Which foods should you buy organic?

Where It Matters Most (and Where It Doesn't)

If there's one topic that I got asked frequently is which foods should we buy organic. Knowing that the cost of living continues to rise, I completely understand the need to make wiser decisions about where our money is actually worth spending.

On top of that, food labels have become so confusing that, we quickly become overwhelmed.

Every time I walk into a supermarket, I see so many labels that at first glance can have similar meaning: Organic, Natural, Grass-fed, Pasture-raised, Non-GMO, Pesticide-free.

Before I know it, something that should be easy starts to stress me - and I know that it is not easy for you either.

One thing I want you to know from the beginning is this: I don't believe you need to buy everything organic to eat well. In fact, I don't buy everything organic myself. What I do believe is that understanding where organic is worth prioritising, and where it probably isn't, helps you make much better decisions without spending unnecessarily.

Personally, I think that eating a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole foods will almost always have a much bigger impact on your health than buying a small amount of organic food simply because that's all your budget allows.

I never want you to feel guilty because you can't afford everything organic. I want you to feel confident that you're making the best choices you can with the budget you have.

What does "organic" actually mean?

Organic refers to how food is produced, not necessarily to its nutritional value. Organic farming follows strict standards that aim to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers, avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and promote more sustainable farming practices. For animal products, organic standards also include stricter rules around feed, outdoor access and animal welfare.

If you live in the United States, Europe or the United Kingdom, these are the logos to look for:

🇺🇸 United States

Look for the USDA Organic seal. This certification confirms that the food has been produced according to certified organic farming standards.

🇪🇺 European Union

Look for the EU Organic logo (the green leaf). This guarantees that the product complies with European organic farming regulations and contains at least 95% organic agricultural ingredients.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Look for the UK Organic logos, such as the Soil Association Organic, OF&G Organic, or the EU Organic logo, which is still widely used on many products sold in the UK.

Understanding these labels is helpful, but I don't think they should become another source of stress. For me, the question isn't simply "Is it organic?", but it's "Is this one of the foods where buying organic is actually worth it?"

Is organic food actually healthier?

Organic food is not automatically more nutritious, and conventionally grown food is not automatically unhealthy. In fact, when we compare the vitamin and mineral content of organic and conventional fruit and vegetables, the differences are often quite small. The biggest difference isn't necessarily the nutrients themselves, but how the food is produced.

Organic farming limits the use of synthetic pesticides and herbicides, doesn't allow genetically modified crops (GMOs), and follows stricter standards for animal welfare and antibiotic use.

One question I asked myself while writing this guide was: Can women in Europe, the UK and the United States follow the same advice?

To answer that, I compared the latest data from two of the largest pesticide monitoring programmes available:

• The Environmental Working Group (EWG) in the United States, which publishes the annual Dirty Dozen™ and Clean Fifteen™ lists based on USDA testing data.

• The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which analyses hundreds of thousands of food samples every year across Europe to monitor pesticide residues.

Although these organisations don't use exactly the same methodology, I was reassured to find that many of the same foods consistently appear among those with higher pesticide residues.

Rather than relying on one list alone, I've tried to combine the best available evidence with what I believe is the most realistic approach for everyday life, let's check the below table:

Food	EWG (USA)	EFSA (Europe)
Strawberries	High	High
Spinach	High	High
Grapes	High	High
Apples	High	Moderate–High
Peppers	High	High
Potatoes	Moderate	Moderate
Bananas	Low	Low
Avocados	Low	Low
Onions	Low	Low
Pineapple	Low	Low

Where I personally prioritise buying organic

One thing that has made shopping much easier for me is having a few simple principles.

When I'm deciding whether it's worth buying something organic, I usually ask myself a few questions:

• Is it eaten with the skin?

• Is it usually eaten raw?

• Does it have a thin or delicate skin?

• Is it known to contain higher pesticide residues?

If the answer is yes, and my budget allows, I usually choose the organic version.

This isn't because I think conventionally grown produce is unsafe. It's simply a practical way to reduce unnecessary pesticide exposure without feeling that everything has to be organic.

These are the foods I personally prioritise:

🍓 Berries

Strawberries, blueberries and cherries have a delicate skin that we eat, and monitoring programmes in both Europe and the United States consistently find higher pesticide residues on these fruits. If I'm buying berries regularly, they're one of my first organic choices.

🍎 Apples, pears, peaches and nectarines

These fruits are usually eaten with their skin, which is where pesticide residues are more likely to remain, because I eat them often, I prioritise buying them organic whenever I can.

🥬 Leafy greens

Spinach, kale and other leafy greens have a large surface area and are difficult to peel or thoroughly remove residues from. They're also foods that many of us eat several times a week, which is why they're high on my priority list.

🫑 Bell peppers and chillies

These are another two vegetables that consistently appear among foods with higher pesticide residues. If I'm choosing between buying organic peppers or organic bananas, I'll usually choose the peppers.

🥔 Potatoes

Especially if you're eating the skin. If I know I'm roasting potatoes with the skin on, I'll choose organic if it's available.

🥚 Eggs, 🥛 dairy and 🌱 soy

These aren't about pesticide residues on the food itself. For me, choosing organic here is more about farming practices, animal welfare and reducing exposure to pesticides through animal feed.

