As a father my job is to take care of my family. I’m the sole cook in this household so I have to watch what goes into the food that I feed my wife and kids. That means buying organic food is part of the job description. So here are some healthy foods that every dad should always buy organic:
Apples
Apples are one of the most contaminated fruits in America, and they’re on the EWG’s dirty dozen list. The number one pesticide that apples are sprayed with is glyphosate, which is known to cause cancer. Other chemicals also found in apples include:
- Formaldehyde
- 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (2BNP)
- Pentachlorophenol
Dairy
When you eat dairy, it’s important to buy organic. Why? Because the hormones and antibiotics used on the animals can end up in their milk and meat, which then ends up in your body. This means that if you want to stay healthy and keep your immune system strong, then switching to organic dairy products is necessary.
The best way for fathers who want to eat healthy foods is by shopping at farmers markets or local grocery stores where they sell sustainably farmed produce that has been produced by small farms (not huge corporate ones). The benefits of buying these kinds of products include knowing exactly what is going into them: no GMOs or pesticides! Plus they taste better too!
Baby food
Baby food is a great way to get your kids to eat healthier, but it can also be very expensive. Organic baby foods are often more expensive than their non-organic counterparts because they take longer to grow and tend to be grown in organic soil. However, if you’re going to feed your baby organic food, you might as well make sure that it’s free from pesticides as well!
You should buy organic baby food for your kids so that they won’t have any harmful chemicals in their bodies when they’re growing up (and so that you aren’t poisoning yourself later).
Berries
Berries are one of the most pesticide-contaminated produce. The pesticides and herbicides that have been sprayed on berries can be absorbed by the plants, which then gets into your body when you eat them.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has determined that berries are one of the most contaminated fruits and vegetables with pesticides, according to a report by NPR. These chemicals can cause damage to your body even after just one serving! If you’re looking for something healthy and delicious this summer, try buying organic berries instead!
Celery
Celery is one of the most important things you can buy organic. The dirty dozen list is a list of foods that have been found to be contaminated with pesticides and chemicals, which include celery, grapes and apples.
Always try to buy organic celery whenever possible, as this action will help guarantee that it lacks any harmful chemicals or pesticides. You can find organic celery in most supermarkets’ produce section. If you’re shopping at your local farmers market, they may also provide their own pesticide-free products.
Simply cut off all leaves from the stalk before washing it thoroughly under cold water (don’t soak). If you’re feeling lazy then just use a salad spinner instead. This will also help remove any dirt stuck between leaves too! Once ready for storage leave them out overnight so they dry completely before storing away somewhere cool where air circulation isn’t affected by sunlight.
Coffee
Coffee farmers spray over 100 million acres of land with heavy amounts of pesticides, making it one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. Producing just 1 pound of coffee takes 12 hours, during which the coffee beans endure exposure to over 2 million pounds of pesticides.
The pesticides used on coffee plants include fungicides, herbicides and insecticides like neonicotinoids (neo), fipronil (fip) and chlorpyrifos (cp). These chemicals are all neurotoxins that harm our nervous systems by interfering with brain development or functioning at very low doses over long periods of exposure.
Corn
Corn is a staple food in many countries, and it’s not just the United States that consumes this grain. In fact, organic corn has become so popular that it’s even been adopted by non-farmers as an ingredient on their shopping lists! It’s important to note that when purchasing non-organic corn at the grocery store or farmers’ market:
- Organic means no GMOs (genetically modified organisms). GMO foods have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues for humans and animals alike.
- Organic does not mean free from pesticides or chemicals used during production; however, you can choose whether or not you want these additives present in your food product before purchase.
Grapes
The Dirty Dozen list includes grapes, indicating that they belong to the group of foods with the highest pesticide contamination. Additionally, grapes can harbor E. coli, an allergen that causes stomach discomfort or diarrhea in some individuals.
In general, grapes should be avoided if you have a food allergy or sensitivity to them (or any other fruit).
Nuts
Nuts are a great source of healthy fats, fiber and protein. They’re also high in vitamin E and selenium. But there are some things you should know about buying nuts:
- Organic nuts are much more likely to be free from pesticides than conventional varieties. So if you want your child to eat organic foods without worrying about pesticides being found in them, consider buying only organic nuts for him or her.
- If you want to avoid pesticides completely (and this is really important), then buy only organic almonds because they have the highest concentration of naturally occurring pesticide-like substances found in other types of nuts.
Peaches
I know what you’re thinking: peaches aren’t that bad. They taste delicious, after all! But unfortunately, the dirty dozen list has included them since 2001. That means farmers use pesticides on these beautiful fruits to accelerate their growth and prevent rotting during transport.
Pesticides can be harmful to both plants and animals alike. They affect humans through their consumption as well as their environment through water contamination (the most common effect) or exposure to dust off site where workers apply pesticides near homes or schools around farms where farmers spray pesticides without proper ventilation systems in place which could lead to breathing problems like asthma attacks if inhaled repeatedly over time.
