Choosing Your Produce With Intention

Unfortunately at this point in time we cannot assume all food is created equal. We can't just walk into a store & pick out any old piece of produce... or anything for that matter. The government and giant ag companys have done a mighty fine job of covering up nasty ingredients that accompany our food unbeknownst to the common shopper. So until we change this for good- we must educate ourselves on what to buy and most importantly VOTE WITH OUR FORKS.

Let's be honest. Produce can be expensive. Eating healthy can be expensive & it is. Approach your grocery bill as your healthcare plan and insurance... taking charge of your health by deciding what to put in your body will hopefully keep down medical bills in the future. At least we hope. I just came across the latest list of the Dirty Dozen. These are the 12 most common items of produce that should be the ones you always buy organic or ensure your local farmer are growing sans pesticides. Considering produce is the majority of what I purchase I have to pick and choose my battles. I simply can't buy all organic at this point. So how do I tackle this? I always, always, always make sure my apples are organic and thank goodness since they just topped the list. However, I eat way too many cucumbers to justify organic vs. conventional so I opt for the latter and simply peel. When choosing conventional I do my best to know the practices of the farm since many farms are not certified organic yet do not use pesticides, herbicides, kill your body-cides. These are mostly small, local farms you find at smaller markets and farmers markets.