A taste for good food and healthy eating starts with making good choices and a balanced varied diet, including, of course, lots of tasty organic fruit and vegetables.
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Reduce exposure to harmful pesticides: the best way to reduce your exposure to harmful pesticides in food is to switch to organic - because organic certification provides an assurance that all foods will, overall, have fewer pesticides than non-organic food.
Switch to organic on some foods: some foods are worse for containing pesticide residue than others, depending on the farming method and other factors, so switching to organic for food most affected by chemicals is an option if all organic shopping isn't possible.
More than one pesticide? those with traces of more than one pesticide are potentially the biggest concern, according to PAN (Pesticide Action Network) UK, who suggest anyone considering switching to organic should prioritise these.
The 'worst' fruit & veg: the fruit and vegetables most commonly found to contain more than one pesticide residue include: oranges, lemons/limes, pears, grapes, apples, pre-packed salads, bananas, spring greens, kale, herbs, spinach, cucumber.
The 'best' fruit & veg: the fruit and vegetables least often found to contain more than one pesticide residue include: beetroot, mushrooms, turnip, cauliflower, peas, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, potato, swede, sweet potato, pumpkin/squash.
Eat in season: getting seasonal fruit and vegetables on the menu at home is a great choice for lots of reasons:
o Great taste - eating the right things at the right time means food tastes its best
o Working with nature - growing in season means less interference with nature
o Better for your budget - a basket of fruit and veg bought in season can be as much as a third cheaper than the same basket bought out of season
A colourful plate: as children we're always told to 'eat our greens', but it's just as important to eat our reds, oranges, yellows, blues and purples as different colours provide us with all the nutrients we need to stay strong and healthy.
Engage the senses: a colourful plate with different fruit and vegetables also means your family will be enjoying a range of tastes and textures and will help little ones engage their senses.
Maintaining healthy eating: as children get older it can be hard to maintain healthy eating habits, especially snacking habits - in fact parents admit to often caving in under pressure from their kids on what they buy them to eat, so healthy snacks such as fruit can 'go out the window'!
Organic snacks: to help solve the dilemma Organix has launched Punk'd, a healthy snack, with the reassurance of organic ingredients and no junk for parents, and wrapped up bright and bold so it's cool for kids.
Available in Ocado and Amazon.
Tagged in Organic