Comments on: What should I buy organic, and what isn’t such a big deal?

By: sasha

sasha — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:27:27 +0000

Robyn, thank you for your time.

I checked some organic stores here in Toronto. None of theme keep nuts in fridges. I heard it’s the only way nuts should store. Our organic stores don’t sell unshelled nuts. For some reason I think unshelled nuts can lust longer without refrigerating. That’s why I chose unshelled conventional nuts.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:57:12 +0000

Jenni here, GSG Admin

Lala,
Yes, the group order is still open and the end date is November 30th.

By: Lala

Lala — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:33:12 +0000

the group order IS still open right?!! I can order online until nov 30?

By: Robyn

Robyn — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:56:56 +0000

Sasha, well, what is “safe?” If you were asking me if it’s safe to eat chemicals, of course I’d say no. But what I always say is this: better to eat conventional plant food and wash it well, than to not eat the plant food (and eat something else instead, which is always going to be worse). And set a price point that you feel you can afford relative to your budget. (50% more is worth it for organic? 25% more? 75% more? This will depend on your budget.)

I soak my nuts, and they come out of a thick shell, so to me that makes tree nuts a much safer food to eat even if they’ve been sprayed (because that would be prior to being shelled).

Now there are purists on this site, people who won’t eat anything organic. I am not one of them, though I value their opinions. (And then I continue to try to walk that balance between helping people eat high nutrition on a budget.) They may want to point you to a link telling us how terrible conventional tree nuts are. But that’s my $0.02.

By: sasha

sasha — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:13:05 +0000

Robyn,

I buy unshelled conventional nuts: almond, walnut, hazelnut. Do you think it’s safe?

By: jayroo

jayroo — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:38:19 +0000

From what I’ve gathered on the internet, mango skins are edible, but contain a potential allergen. So, you should test your reaction before eating them in quantity.

I blend them in my smoothies. It saves so much time.

By: OrganicTrade

OrganicTrade — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:30:21 +0000

Thank you so much for encouraging people to buy organic. In thinking about which organic products to buy, consider this: instead of focusing your organic purchases on a particular group of items, choose organic versions of the products you buy most. Whether that is milk, produce, or personal care products, buying organic will not only help reduce your exposure to harmful synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but also support a system of agricultural management that is great for the planet.

By: Mom2CSS

Mom2CSS — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:39:42 +0000

Mango skins are edible…. but this we learned after my husband ate one they can cause an allergic reaction. http://caloriecount.about.com/mango-skin-ft75063
We found a website that explained it but I am not finding it right now….http://dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/plants/mango.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1931416/mangoes_and_induced_contact_dermatitis.html?cat=22
Hope that helps.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:24:04 +0000

What I meant about tomatoes is that they rank fairly low on the pesticide lists I see, so therefore they are pretty safe.

Cheryl, I use diatomaceous earth in my long-storage grains and believe it to be safe/harmless.

The bulk buy items have shipped for all but one large order through Oct. 15. We are later in shipping than I’d hoped because almonds came out of the trees late in California due to weather and the shippers were backed up. So my trucks have been waiting and waiting and we are behind where I’d like to be (all the OTHER products are here). Thanks for your patience.

Sasha, bananas are protected by such a thick skin. I consider them safer than most fruits for that reason.

I don’t know if mango skins are edible.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:34:17 +0000

Where do you find organic frozen strawberries or mixed berries for the smoothies?