Buy organic without breaking the bank

Pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals. These are supplements that allow the plants we eat to survive much longer than they otherwise would and grow quite big. The debate on the effects of these supplements on the human body is one that has become more heated in the past few years.

While buying organic is becoming more and more a modern rage, some are asking if it's worth the higher prices for our health. Dietitians say that while organic can be healthier, there is an efficient way to buy organic without losing the better part of your paycheck.

Steve Biling of Vegetarian Nutrition Center of Colorado said, "I think the data is clear that pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins that make their way into nonorganic food do not have negative effects on human heath." According to Biling, the main benefit of eating organic lies in its nutritional value as well as the good that the environment reaps from this practice. "There is good research to show that organic food often has a higher level of nutrients than conventionally grown food," said Biling.

Debora Hankinson of Custom Life Solutions, a nutrition consultation website, agreed that choosing organic can be beneficial. However, she views that decision as much more important than just its environmental influence. "There is more and more research out there linking chemicals to a variety of health conditions from cancer to obesity," said Hankinson. It is extremely important to minimize the amount of chemicals you ingest from your food, according to Hankinson.

Both say that an organic diet is a healthier choice to make. "The first step is to avoid the ‘dirty dozen' in the produce section," said Hankinson. The term "dirty dozen" refers to the 12 fruits and vegetables most prone to retaining pesticides and fertilizers when not grown organically. According to Hankinson these items are peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, imported grapes, carrots, and pears.

These 12 are on the list mainly because of thin skin and packing products, the cardboard and plastic used to store, wrap, and contain produce. According to Hankinson, avoiding these fruits and vegetables will take away about 80 percent of the chemicals that we get from what we put into our bodies.

Since organic food prices are typically higher, putting one's dollars where they will do the most good is important, according to Biling. So choosing only the "dirty dozen" to buy organic is a good investment instead of wasting money on what won't count toward a healthier body.

"So you don't have to eat everything organic when it comes to fruits and vegetables," said Hankinson. "This takes a lot of the pressure off of your food budget and wallet." So while trying to be in the best health, perhaps a nod to the organic isn't a bad choice, but we don't have to bust our budget to be healthy, happy, and wholesome.