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These days, the environmental problems our world faces and the push to “Go Green” can seem pretty pervasive. Televi-sion and magazine ads per-suade every citizen to lessen

their carbon footprint and be con-scious of the products they use. More eco-friendly options, from cleaning supplies to organic food items, are appearing on the shelves of your local grocery store. With all of this propa-ganda to promote a more sustainable lifestyle, you may be wondering: How does this affect me? What can I do to help the planet, and myself? For the average college student at WKU, it can be hard to answer this ques-tion. Making environmentally ben-eficial changes, such as going organic, can be costly and time consuming. Frankly, those two things, time and money, are the most valuable to a college aged citizen. The solution to

this problem? Smart shop-ping. Find out which foods are the best to buy organic, the differences in price between them and their non-organic counterparts, and make your purchasing decisions from there. Luckily enough for you, I’ve done just that. This week, I compiled a list, based on “The Daily Green’s” recom-mended food items that are the most beneficial in their organic forms, and visited the local Kroger on Campbell Lane in Bowling Green, Kentucky to see what was out there.

Find out which foods are the best to buy organic, the differ-ences in price between them and their non-or-ganic counterparts, and make your purchasing decisions from there. a

The Starving Student 1

Organics, Anyone? wheretofindthebest organic bangforyourbuckinBowlingGreen

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

Both milk and poultry exhibit the biggest price difference between organic and non-organic options, but purchasing the organic varieties of these two items is probably the most worthwhile. Milk also contains hormones as well as pesticide residue. We compared two one-gallon bottles of 2%.Organic: $5.99Non-Organic: $2.99

MILK

Pears, like apples, are generously sprayed to avoid insects. Their thin, nutrient filled

skins don’t successfully protect the fruit from these chemicals.

Organic: $1.59 per lb.Non-Organic: $1.39 per lb.

PEARS

CELERYThis fiber and nutrient rich food doesn’t have an outer, protective skin, leaving the vegetable susceptible to pesti-cides, which leach into the stalks. These chemicals can’t be scrubbed away by warm water.Organic: $2.39 per packageNon-organic: $2.19 per package

Imported strawberries, offered in grocery stores when they’re out of season here in the States,

are often sprayed with more chemicals because many other countries don’t have the strict regula-

tions found in the U.S.Organic: $2.99 per package

Non-Organic: $1.68 per package

STRAWBERRIES

2 The Starving Student

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

Poultry and other meats are one of the most important things to buy organic, as they commonly contain both pesti-cides and growth hormones. We com-pared two brands of boneless, skinless chicken breast. One was organic, the other was not.Organic: $8.99Non-Organic: $6.54

Spinach and other leafy greens are some of the foods most sprayed by pesticides. We compared two different varieties of baby

spinach, one was organic and the other was not organic.

Organic: $4.39Non-Organic: $3.59

POULTRY

These fruits are often sprayed to prevent fungi and insects. Although peeling the apple removes some of the chemicals, many nutrients found in the skin are lost during this process.Organic: $1.48 per lb.Non-Organic: $1.99 per lb.

SPINACH

APPLES

The Starving Student 3

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

Coffee beans are also grown in areas of the world where pesticides are used more fre-

quently and less responsibly. Buying coffee with the certified organic seal is the only

definite way to avoid this. We compared two packages of Seattle’s Best Breakfast Blend, the

organic and non-organic version.Organic: $8.19 per package

Non-Organic: $6.99 per package

COFFEE

POTATOESPotatoes are exposed to pesticides and other chemicals in two ways, in the soil and when they’re sprayed in transit.Organic: $2.39 per bag (3 lb)Non-Organic: $2.63 per bag (5 lb)

CARROTSCarrots grown conventionally can have a high

amount, and diverse variety, of chemicals harmful to the body. We compared two dif-

ferent brands of carrots, one organic and the other not.

Organic: $1.00 per packageNon-Organic: 89 cents per package

In almost every case, except for this week’s sale on organic apples, there is at least a small increase in price when you choose to go organic. The foods listed here, however, are definitely the most im-portant foods to buy organic because they are the most sprayed with insecticides and

other chemicals. Other items such as watermelons, avocadoes, and sweet potatoes are less affected by pesti-cides and aren’t that much different than their organic counterparts. For a more exhaustive list of what items to buy organic, check out “The Daily Green: the Consumer’s Guide to the Green Revolution” at http://www.thedailygreen.com. A special

thanks to the Kroger at 711 Campbell Lane in Bowling Green, Kentucky for allow-ing The Starving Student to feature their merchandise in this piece. Don’t forget to stay tuned for all things food related in and around West-ern Kentucky University.l

The Starving Student 4

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke

photo by Allie Clarke