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Buzz Feed
28-06-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
Experts Reveal Which Grocery Splurges Are Worth It
By now, it feels like the world is an impending dumpster fire. And in a cruel twist of fate, that fire is coming for your pantry. Thanks to rising tariffs and global chaos, some of our favorite foods are suddenly looking like luxury goods — RIP San Marzano tomatoes, chocolate, olive oil, and avocado toast (you were too beautiful for this world). So, what is worth the splurge in this economy? Should we still be buying organic? Can we justify $11 eggs or $9 strawberries? We asked a couple of experts to help us figure out what to cling to and what to leave behind at the checkout line. 🥕 PRODUCE: The organic guilt trip (let's talk about it). Spoiler: Not everything has to be organic, despite what your favorite wellness influencer-slash-matcha-merchant says. You can let go of the guilt. You're not going to die from eating a non-organic banana (and your bank account will thank you). But there are a few fruits and veggies worth the splurge, especially the ones you eat whole or can't peel. 'As a rule of thumb, anything with a thin or edible skin. Think strawberries, apples, and spinach are more vulnerable to pesticides and worth buying organic,' says Olivia Hensal, a Miami-based functional nutritionist. 'I always tell clients to check the Environmental Working Group's Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists each year.' This year's Dirty Dozen (aka the produce items with the most pesticide residue) includes spinach, strawberries, kale, collard and mustard greens, grapes, peaches, cherries, nectarines, pears, apples, blackberries, blueberries, and potatoes. This year's Clean Fifteen (aka the lowest amount of pesticide residue) includes: pineapples, sweet corn, avocados, papaya, onions, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, watermelon, cauliflower, bananas, mangos, carrots, mushrooms, and kiwi. Basically, if it stains your cutting board, buy it organic. 'Vegetables and fruits that you eat whole (or eat the skin of) and don't have a 'protective' outer barrier like avocados or bananas are best to buy organic,' Hensal explains. Verdict: SPLURGE on the Dirty Dozen. SKIP organic for thick-skinned friends like bananas, avocados, and onions. They're doing just fine. 🍳 MEAT & EGGS: Not all protein is created equal. If you're going to eat meat, it's worth thinking about how that meat lived before it made its way to your fridge. (Morbid? Maybe. Helpful? Definitely.) Grass-fed beef and pastured chickens aren't just buzzwords for bougie brunch menus; they're actually more nutrient-dense and arguably more ethical. 'I recommend splurging on meats from grass-fed or grass-finished cows and pastured chickens,' says Hensal. 'It's worth it not just for your health, but for the planet too.' These animals lived the dream: wide open spaces, a natural diet, and way less stress. (Unlike us, whose blood pressure spikes when eggs hit $9.) And yes, their quality of life actually affects the nutritional value. Stress and diet impact them just like us. Sure, they were still raised for slaughter (dark), but at least they had a better time getting there? Maybe? Moving on… Verdict: SPLURGE — but maybe do it less often so your wallet doesn't panic. Budget move: beans are your bestie. They're cheap, packed with protein, and stress-free (as far as we know). Hey, you! Wanna cook 7,500+ recipes in step-by-step mode (with helpful videos) right from your phone? Download the free Tasty app right now. 🫒 OIL: If it comes in a plastic jug, just no. You can absolutely judge an olive oil by its bottle. If it's in clear plastic and on sale for $3.99, it's a no-go, chief. Look for extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in dark glass bottles. Bonus points if it's single-origin and cold-pressed. 'High-quality cooking oil is a must,' says Hensal. 'The good stuff maintains more antioxidants and healthy fats.' Verdict: SPLURGE — your roasted veggies deserve it. 🧂 SALT: Your fancy pink rock may be doing the most. Before you toss your Himalayan salt in the 'rich people nonsense' pile, consider this: your basic table salt? Basically just sodium and chloride. Your fancy pink stuff? A literal mineral flex. 'Standard table salt doesn't offer much nutritional value. But unrefined salts like Himalayan salt naturally contain calcium, magnesium, potassium, and more,' says Hensal. 'Think of it as a vitamin with seasoning potential.' So yes, you're regressing to a 17th-century European who hoards salt, but honestly? Same. Verdict: SPLURGE (but maybe don't get the $35 ceramic jar just for the aesthetic). 