Shoo, pesticides. Don't bother me.

With the much-covered controversy about the abuse in the slaughterhouses this week, there is a huge concern about the quality of our food. Pesticides, preservatives, hormones and antibiotics have become the staple of an all-American diet.

Doesn’t that sound tasty?

But there is an alternative: organic. Organic foods are foods that are grown without pesticides or bioengineering. Animal products including meat, poultry, eggs and dairy are free from any antibiotics or growth hormones.

For the average person on the go, eating healthy is a challenge. And eating organic? Well, it takes a little time to slow down and actually look at the food you’re about to toss in that cart. Milk labeled “all natural” with “no preservatives or artificial flavors or colors” might be better than milk lacking these labels, but it’s not organic. And all those claims about being “all natural” or “free-range,” well, that’s not organic either.

Only foods labeled “organic” are truly organic. The first thing to look for is the USDA Organic seal. According to the USDA Web site, “The USDA Organic seal also tells you that a product is at least 95 percent organic.” Watch out for that label because some foods may claim to be organic, but really can contain less than 70 percent of organic ingredients.

Now you know how to shop for organic food, it’s a now a question of which grocery store will have the best selection. A natural food store? A regular grocery store? No need to worry about where to go for organic food or even where to get the best deals. I did all the shopping for you. Vons, Fresh and Easy and Trader Joe’s each pride themselves on having a healthy selection of food.

Vons has a variety of organic foods in nearly every section of the store: bananas, pineapples, lettuce, salad, soymilk, coffee, butter, cheese, chips, pretzels and juice all have organic alternatives. A spring mix salad is $3.99 and juice ranges from $3.29 to $4.65. The great thing about Vons is the wide selection of products that are available in organic. A sign in the produce section lets customers know, “Today we have 60 certified organic fruits and vegetables.” The downside of all this variety: the price. You might be rethinking your love/hate relationship with pesticides when you compare prices of organic food to non-organic food.

At Fresh and Easy, organic Iced Green Tea, a 59 fl oz bottle will set you back only $2.99 and a gallon of organic reduced fat milk is $5.98. However, those are two among the very few organic products offered at this “Neighborhood Market.” Less than half the fruits were available in organic. A few juices and milk are also offered in organic.

While Fresh and Easy didn’t provide much in the organic department, I’d have to give it credit for everything else. The layout of the store was straight to the point: fresh food available at eye-level shelves and in easy-access aisles. Prices weren’t outrageous and nearly everything contained a label declaring it had “No preservatives or artificial flavors or colors.” Hybrid vehicle parking is an added plus.

Trader Joe’s takes the cake when it comes to a store with the best selection of organic food for the best price. That same spring mix salad at Vons was only $1.99 at Trader Joe’s. Most of the packaged vegetables were under $3. Trader Joe’s had such a variety of organic products; it was a matter of what wasn’t organic. Bread, condiments, cereal, nearly everything was offered in organic and for a reasonable price.

With the economy in a slump, price is everything. Some families may be forced to buy non-organic foods in order to save a few dollars. In the article “Does It Pay To Buy Organic?” Business Week examines whether the benefits of organic food outweigh its price. “Is organic worth the extra money? Research has yet to prove an adverse health effect from consuming the low levels of pesticides commonly founding U.S. Food.” Studies may not show that organic food has any extra health benefits, but it’s reassuring that I’m not filling my body with pesticides or hormones.

For more information on what to look for when buying organic foods, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program Web site at www.ams.usda.gov/nop.