Foods You Should NEVER Buy Organic (And the Ones You Absolutely Should)

Why spending 50–80% extra on some “organic” products is just feeding the marketing department—not your health.

Walk into any modern supermarket and you’ll quickly notice that the word organic has become the Louis Vuitton label of the food world. Slap it on a box and suddenly the price jumps, the packaging looks more innocent, and we all feel ever-so-slightly superior when placing it in the trolley.

But here’s the inconvenient truth: not everything needs to be organic.
Not everything can even be organic in a meaningful way.
And some things sold as organic are nothing but overpriced marketing theatre.

So before you bankrupt yourself buying organic Himalayan sea salt or organic water (yes, it exists—hold your laughter), let’s break down what organic actually means, why the labels are so confusing, and which foods genuinely matter.

What “Organic” Actually Means

The term organic sounds noble—clean, natural, untouched by chemical hands. But the official definition is far more technical.

In plants:

Organic means no synthetic inputs like:

• pesticides

• insecticides

• herbicides

• fungicides

These chemicals accumulate in the body and can cause metabolic and hormonal issues.

In animals:

Organic means:

• their feed must also be free from synthetic chemicals

• they cannot be given antibiotics

Which raises an immediate question: How do you stop a sick animal from being treated?
Exactly—welcome to the blurry world of food labeling.

The Three Grades of “Organic”

Most people don’t know there are levels:

1. Made with Organic Ingredients

• Only 70% needs to be organic.

• The rest can be whatever wizardry the manufacturer chooses.

2. Organic

• 95% must be organic.

• The leftover 5% can include non-organic ingredients.

3. 100% Organic

• Exactly what it says on the tin.

No wonder people are confused. A product can legally display the word organic and still contain non-organic elements.

And Then There’s Hydroponic “Organic”…

Hydroponics means growing vegetables without soil—in mineral-enriched water. Efficient? Yes.
Natural? Not quite.

So when you see “organic hydroponic lettuce,” you’re essentially paying a premium for a plant grown in a water bath instead of soil rich with microbes.

If the word “organic” has lost its meaning, hydroponic organics threw whatever meaning was left into the garbage disposal.

The Biggest Scam of All: Organic Junk Food

Here’s the punchline nobody likes:

Organic sugar is still sugar.
Organic “Pop-Tarts” are still Pop-Tarts.
Organic junk food is still junk food.

Same sugar. Same starch. Same metabolic impact.
Except now you’re paying extra for the privilege.

This is where many people fall into the “health halo” trap:
“It’s organic so it must be healthy!”
No. It simply means the ingredients were grown using fewer synthetic inputs. The body doesn’t care. Sugar is sugar—your pancreas doesn’t give out gold stars.

Now Let’s Talk About the 13 Foods You Should Never Buy Organic

Why? Because they either:
✔ don’t absorb pesticides
✔ don’t need chemical spraying
✔ or the “organic version” is meaningless marketing

Below are the foods you can safely buy conventional without sacrificing health.

1. Sea Salt

Pests don’t eat salt.
Farmers don’t spray salt.
There is zero logic behind “organic sea salt.”

Just choose reputable sources like:

• Pink Himalayan

• Celtic

• Redmond

• Baja Gold

Organic labeling is just a sticker tax.

2. Wild-Caught Salmon

The term “organic wild salmon” is hilarious.

How do you control what a fish eats in the wild?
Do you chase it around the ocean with a clipboard?

Wild fish, by definition, can’t be verified as organic. If it’s wild-caught, you’re already making a great choice—no need for the marketing premium.

3. Avocados

The hard, thick shell protects the fruit.
Pesticides simply don’t penetrate.

Buying organic avocados = setting money on fire.

4. Baking Soda

Sodium bicarbonate is a mineral—pulled from the earth.
No pests.
No spraying.
No reason to go organic.

Just make sure it's food-grade, not “organic.”

5. Mineral Water

Organic water is not a thing.
Water does not get pesticides sprayed on it.

Get clean mineral water from a good source. Ignore the word “organic.”

6–10. Nuts With Hard Shells

These shells form a near-perfect barrier against chemicals.

Examples:

• Walnuts

• Pecans

• Brazil nuts

• Macadamias

• Coconuts

None need to be organic.

11. Cabbage

Lightly sprayed, and the outer leaves remove any residue.
The core is safe.

12. Bananas

The peel blocks almost all pesticides.
Not worth paying the premium.

13. Wild Game Meat

Calling wild venison or wild boar “organic” means nothing.
You can’t dictate what a wild animal eats.

If it’s wild, it’s already better than farmed.

Now for the Foods You Should Always Buy Organic

Some foods act like little chemical sponges. Their skin or structure allows pesticides to absorb deeply—meaning you can’t wash them away.

These are the ones worth the money.

1. Peanuts

Grown in soil, not on trees.
Thin shells.
High fungicide use.
They soak up chemicals easily.

If you eat peanuts → buy organic.

2. Strawberries

No protective skin.
Highly sprayed.
Absorb chemicals like a sponge.

Always buy organic.

3. Coffee

One of the most heavily sprayed crops on Earth.
Often grown in tropical conditions ideal for mold and fungus.

Organic is the safer choice.

4. Tea

Even worse than coffee.
It’s literally leaves—sprays stick and seep in.

Organic only.

5. Chocolate (Cacao)

Tropical crop + mold risk + heavy spraying =
Make it organic.

6. Cotton (Tampons, Baby Clothing, Bedding)

Cotton is drenched in chemicals.
And unlike food…
tampons go inside the body.

Organic cotton matters.

7. Spinach

A high-spray crop.
And spinach leaves hold onto residues.

Organic is recommended.

(For BBHC, romaine or arugula are better choices anyway.)

8. Apples

One of the most contaminated conventional fruits.
Peeling helps, but not enough.

Organic is best.

9. Grapes

Thin skin + heavy spraying =
Organic.

10. Cherries

Extremely high pesticide load.
Organic is ideal.

11. Wheat, Oats, Lentils, Pulses, Barley, Buckwheat

Here’s the big one.

Even non-GMO grains are sprayed with glyphosate (Roundup) as a drying agent before harvest.
That means the chemicals get pulled directly into the grain.

If you consume grains of any kind → make them organic.

The Bottom Line

Not everything organic is worth your money.
Some things don’t absorb pesticides.
Some foods are naturally protected.
And some “organic” labels are flat-out ridiculous (looking at you, organic water).

But other foods—especially thin-skinned fruits, nuts grown in soil, grains, coffee, tea, and chocolate—are absolutely worth buying organic to avoid concentrated chemical exposure.

Understanding the difference saves:
💰 money
🛡️ health
🧠 sanity

And helps you avoid getting manipulated by clever packaging.