🥑 SEASONAL & LOCAL: Because maybe you don't need avocados in January. Michael Beltran, chef, restaurant owner, and king of chaotic culinary realness, puts it simply: 'I would say it's not worth it from the veggie standpoint, right? Because you can go to a farmers market and get local veggies that are going to be better.' Translation: Don't blow your budget on sad, out-of-season produce that's traveled farther than you have this year. Shopping seasonally and locally doesn't just support small farms; it also means your food actually tastes like something. Sure, it might mean skipping avocados in winter, but you'll live. And when it comes to fish, Beltran doubles down: 'If I had to choose between a wild-caught salmon or [farm-raised] salmon, I'm gonna buy wild-caught salmon…but there's a fish market close to my house, and 99% of the time it's fucking delicious and better fish than I'll get anywhere.' So, yeah. If you live near the water, flex. If you don't…well, we're sorry. Maybe stick to beans and vibes. Verdict: SPLURGE on what's in season and close to home. Your taste buds (and budget) will thank you. For those of us (let's be honest, all of us) who are still on a tight grocery budget, download the Tasty app to browse and save hundreds of budget-friendly recipes — no subscription required.
San Francisco Chronicle
25-06-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
New study found microplastics in a place you wouldn't expect — but does it really matter?
If you're trying to avoid microplastics, picking a glass bottle over a plastic one would seem like a sensible step. But a new study from researchers in France uncovered counterintuitive results showing higher concentrations of microplastics in beverages that came from glass bottles compared to other materials — including plastic. The study, titled 'Microplastic contaminations in a set of beverages sold in France,' was conducted by researchers at French food safety agency ANSES and is published in the August edition of the peer-reviewed Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. In it, researchers looked at microplastic concentrations in drinks like water, cola, tea, lemonade, beer and wine in different types of containers, including plastic and glass bottles and metal cans. With the exception of wine, researchers found the most microplastic content in beverages that came out of glass bottles. So what's going on? How could there be more plastic in glass than plastic? The culprit: The cap. Though the bottles were made of glass, the caps were painted metal. Most paint is made of plastic. When scientists compared the color of the plastic particles in the liquid, it was the same color as the paint on the lid. That means bits of paint got scratched off the caps and went into the drinks. The study included close-up photos where you can see small scratches on the insides of the caps. That also explains why they found comparatively fewer particles in wine: They were traditional glass bottles capped with corks, not metal lids. The study was set up to examine the levels of microplastic content across different container materials, which is why the study phrases the highlighted results in that context ('Drinks in glass bottles more contaminated by microplastics'). But the conclusions indicate something more nuanced: There are multiple sources of microplastic contamination in what we eat and drink, and it's impossible to avoid them all, even if you're conscientious. The findings are consistent with what microplastics researchers around the world have found in many other studies, said Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist with environmental advocacy nonprofit the Environmental Working Group: 'It fits in with what we know, which is that microplastics are in a range of food and beverages.' The study only looked at a handful of brands per category, and only six samples per brand, which all came from the same batch lot. If anything, experts who reviewed the study said, the findings are an indication that bottled beverage manufacturers should be examining their materials and processes and seeing whether simple steps like pre-cleaning the caps with air or liquid could meaningfully reduce microplastic concentrations. The results don't mean that you should never drink a bottled beverage ever again, or that you need to scrutinize cap or bottle material. Microplastics are in just about everything we eat and drink, said Britta Baechler, the Director of Ocean Plastics Research for Ocean Conservancy. She co-authored a study published last year that found microplastics in every type of commonly consumed protein the researchers looked at, including seafood, chicken, steak, pork and plant-based protein. She called this study 'yet another reminder of how deeply embedded plastic is in our lives and our food system.' In the grand scheme of microplastic consumption, fussing over what a bottle or cap of an individual drink is made of won't