What is the Difference Between Store Bought and Organic Food

One thing that will help is being familiar with which foods tend to hold more pesticides and harmful toxins by becoming familiar with the dirty dozen list of the following fruits and vegetables:

1. Spinach
2. Apples
3. Potatoes
4. Cherries
5. Celery
6. Imported grapes
7. Bell peppers
8. Nectarines
9. Strawberries
10. Peaches
11. Raspberries
12. Pears

There are also 12 "clean" fruits and vegetables that are probably safe to purchase store-bought varieties of. These include:

1. Broccoli
2. Eggplant
3. Sweet pea
4. Cabbage
5. Onions
6. Corn
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Mangoes
11. Avocados
12. Pineapples

Store-Bought Food

Store-bought food encompasses a huge range of types of food.

Produce

Store-bought produce comes from a variety of sources. While some stores label the country of origin of produce, others do not. Since there have been recent concerns with foods grown in Mexico and E. Coli and other bacteria, knowing where your food is grown become increasingly important.

Dry Goods

Grocery stores are growing in size. With the advance of Super Wal-Marts across the country, you can now find just about any food item you can imagine on your local grocery store shelves.

Fresh Foods

In addition to produce and dry foods, there are many fresh store-bought foods, such as dairy products. Again, these foods come from a variety of manufacturers and are typically prepackaged.

Organic Food

While organic foods can be store-bought, they also can be purchased from local farmers, small health foods stores, via mail order and through cooperatives. Organic food is grown without pesticides. USDA certified organic has some stringent requirements. The USDA defines organic as “food produced without using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, bioengineering and radiation.”

A four year study conducted in the United Kingdom found that organic fruits and vegetables can have as much as 40 percent more antioxidants than traditional store-bought fruits and vegetables. However, the American Council on Science and Health has released a statement that organic foods are not healthier than other foods.

What is the Difference Between Store-Bought and Organic Food?

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), people can lower pesticide exposures by a whopping 90 percent. If you purchase store-bought food from the dirty dozen list, you risk exposing yourself by as much as 14 different pesticides every day. That is why it is worth the extra money and effort to purchase organic from foods on the dirty dozen list.

Not only are adults exposed to these pesticides through their food, but the endocrine system is particularly sensitive to toxins. This can cause hormone issues, for example. Children are even more prone to side effects as the toxins build up over time.

Organic produce, dairy and meat are often produced by local farmers and available for purchase directly or through local farmer's markets and health food stores. Not only will you prevent the build up of toxins in your body, but you'll support local farmers and the local economy.

For items that are not available or grown locally, like bananas or kiwi, try stores such as Whole Foods and Sunflower. In addition, many big box retailers, such as Wal-Mart, now offer an organic produce section and organic boxed products throughout the store. Read labels carefully to ensure USDA certified organic and to verify in which country the products are grown.

With a little pre-planning and armed with your list of best produce to buy organic, you should be able to make an easy decision between which store-bought and organic foods to purchase for your family.