Organic, Local, or Neither? Oh my!
With so many places to buy fruits & veggies, it’s hard to know what’s best. Should you shop at the grocery store, the farmer’s market or your local street vendor? We decided to do some digging and we think you’ll be surprise by what we found. Your standard grocery store shelf produce has the same nutritional value as most organic and local food but they may contain more pesticides and heavy metals. What about those street vendors with their colorful display of produce and signs showing insanely low prices? These fruits & veggies are best for same day consumption–the prices are enticing, but you don’t want to let these sit in the fruit bowl too long. Onto the farmer’s markets where you’ll find produce grown locally and often organically (produced without pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, and additives).
So where do we shop? Everywhere! If we’re walking down the street on a hot day, street vendor it is. Saturday morning? Meet you at the Union Square green market! For everyday staples, we’ll head to the grocery store around the corner. However, there are a few fruits and veggies that you’ll get your money’s worth when purchasing organic: apples, peppers, carrots, lettuce, and strawberries are among the foods that are grown with the most pesticides, so spring for the organic label if you can. Whatever you decide to buy, don’t forget to wash all produce before serving!
Trivia: did you know that the typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles before it reaches your dinner table? That’s over half of the distance of the US. In addition to how produce has been grown, it’s important to also consider how far it’s had to travel to get to us.