As we know, the cost of buying organic vs. conventional fruits and vegetables tends to be more expensive.  And, to help save a bit of money there are some conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that aren’t cause for concern.  But, there are some that we should also steer away from.  The EWG recently released its 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.  It includes the Dirty Dozen Plus and Clean 15 – an easy reference to take to the grocery store as you buy those all important fruits and vegetables.

Clean 15

fruits and vegetables low in pesticide residues:

Asparagus

Avocado

Cabbage

Cantaloupe

Corn (I would still buy ‘organic’ just due to GMO)

Eggplant

Grapefruit

Kiwi

Mangos

Mushrooms

Onions

Papayas

Pineapples

Sweet Peas (frozen)

Sweet Potatoes

Dirty Dozen Plus

fruits and vegetables that have the highest levels of pesticides:

Apples

Celery

Cherry

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Grapes

Hot Peppers

Nectarines (imported)

Peaches

Potatoes

Spinach

Strawberries

Sweet Bell Peppers

For the second year, they expanded the Dirty Dozen™ with a Plus category point out that domestically-grown summer squash, zucchini and leafy greens are contaminated with pesticides of special concern.  Specifically kale and collards were an issue because they were commonly contaminated with pesticides that are highly toxic organophosphates (toxic to the nervous system).

When shopping the Dirty Dozen Plus foods, it’s highly recommended that you buy organic or naturally grown from a source that you know does not spray their produce.

The Environmental Working Group one page guide which you can easily download (to your phone or tablet) and use at the grocery store can be found at 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce!

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sources:
ewg.org,
photo credits: Judy@LHNH

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