Smart Foods - Organic Diet Buddy

Organic food is the safer choice when it comes to buying produce, as conventional varieties often contain high levels of pesticide residues. However, not everyone can afford to go 100% organic every time they shop. This app is a guide to which fruits and vegetables you should buy organic. There are some fruits/veggies that you should always buy organic, if possible, because their conventionally grown counterparts tend to be laden with pesticides.

By avoiding the foods most contaminated with pesticide residues, consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% without affecting their budgets.

Why Use This App?

• Go green and support your local farmers using our Farmer's Market Locator
• Use our color-coded guide to see whether a food is safe to buy non-organic!
• Calculate your daily fruit and veggie requirements with our nutrition calculator
• Find the most nutritional produce with our nutrition guide
• Reduce your pesticide exposure by 80% without affecting your budget
• Always have this mobile guide with you when you're wondering what is the healthiest produce to buy at the grocery store!

Color-coded guide indicates pesticide level:

Green: Safe to Buy Non-organic - This food usually contains a minimal number of pesticides.

Yellow: Use Caution if Buying Non-organic - This food is exposed to some pesticides, but they may be some of the less toxic chemicals, or the food may commonly be well washed and peeled before being eaten.

Red: Buy Organic - The non-organic version of this food is exposed to a high level of toxic chemicals. As a result, it is best to buy organic.

Go to each fruit or veggie to view its rating and to read about its nutritional content. Log your intake of fruit and veggies by clicking the "add" plus sign in the upper right corner, and then view your intake on our monthly, weekly, and daily logs!

Go green and support your local farmers

Buying locally not only supports the local economy, it's the way to go if you want to live a green lifestyle. Local produce leaves less of a carbon footprint and usually retains more of its nutrients as it doesn't require transportation from far away. Our farmer's market locator will help you find the good stuff locally and support your local farmers. However you look at it, buying locally is a fantastic way to live a better life of wholesomeness and nutritional superiority.

Calculate your requirements with our nutrition calculator

Calculate how many fruits and veggies you should be eating each day based on your age and activity level. Our nutrition guide also tells you about each kind of produce, listing it's vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting properties. Always have this mobile guide with you when you're wondering what is the healthiest produce to buy at the grocery store !

What are pesticides - why should you avoid them?

Pesticides are used to repel, control or kill organisms in order to reduce their negative impact on agricultural products. The problem is that excessive pesticide contamination can be harmful to human health. Even after washing, some fruits and vegetables consistently carry much higher levels of pesticide residue than others.

Some fruits and veggies are better to buy organic, and others are safe to buy non-organic. Some fruits and vegetables require very few pesticides for growth. Some, due to tough skins or peels, absorb fewer residues. Many fruits and vegetables, however, are sprayed with multiple pesticides, and act like sponges, absorbing residues that are difficult to wash off entirely. Peaches have very thin skin, and are hard to wash, so it is recommended that you buy organic if you can.

What makes organic fruits and vegetables different is the way they are grown. For example, only fertilizers like compost or manure can be used: chemical fertilizers are not allowed, nor are most synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. The environmental impacts of organic farming are vastly superior to those of conventional farming, with its reliance on synthetic pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers and other practices. Since how you shop is at least as important as how you vote, keep in mind how your produce shopping affects the environment.