So you’ve been told to only eat organic, only buy from farmer’s markets and nothing wrapped in plastic – tricky? Yes!
After reading many years ago that the pesticides that are sprayed on our vegetables cause more harm than good to not only our bodies but also the environment, I was determined to eat better.
We tried organic for everything
First we tried organic. Eating certified organic food is one of the best possible ways you can avoid nasty pesticides but it is very expensive and often wrapped in unnecessary plastic to differentiate it from other vegetables.
So I found a list: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/dirty-dozen-fruits-and-vegetables/
And we tried to stick by this but as you are well aware time and money comes into play
So we found this – A local coop : Harvest Hub
Harvest hub has been a great find for us. It supplies Sydney suburbs with small scale farmed produce and many of it is spray free. This means they are not certified organic but still limit the amount and types of sprays they use. The fruit and vegetables are fresh – no sitting in freezers for month and we are supporting locally grown produce – no overseas food miles here.
We may spend a little bit more money but the produce lasts A LOT LONGER than supermarket food. I have had carrots fall to the bottom of the drawer and be found two weeks later still crispy and delicious! (that would never happen with the supermarket bought carrots)
So what do I recommend?
- Buy organic if you can but only if it is not wrapped in plastic. Local coops and farmers markets can offer affordable organic produce at times.
- Buy spray free if not organic. Google your local coops for this and seek farmers markets.
- If you cannot afford either, soak your vegetables in one tablespoon of baking soda to a bowl of water (https://foodrevolution.org/blog/how-to-wash-vegetables-fruits/) to remove pesticide residue.
- Buy local food and buy in season. You do not need mandarins from USA in summer if you can buy melons and berries grown in Australia.
- Buy fruit and vegetables that are not wrapped in plastic – does it really save you time? I highly doubt it.
What do you do to lessen your impact on the environment and your wallet when buying fruit and vegetables?
