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Feeling pressured to go green at the grocery store? The good news is you don't have to go 100% organic in order to eat healthier. And it pays to get smarter about just what you're getting for your money. Organic foods are grown without synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. "That means fewer chemical residues get into the environment and your body," says Marion Nestle, Ph.D., a food researcher at New York University and author of What to Eat. But it also means they're pricier—costing anywhere from 10 to 100 percent more—than conventional produce.
So what's a cash- and health-conscious person to do? The answer isn't to simply opt for organic no matter what. Not all conventionally grown foods are smothered with chemicals. So all you really need to do to protect your health, the planet, and your wallet is focus on buying just a few key organic foods. A good rule of thumb: "If you're going to eat the skin, consider organics," says MF adviser Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., a New York-based dietitian and author. "But if you can peel the fruit or vegetable, you're going to strip away a lot of the residues anyway—so it's not really worth the extra money..."
Is 'Organic' Worth It? - Men's Fitness
So what's a cash- and health-conscious person to do? The answer isn't to simply opt for organic no matter what. Not all conventionally grown foods are smothered with chemicals. So all you really need to do to protect your health, the planet, and your wallet is focus on buying just a few key organic foods. A good rule of thumb: "If you're going to eat the skin, consider organics," says MF adviser Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., a New York-based dietitian and author. "But if you can peel the fruit or vegetable, you're going to strip away a lot of the residues anyway—so it's not really worth the extra money..."
Is 'Organic' Worth It? - Men's Fitness
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