Five Finger Discounts

According to Maria Rodale, CEO & Chairman of Rodale Inc. there are 4 organic foods worth the extra money. Earlier this month she came out with a book called “Organic Manifesto: How Organic Farming Can Heal Our Planet, Feed the World, and Keep Us Safe.”

Here is a list of the 4 foods that she feels you should buy organically.

Meat/Poultry:

Organic beef comes from livestock that eats an organic diet, and in June, new FDA regulations will mandate that they spend at least 30 percent of their lives grazing on pasture grasses. That’s important, because studies show grass-fed meat has 60% more omega-3s, 200% more vitamin E, and 2 to 3 times as much of a cancer-fighting fat called CLA that might even help you lose weight.

Likewise, organic chicken is healthier than non-organic chicken. One study found that it has 28 percent more omega-3 fatty acids.

Milk:

Studies show that organic milk has 50% more vitamin E, 75% more beta-carotene, and 70% more omega-3 fatty acids than regular. It also has more than double the amount of certain antioxidants that have been shown to keep your eyes healthy as you age.

Organic milk is also free of commonly used growth hormones, which increases infertility in cows and has been linked to prostate and breast cancers in humans.

It costs about a dollar more per half-gallon, but it’s worth it. Plus you can generally cut costs by getting coupons online. Stonyfieldfarm.com, for instance, offers printable coupons on their site.

Eggs:

Organic chickens, like cows, spend a portion of their life grazing. That means that, along with their organic feed, they have access to the chicken’s food of choice, which is a cocktail of worms and grubs. And when animals eat their favorite foods, humans benefit. According to a study from Penn State, eggs from grazing chickens have twice as much vitamin E, 40 percent more vitamin A, and 3 times as many omega-3s. Plus they taste better!

Compared to mass-produced conventional eggs, organic usually costs a couple extra bucks per carton. But again, that’s a small price for the health of your body and planet.

Fruits and Vegetables

“Dirty Dozen”

According to estimates by the Environmental Working Group — the agency that developed the “Dirty Dozen” list — you can reduce your pesticide exposure by 80 percent simply by choosing organic versions of these 12 fruits and vegetables: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots and pears.

As a general rule towards fruits and vegetables, when it comes to edible skins you’d be wise to choose organic.

“Clean 15″

These 15 fruits and vegetables were the lowest in pesticides, so it’s not as important to buy organic versions of them: onions, avocadoes, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwis, cabbage, eggplants, papayas, watermelon, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes

Most of these fruits and vegetables are protected from pesticide contamination by thick skins.

Special thanks to 10Connects for this information.

Tags: Organic