“Although certain types of approved pesticides can be used in organic agriculture, they are often natural substances, whereas conventional agriculture uses harsher man-made pesticides,” says registered dietician, Erika Fox, RDN. Additionally, Fox says organic produce is grown using natural fertilizers compared to conventional, which uses (you guessed it) synthetic fertilizer. Our soil contains critical microbial life that typically gets destroyed when crops are sprayed with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and so on. Without these synthetic chemicals in the soil, organic crops can extract the healthy minerals and nutrients they need from the ground, leading to more vitamin-rich food. Researchers believe the higher levels have to do with what the livestock are eating, since animals that are raised for organic labeling are required to graze more than conventional animals—who tend to eat more grains because they spend more time indoors. “Organic farming reduces pollution, conserves water, reduces soil erosion, increases soil fertility, and uses less energy overall,” says Lisa Mastela, MPH, RD, and founder of Bumpin Blends. Farming without pesticides can also be better for the health of the animals and people who live close to the farms, as it reduces their exposure to those chemicals. The Clean Fifteen list includes the top 15 foods with the least amount of pesticides. Here are the foods on the 2020 Clean Fifteen list: Mastela says to be mindful of promising, but empty, buzzwords. “Food companies can put a lot of words and imagery on their packaging to make them seem healthier, though much of it doesn’t mean anything,” she says. Her tip? Look for the USDA organic label on your foods, and don’t be swayed by sweet-sounding words like “natural” or “made with real fruit” or “reduced sugar” when buying packaged foods. Sometimes, those words might not carry much weight. According to the USDA, in order for a raw or processed agricultural product to be considered 100% organic, all ingredients must be certified organic, all processing aids must be organic, and the product label must state the name of the certifying agent. That’s why you might want to consider the USDA organic label as gold standard. To be labeled “Organic,” however, the product has to contain at least 95% organic ingredients. And if an item says “Made with Organic,” that means it contains at least 70% organically produced ingredients. In this case, verbiage matters! With that in mind, Fox recommends buying organic when possible, but also says it’s okay if you can’t do that all the time. “Many times, people throw in the towel when trying to eat healthy, especially if they can’t purchase organic. It’s important to remember that eating an abundance of conventional produce is much better than not eating fresh produce at all,” she adds. So either way, get your veggies in—just try and make them organic if possible.
