The Best Places to Buy Organic Food Online
The term “organic” gets thrown around a lot and I know it all feels confusing sometimes. But don’t worry–we are going to clarify what makes a food item organic and which food items you should prioritize buying organic as well as to help you decide where to buy organic food online. It’s easier than you think!
The first and most important fact to note is that no, you don’t need to buy all organic food. There are a lot of items that are fine to purchase in a conventional form and there are some others that you’ll be shocked to learn are quite pesticide heavy and need to always be organic or avoided.
What does “organic” mean in the food world?
The word organic is thrown around a lot but not many people really know what it means. I’m here to clear things up for you.
When a food is labeled as organic, it passes certain criteria laid out by the USDA and has been certified by NOP (National Organic Project) to, amongst other things, be free from GMO’s and glyphosates*. Note that organic does not equate to “free from pesticides”. Pesticides and chemicals are still used, just different ones that are less damaging to the body than those used in non-organic food production. For a more comprehensive list of criteria for organic foods, check out the NOP handbook.
* Although organic foods are meant to be free from glyphosate, organic produce is often contaminated. To read more about glyphosate contamination in organic produce, check out this article from Science Direct.
Are there health benefits to buying organic?
Totally. Buying organic lessens your exposure to certain herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides that can be damaging to your health. There is also research that shows that eating organic can minimize leaky gut and intestinal permeability which are well known to contribute to most health issues.
What foods are best to buy organic?
In a perfect world, we would all buy all organic but the truth is that not all non-organic food is super problematic in terms of transmitting harmful chemicals to your body. There are some, though, that should be avoided. The dirty dozen (see below) all carry a higher level of pesticides when not grown and handled per the standards of the NOP.
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Pears
- Peaches
- Nectarines
- Kale, collard greens, and mustard greens
- Apples
- Grapes
- Peppers
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Green beans
I don’t buy any of these if there isn’t an organic option available.
Other foods that you should aim to buy organic are any GMO crops in the US. While most GMO crops in the US are used to make animal feed, there are still plenty that can get on your plate.
- Corn (this is primarily field corn used in animal feed)
- Papaya
- Cotton
- Beets
- Potato
- Apples
- Canola (used in canola/vegetable oils)
- Alfalfa
- Squash
- Sugar beets (used to make granulated sugar)
- Pink pineapples
A note on wheat
Many people think wheat in the US is GMO. It’s not. However, there’s a trick used here: While the wheat plant itself isn’t sprayed with glyphosate during its growing cycle, it can be sprayed when it’s time to harvest to promote drying of the plant. So it still gets a hefty dose of chemical exposure. I avoid grains personally, but when buying flour I always buy organic.
Foods that don’t need to be organic
On the flip side of the coin, there are definitely some foods that you don’t really need to spend the extra money on to buy organic. These include anything that has a peel that you remove before eating and anything on the clean 15 list (as follows):
- Avocado
- Sweet corn
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Mangos
- Sweet potatoes
- Watermelon
- Carrots
Does all food need to be organic?
Nope! You’ll run into some people who are sticklers about it but, honestly, you can get away with buying non-organic in a lot of situations (my household certainly does). Organic is expensive and isn’t always as available in much of the country.
Just make sure you are prioritizing organic when buying the dirty dozen and/or items that have a high risk of containing GMO when you can and order online with one of the links below if it works for your life and budget.
Popular Online Marketplaces for Buying Organic Foods
Thrive Market
Thrive Market is one of my personal favorite online marketplaces for buying organic. Let me tell you why I love it as well as a little bit about its shortcomings.
Pros
- So quick. Thrive gets your food to you so quickly! I usually receive my box of goodies 3-4 days after I place my order (sometimes less!). It’s a great option if you live far away from specialty stores.
- Sales. There are always fun things on sale at Thrive. I love that because it inspires me to purchase items outside of my normal rotation.
- Quality. Thrive puts a focus on quality brands and products.
- Variety. No more jumping from store to store. This website has it all (well a lot anyway). From specialty foods, health/wellness goods, beauty and cosmetics. It’s all in one place.
- Refrigerated. If you live close enough, you can get frozen or cold shipments of meat.
- Autoship. Get your most frequently used products shipped to your door automatically on a recurring basis. It’s convenient and you’ll even get a discount.
- More savings. Get $40 off your order when you sign up.
Cons
- Yearly membership. Sorry, folks, there’s no way around it (but it’s worth it!).
- Not all organic. This is totally fine because some of their non-organic items are great too but, if you’re aiming for organic, you still need to pay attention to the labels.
- Less than perfect refrigeration. Thrive ships perishables on cold packs but they aren’t always sufficient in very warm weather. I have had items arrive melted, or simply not be available for delivery to my house in very hot weather.
Misfits Market
I have been loving Misfits Market lately. It’s a company that ships less-than-perfect produce and products to consumers (you know, the ones the grocery stores won’t buy because of a tiny blemish). Here are some pros and cons of this fun company.
Pros
- Good for the world. Misfits Market’s mission is to cut our country’s food waste. They give homes to less-than-perfect food items that are still 100% edible and delicious.
- Consistency. You get a new box every week without having to think about it.
- Variety. The contents of your box will vary based on what they have available, so you’ll get lots of fun variety and the opportunity to try new things.
- You can also earn $25 in credit each time you have a friend enroll.
Cons
- Poor refrigeration. Misfits Market is worse than Thrive on this. My frozen items and meats came totally thawed. That being said, customer service did a good job of refunding those items for me.
- You have to stay on top of it. If you want a say in what goes in your box, you have to remember to customize it every week, which can be a bit of a pain to remember.
- Repetitive. Although they do offer some fun variety, over time, I started to feel like I was eating the same things over and over again. It was fun for a few weeks though!
Vitacost
Vitacost is an online marketplace that offers a variety of vitamins, supplements, health foods, and more. Here’s what you need to know.
Pros
- Reputation. Vitacost has been in business for 30 years so they’ve got things pretty dialed in.
- Customer service. This company does a great job at taking care of their clients. It’s easy to get in touch with a customer service rep and get your questions answered.
Cons
- Limited. While they offer great vitamins, supplements, and dry goods, Vitacost doesn’t offer produce, meats, dairy, etc., or really anything that has to be frozen or cold.
When it comes to meat…
Finding your meat source is crucial for those of us who enjoy animal protein. I always suggest buying quality, locally-raised meats where possible. Your local butcher would be a great place to start but you could also check out some of these online marketplaces.
For more information on buying meat smart, check out my post on Grass Fed vs. Grain Fed Beef.
About the Author
Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.