When my budget allows, these are foods I also like to prioritise.

Foods I'm generally comfortable buying conventional

There are many foods that I rarely worry about buying organic. Some naturally have a thick outer peel that we don't eat. Others consistently show very low pesticide residues in monitoring programmes. For these foods, I usually buy whichever looks freshest and best quality.

🥑 Avocados

The skin is thick and removed before eating, making pesticide exposure from the edible part much lower.

🍌 Bananas

Just like avocados, bananas have a protective peel that isn't eaten.

🥝 Kiwi, 🍍 pineapple, 🥭 mango, 🍉 watermelon and 🍈 melon

These fruits all have thick skins that are removed before eating, so buying them organic isn't usually one of my priorities.

🌽 Sweetcorn

Although sweetcorn often appears on lists of foods with low pesticide residues, if you're buying processed corn products it's worth reading the label, especially if avoiding genetically modified ingredients is important to you.

🧅 Onions and 🧄 garlic

Both have several protective outer layers that are removed before cooking, making them foods I'm perfectly comfortable buying conventional.

🥬 Cabbage

Its tightly packed outer leaves naturally help protect the edible part of the vegetable, so I don't usually prioritise buying it organic.

🍄 Mushrooms

Conventional mushrooms are generally considered a reasonable choice and are not among the foods I typically prioritise buying organic.

One thing I'd like you to remember is this: If you can only afford conventional fruit and vegetables, please don't let that stop you from eating them. Wash them well. Enjoy them.

What about eggs, dairy, meat and fish?

When it comes to animal products, my priorities are slightly different. Here, I'm thinking more about farming practices, animal welfare and, in some cases, the nutritional quality of the final product.

🥚 Eggs

I always choose organic or pasture-raised eggs. Not only because hens are generally raised under higher welfare standards, but also because pasture-raised eggs tend to have a more favourable fatty acid profile and naturally contain higher levels of certain nutrients, such as omega-3.

Eggs are one of the foods I eat most often, so this is somewhere I'm happy to spend a little more.

🥛 Dairy

If you consume milk, yoghurt or cheese, choosing organic dairy can help reduce exposure to pesticide residues from animal feed and supports farming systems with stricter production standards. That said, I would always choose conventional yoghurt over no yoghurt at all if that's what fits your budget.

🥩 Meat

When I buy meat, I focus on quality rather than quantity. Whenever possible, I choose grass-fed beef, organic poultry and minimally processed meat. I don't believe we need to eat large amounts of meat to be healthy. I'd much rather eat smaller amounts of better-quality meat than larger amounts simply because it's cheaper.

🐟 Fish

Interestingly, organic isn't my biggest priority when it comes to fish. My first concern is choosing fish that are naturally low in mercury and rich in omega-3. Some of my favourite choices are salmon, sardines, and trout. These are the fish I encourage my patients to include regularly because they provide excellent nutrition while keeping mercury exposure low.

🌱 Soy

If you regularly eat soy, I recommend choosing organic, minimally processed options such as tofu, tempeh and edamame. Choosing organic soy also means avoiding genetically modified varieties, which is something many women should prefer whenever possible.

Organic doesn't automatically mean healthy

This is something I think is really important to say because it's often misunderstood. Just because a product is organic doesn't automatically make it a healthy choice.

An organic biscuit is still a biscuit, an organic breakfast cereal can still be high in added sugar, organic crisps are still crisps, and an organic soft drink is still a soft drink.

The organic label simply tells us how the ingredients were produced, it doesn't tell us how nutritious the final product is. This is one of the reasons I always encourage my patients to look beyond the front of the packaging.

Whenever possible, I choose foods that are both organic and minimally processed.

The closer a food is to its natural state, the easier it is to recognise what you're eating, and the more likely it is to provide the nutrients your body actually needs.

To me, a conventionally grown apple is a much healthier choice than an organic biscuit.

What about organic gluten?

Many women tell me they feel much better eating bread when they're travelling in Europe if they are coming from USA, or when they buy organic sourdough from a local bakery, compared with eating conventional supermarket bread. So what's going on?

While there isn't yet a clear explanation for this, some experts explain that this is because organic wheat isn't treated with glyphosate in the same way as conventional crops. Others think the difference comes from the type of wheat being used, traditional fermentation methods such as sourdough, the lower number of additives, or simply the fact that these breads are less processed.

In reality, it's probably a combination of all these factors rather than one single explanation.

From my clinical experience, I've certainly seen patients who tolerate organic or traditionally fermented bread much better than highly processed supermarket bread, including myself, even if I always prefer gluten-free options.

However, if you have coeliac disease or a medically diagnosed gluten intolerance, organic wheat is not a safe alternative. Gluten is still gluten, regardless of whether it's organically grown.

If you know that gluten makes you feel bloated, fatigued or affects your digestion, don't force yourself to keep eating it simply because it's organic. On the other hand, if you've noticed that you tolerate a good-quality organic sourdough much better than conventional bread, that's a useful observation worth paying attention to.

My final thoughts

If reading this article makes you buy one or two foods differently, that's wonderful.

If it simply helps you walk into a supermarket feeling less confused and more confident about the choices you're making, then it has already done exactly what I hoped it would.

Health shouldn't feel overwhelming, it should feel like something you understand. :)