferring potentially harmful residues that can linger on the outside.
VEGETABLES WITH THICK SKINS
You can save money at the farmers market if you keep this tip in mind: Thick-skinned vegetables like onions, cabbage, sweet corn, eggplant and sweet peas don’t necessarily have to be organic to be healthy.
Just like fruits with inedible peels, vegetables with thick skins don’t absorb as many pesticides. Additionally, people remove many of the “dirty” layers before consuming the produce. Layers of onion and cabbage have to be peeled away before the veggies are consumed; sweet corn needs to be husked; sweet peas must be shelled; and eggplant has a tough exterior that needs to be cooked down to consume. Carrots even make the list of safe veggies, if you take the time to peel the skin, where pesticide residue can linger.
On the other hand, experts advise eating organic versions of veggies without peels, as well as those with soft exteriors. Many of these foods are included on the Environmental Working Group’s 2017 “Dirty Dozen” list, which includes celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers and tomatoes.
Along with being safe to eat, nonorganic vegetables with thick skins are significantly cheaper than their organic counterparts. For example, organic yellow onions cost around three times more per pound than nonorganic onions.
QUINOA
Quinoa is one of the foods you don’t need to buy organic, so you can enjoy significant savings — and health benefits.
Once a niche ingredient, quinoa has become a popular source of protein. You don’t need to buy organic quinoa to partake, though. Because quinoa has a natural coating that tastes bitter to pests, farmers don’t spray this crop with pesticides. Most quinoa packagers remove the coating during production, but it’s wise to give the grain another rinse before you cook it.
Non-organic and organic quinoa have the same nutritional profiles — it’s actually the color that makes the difference. While red and white quinoa have similar calorie counts, vitamins and minerals, red quinoa is a better source of riboflavin — it has a whopping 15 percent of the daily value per serving, based off a 2,000 calorie diet.
The cost of quinoa, organic or not, has skyrocketed in recent years due to limited supply from importers, according to the Washington Post. Currently, Eden Organic red quinoa costs $8.15 a pound, while regular red quinoa from Amazon is only $3.13 a pound.
MAPLE SYRUP
Organic and regular maple syrup are produced in basically the same way and usually don’t require pesticides or fertilizers. Both non-organic and organic maple syrup producers are required to have state licenses and be inspected by the USDA.
Currently, a 12-ounce container of organic Crown Maple Syrup costs nearly $22, while roughly the same amount of MacDonald’s Maple Syrup is about $8. That’s a $14 difference. Because there is little nutritional value in buying organic, maple syrup lovers should consider saving their money.
SEAFOOD
If you see organic seafood for sale, be wary — there are no federal regulations that make seafood organic. And because organic seafood isn’t regulated, that means it might not have been tested for chemicals. Hence, you’re paying a pretty penny for a potentially false claim.
Labeling farm-raised seafood as wild-caught is an issue that dates back at least a decade. In 2005, The New York Times ran a story revealing that fish sold as wild salmon by several high-end New York City markets was actually farm-raised and selling for as much as $29 a pound, while real farmed salmon sold for $5 to $12 a pound. And last year, Time reported on an Oceana study claiming that almost half the “wild” salmon collected from restaurants and grocery stores was mislabeled.
The USDA is working to create guidelines that would allow for the sale of certified organic seafood, but that could be a few years away. For now, if you want to eat seafood that’s safe for you and your family, look for varieties that are low in mercury such as salmon, trout and catfish - and focus on buying seafood that’s caught using sustainable practices. GOBankingRates.com is a leading portal for personal finance news and features, offering visitors the latest information on everything from interest rates to strategies on saving money, managing a budget and getting out of debt.