I’ve always had an interest in eating healthy and getting the most out of the things we’re putting into our body, but since becoming pregnant I’ve been even more conscious about what I’m eating.

Personally for me, it’s unrealistic to buy 100% organic. That having to do with price, but also some things I just enjoy eating and think taste better non-organic! Throughout my pregnancy I’ve made sure to buy certain organic foods all the time while being lenient with others.

Rather than just spitting out a list of things that are better to always eat vs. not, it helps me to remember once I understand why.

I always question health concerns, especially when it becomes a fad, like eating organic or going gluten-free. The short version of the why pesticides are in our crops in the first place, is that pesticides are used to reduce damage to crops from weeds, rodents, insects and germs. This increases the yield of fruits, vegetables and other crops. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the link here.

Below are foods that are important to eat organic followed by others that aren’t so important to always go organic, especially if you’re on a budget.

Consider going organic with foods that you’re eating the rind, or outside of. This is due to the pesticide-treated crops that farms use. So things like the below I always make sure I’m eating organic:

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, pears, cherries, grapes, celery, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes.

*Also be sure to always wash these! My doctor pointed that out when talking about what produce to eat, organic or not (washing with water is all you need, nothing fancy)

Once I decided to go organic on the above, I noticed a huge difference in texture/taste when I’d go back to eating non-organic, specifically in berries. The texture was more rubbery, the taste more bland. I noticed the difference before I even realized I bought non-organic (I did it by accident once). Jeff even noticed it too, and anyone that knows him knows this is a huge deal (haha)!

If you’re eating the flesh, or the inside or a fruit/vegetable, it is considered safer to go more lenient on organic. Things like the below:

Avocados, bananas, oranges, and mangos, lemon, kiwi and watermelon

When eating organic, I know price always comes into play. But next time you’re in a grocery store, take the time to compare prices. It may surprise you how little the difference is- sometimes a few cents. And unless you’re buying enough food to feed a village, a couple dollars here and there won’t hurt, especially in this case!

And if you’re still stuck on the price of organic foods, I encourage you to think about it this way: I always find it funny/interesting when people talk about saving a few dollars here and there at the grocery store when buying healthy foods but when it comes to alcohol or eating out, it’s like there’s no limit.

You spend wayyy more eating out and putting things in your body that you really have no idea about and lets’ be honest, we all spend way more than we should for a drink at a bar. So next time you’re at a grocery store I encourage you to take the time to compare prices and think about how much you’re actually saving for the things you buy.

Only you have control over what you’re putting in your body. The above is what I’ve found works best for me after trial and error and educating myself. No one is perfect and I certainly do not always eat organic, but I am picky about which foods I decide is worth spending a little more money on.