As you transition to grocery food and begin strolling the aisles for diet-friendly items, you will notice foods are now touting the organic food label. When buying organic, look for the following regulated terms on food labels:

• Food labeled “100% organic” has no synthetic ingredients and can legally use the USDA organic seal
• Food labeled “organic” has a minimum of 95% organic ingredients. It is eligible to use the USDA organic seal
• Food labeled “made with organic ingredients” must contain at least 70% organic ingredients. It is not eligible for the USDA seal.
• Meat, eggs, poultry, and dairy labeled “organic” must come from animals that have never received antibiotics or growth hormones.

However, there is little research on the health outcomes of people who eat primarily organic diets. So, if you are like many individuals whose purse-strings are tight but want to eat healthy, listen to the experts and spend your organic food dollars on produce, as non-organic fruit is most likely to contain pesticides. Still need to pick and choose? Fruits with peels and skin you don’t eat tend to have the least amount of pesticides, as you are removing the part with the most residue.