What do you buy that's organic?

[ellamay]

We are just starting to buy organic food because a little organic grocery opened up very close to our house. So far we have been buying organic milk and some organic produce. Eventually I would like to switch to eating organic food at home 80-90 percent of the time.

What foods, if any, do you only buy the organic versions of?

[elissaballard]

We buy lots of organic because I work right next to a Whole Foods. But even at other stores, we typically buy all dairy products organic, most fruits and vegetables and definately red meat and chicken. When I shop at Whole Foods I would say that 90% of my cart is organic only stuff.

[stefania4]

We buy organic meat and dairy, and some produce.

I've seen a list about what foods carry the most pesticides and are therefore best purchased organic - I remember spinach, strawberries, cherries, and apples were best purchased as organic. There are other fruits and vegetables where buying organic doesn't matter much, if at all - watermelon, blueberries, asparagus (and others), so I save my $ on those.

[donleyk]

Milk, poultry, beef (when we eat it). Veggies most of the time. We've recently moved and I haven't had a lot of luck finding organic farm markets. We do have a big garden now that will be organic.

[DocAgocs]

Organic is pretty scarce around here, so unfortunately less than I'd like. Currently we use Tom's toothpaste and I buy organic milk and some canned stuff like tomatoes, beans, etc. There is a list of vegetables and mainly fruits that get hit hard with chemicals. The list is in magazines frequently, but it's pretty much all of your popular berries and tree fruits, so replacing those with organic can make a big difference. Probably the thing that will have the greatest impact is to replace anything with fat in it (all your meats and dairy) with organic. You can buy organic milk at Walmart, so that's easy, but also butter and that sort of thing from the healthfood store. Almost anywhere you can find a source of organic meats, too, if you know where to look. A helpful resource may be the Weston A. Price foundation at : http://www.westonaprice.org/

Enter the site and follow the link on the left to "Local Chapters" and that'll get you into the area you need. Some local chapters have mailing lists for email that will give you heads-up on all sorts of good stuff in your area, so it's well worth it. I get about 3-5 emails a week from the only state chapter in my state, but unfortunately it's all for the other side of the state! You may be surprised, too, to find out how much produce is organically grown in your area. The resources are just tough to find. I would start with the Weston Price website, but also do a google search for "organic" and type in your city or part of the state you live in and you may find a bunch of stuff. Some local state farm organizations have lists, too, if you can find them. There are legislative bodies that license organic farms, too, like NOAA (I think?) that should have lists of licensed organic farms, so put Google to good use and you may be pleasantly surprised. Also, getting in on food co-ops and that sort of thing may be a way to go, too.