Organic Produce: When is it Important to Buy?

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We all know that buying organic food is best for our health, but not everyone’s budget allows the option of buying all organic all the time. Especially when it comes to produce…it can get quite expensive.

So what are we to do? We want the best for our family’s health, and to avoid toxins/poisons/pesticides.

The good news is that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has published a list for you and I called The Dirty Dozen/Clean 15, and they are frequently updating the list as needed. This list tells us consumers which fruits and vegetables are really dirty (typically higher in pesticides) and which are clean (typically lower in pesticides). This allows you and I to make the choices we need based on our own individual budgets.

The Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 Produce List

Since my budget does not allow me to buy everything organic, I simply pick-and-choose, trying to make the best choices for me and my family, by using the EWG’s Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 List seen below. Download the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides or iPhone App. or view the Full List of 47 Fruits & Veggies and their pesticide load (which has a handy printer-friendly option).

The Dirty Dozen Celery Peaches Strawberries Apples Blueberries Nectarines Bell Peppers Spinach Kale Cherries Potatoes Grapes (imported)

The Clean 15 Onion Avocado Sweet Corn Pineapple Mango Sweet Peas Asparagus Kiwi Cabbage Eggplant Cantaloupe Watermelon Grapefruit Sweet Potato Honeydew Melon

EWG recommends that you choose organic when buying items from the dirty dozen list whenever possible. And I do so as much as I possibly can. Though I use a fruit and vegetable wash no matter if I buy, organic or not. This cleans any dirt and/or wax off of the produce quite well.

As far as the wash removing pesticides; it may remove some residue from the outside of the fruit/vegetable, but remember that they were sprayed/dusted multiple times throughout their growth so there is no getting rid of the pesticides inside and within them. You can buy a veggie wash at your local market or make your own.

Homemade Veggie Wash

• 1 Tbsp. Fresh Organic Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp. White Vinegar
• 1 cup Filtered Water

Mix together in a spray bottle. Spray on your fruits and vegetables and scrub/rinse.

Dr. Weil on EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides

Video: How to Buy Organic Produce

TODAY SHOW – Pesticides Linked to ADHD in Kids




Related Posts

1. Star Wars Goes Organic

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