41/365 When should I buy organic?

I'm all in favor of the return to eating more organically produced foods. But until we see more options readily available at the grocery store -- at a comparable price -- it's going to take some time for society to completely make the switch.

If you're just dipping your toe into the organic-shopping pool, where do you start? Are there some foods that you should definitely buy organic, and others you can buy normally?

Both of these questions have crossed my mind. And this past week, I found a good answer in a surprising location, one where I wouldn't necessarily think to look for guidance on healthy shopping: the March issue of Glamour magazine (yes, it's May, and I'm a little behind in my reading).

The article is titled, "Five foods every woman should eat organic," but the information applies to both men and women.

One of the five foods recommended is an apple because of the high levels of toxic pesticides used (and they're in close company with nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries, cherries and imported grapes), but what's also interesting in this section are three fruits you don't have to worry about buying organic: oranges, bananas and pineapples.

Why? Think about what makes these fruits different than those earlier in the list -- they have thick, durable skins that you peel or slice off before eating it. You may peel an apple, but it's not a requirement, and the skin is only a thin barrier between the fruit and the outside world.

Interesting! I recommend reading the whole article, man or woman. It makes what can be an overwhelming shopping trip (mentally and financially) a little more manageable.

Camera: Canon 40D with 60mm macro lens and 430EX Speedlite, 1/125s, f/2.8 at ISO 400