(NewsNation) — With grocery prices rising, the decision to buy organic or conventional food may seem even more difficult.
Is it worth getting organic, when it adds dollars to your cost due to the higher costs of organic produce and meat?
Nutritionist Shelley Loving told NewsNation that depends on what you’re buying.
“Tomatoes, berries, grapes, no matter how they are grown, they will easily absorbs whatever is on top of them because their skin is very thin and frail. Those are the ones you always want to buy organic,” Loving said.
Produce with a thicker skin, like bananas or oranges, are a place where it’s OK to skip organics. Because the skins on those fruits are so thick, they don’t absorb chemicals used as pesticides or fertilizers.
But organic goes beyond the produce department.
Loving recommends opting for organic choices when buying baking ingredients like oats, rice or flour.
“Maybe it costs you 15 percent more, but how much is the American public spending on medications, doctor visits, time off from work, testing, MRIs? All of that stuff is stemmed from being unhealthy,” Loving said.
If you don’t want to spend extra for organic ingredients, Loving said thoroughly cleaning fruits and vegetables can help.
“Throw it all in the same bowl, fill it with water, add half a cup of vinegar and baking soda, give it all a mix with your hands and then walk away. You will be shocked how filthy that water is,” she said.
While it’s not necessary to buy 100 percent organic groceries, Loving said milk, meat and eggs are another area she recommends organic options, as well as looking for free range eggs and meat.
“You don’t have to buy everything organic. There are some things in my opinion that are OK not completely organic. There’s a happy medium,” Loving said.