make a huge difference. Here's what experts say you can do to reduce your exposure: Avoid heating up food in plastic. Heating plastic releases more particles into food, and faster. Nonstick coating is made of plastic, so opting to cook on stainless steel or cast iron is another smart step. Avoid storing food in or eating food off of plastic. Glass, metal and ceramic are all better picks for your plates and storage containers. Eat more whole, unprocessed food and drinks. Researchers found fewer microplastics in water than bottled lemonade, tea or cola. In Baechler's study on proteins, the ones with the fewest microplastics per gram were chicken breasts and pork chops; heavily processed products like breaded shrimp, fish sticks and chicken nuggets contained the highest concentrations. Drink filtered or tap water from your home out of stainless or glass drinkware. Tap water has consistently been found to contain fewer microplastics than other sources, Baechler said. Broadly speaking, despite the findings of this study, microplastics experts still say glass bottles are better than plastic ones. Glass itself does not — cannot — shed microplastics into what you drink. And glass bottles are much more recyclable than plastic. Many plastic bottles, even ones that make it into your recycling bin, wind up not being recycled. 'We're finding microplastics in everything,' said Amelia Meyer, a co-leader of the Plastics Working Group at Stanford University. 'You can only do so much. You have to drink water.'
Epoch Times
16-06-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Demystifying the Dirty Dozen: Why Some Fruits and Vegetables Carry More Pesticides
Every year, the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) new list causes a stir in the produce aisle—and this time, two newcomers, blackberries and potatoes, have landed on the Dirty Dozen list, prompting many shoppers to give their grocery carts a second look. The EWG's updated
CNN
15-06-2025
- General
- CNN
Researchers say some produce carries more pesticides than others. Here are 3 things to know
Every year, the Environmental Working Group releases its list of top offenders when it comes to pesticides on fruits and vegetables. CNN's Meg Tirrell asks experts about how to use the list and properly wash your produce at home. For more on EWG's report, head to CNN's Life But Greener.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Most Consumed Veggie In The U.S. Is Full Of Pesticides, Per New Report
You've probably heard of the "Dirty Dozen" list. Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) uses data from the USDA to pinpoint the produce with the most pesticides. Last year, strawberries have took the lead. But in the new Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce, which was released on June 12, strawberries have been knocked out of their number one spot. And there are two newcomers to the list. So what's the "dirtiest" fruit or veggie? In this year's list, spinach swapped places with strawberries for the number one spot. The leafy green was found to have "more pesticide residues by weight than any other type of produce," according to the site. 75% of non-organic samples contained permethrin, a neurotoxic insecticide banned in Europe. New to the list are blackberries, which were tested by the USDA for the first time in 2023. And, potatoes, the most-consumed vegetable in the country, also made it to the Dirty Dozen. 90% of potato samples tested positive for chlorpropham, a chemical that prevents sprout growth—and a chemical that's banned in the European Union. "EWG's Shopper's Guide is a tool to inform consumers and help them with their produce shopping choices, with the goal of everyone eating more fruits and vegetables,' says Alexis Temkin, PhD, EWG Vice President for Science, in the press release. Other fruits and veggies that made it to the Dirty Dozen include dark leafy greens such as kale, collard greens, and mustard greens; grapes; peaches; cherries; nectarines; pears; and apples. Produce with the lowest amounts of pesticide residue made it to the "Clean Fifteen." The top five include pineapples, sweet corn, avocados, papayas, and onions. To determine the list, the EWG looks at pesticide residue from tests performed by the USDA. These tests included over 53,000 samples of 47 washed fruits and vegetables. This year's list used a new methodology to get a more accurate depiction of just how harmful dirty some fruits and veggies may be. In addition to the amount of pesticides, the study looked at toxicity, meaning how harmful the pesticides could be. 'Our research takes into account the potency of each chemical and can help shoppers reduce their overall pesticide burden," says Dayna de Montagnac, MPH, an associate scientist for the EWG. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
