VEGETABLES AND FRUIT WITH THE MOST PESTICIDES (AND THE LEAST)
You may wonder which foods harbor the most pesticides, and which foods are relatively clean even when not organic. You are not alone. One organization took it upon themselves to analyze common farm foods to find out.
In April of 2014, the Environmental Working Group published two lists of foods we should all be paying attention to, and I highly recommend that you go download their pocket-sized version of these lists, and consider sending them a donation for their work. The first list is the called the "Dirty Dozen Plus", or 14 foods that contain a high concentration of pesticide residues when compared to other produce. The second list is the "Clean Fifteen", or 15 foods that are the least likely to hold on to pesticide residues. But, before we get into listing which foods are safer when organic, let me make one thing clear: fruits and vegetables are so important to the human diet that the benefits of a diet rich in these foods far outweighs the risks associated with the pesticide residues found on the inorganic versions. In other words, you are better off eating the standard, non-organic produce than no produce at all. And, you are better off eating fresh non-organic foods than old or wilted organic foods, as many nutrients are lost in the aging process; and in my opinion, they also lose much of the vital Qi we need to sustain life. That said, if you have access to organic produce, and can afford it, then please make the upgrade to organic.
The Dirty Dozen Plus:
Apples, Strawberries, Grapes, Celery, Peaches, Spinach, Sweet-Bell Peppers, Imported Nectarines, Cucumbers, Cherries, Imported Snap Peas, Potatoes, Hot Peppers, Kale/Collard Greens.
The Clean Fifteen:
Avocado, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Cabbage, Frozen Sweet Peas, Onions, Asparagus, Mangoes, Papaya, Kiwi, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, Sweet Potatoes.
Here's a printable PDF of the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen to take with you when shopping:
| dirty_dozen_and_clean_fifteen.pdf |
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