The 12 foods you should spend extra $$$ on

When you're pregnant or nursing, you know how important it is to eat high quality food. We don't eat things that could contain harmful bacteria (sushi, soft cheeses), and most likely go organic. (Hey- you're probably saving lots of money from not drinking anymore...)

Here's my stance on organic, before I go any further. Organic farming is a booming industry. It's much healthier for us to keep eating foods that don't contain pesticides (right- I don't have to convince anyone here). Personally, I'm a fan of supporting local farming, so I'll just ask them if they are using sprays. You can't assume everything at the farmer's market is organic. I'm more comfortable giving my money to the farmer who can't afford to legally register his/ her farm as organic (it costs SO much more to maintain and regulate- which is why that gets passed down to the consumer), than I am to any large produce company regardless if they're organic or not. (Sorry- I digress.. I used to own a local-foods based recipe site back in NYC).

ANYWAY!

Being that eating strictly organic can get hella expensive and it's nutrition month (and my birthday month!!!), I wanted to share the "dirty dozen" with you. These are foods that contain the highest amount of sprays. Drop $$ on these guys. (Or buy them locally, organic-frozen, in bulk, etc, as a thriftier option).

Here they are, the dirty dozen:

• Peaches

• Apples

• Sweet Bell Peppers

• Celery

• Nectarines

• Strawberries

• Cherries

• Pears

• Imported Grapes

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Potatoes

(I know- SO BUMMED!!! Fortunately- most of these are largely available at your farmer's markets in the spring/summer- so I suggest you start there first.)

Here's the good news- you DON'T have to go organic for these guys:

(The following list of foods tend to have lower pesticide levels so the Organic label isn’t as important)

• Onions

• Avocado

• Frozen Sweet Corn

• Pineapple

• Mango

• Asparagus

• Frozen Sweet Peas

• Kiwi fruit

• Bananas

• Cabbage

• Broccoli

• Papaya

So, if you're on a budget like most people- you can pick and choose when you want to "upgrade" to Organic. Now, I'm a huge fan of Trader Joes & Costco (as you'll see on my instagram...) so I highly recommend those lovely places.

What are your favorite tips for avoiding pesticides? Do share below!

Originally posted on Strongboardbalance.com/blog