What foods should you buy organic? Is this fruit full of pesticides?
Ah, Summer. Sunny bike rides, vacations, baseball games, farmers markets and pesticides… Pesticides? They don’t seem to fit in here, right? However, you might be more susceptible to ingesting these nasty chemicals come Summer time when fruits and veggies are in season and the pyramid of juicy, fuzzy peaches at the store is calling your name. A refreshing fruit salad on a hot Summer day sounds delicious and healthy, but not if your fruit is filled with pesticides.
You can control the amount of pesticides that invade your body by paying attention to how you purchase your fruits and veggies. The Environmental Working Group has put together a list to help shoppers buy produce with the least amount of pesticides present. The lists below shows the top 12 foods with high levels of pesticides which should be bought from the organic section and the top 15 which are lowest in pesticides and do not necessarily need to be organic.
Dirty Dozen – From Worst to Better….Buy These Organic
- Celery
- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Nectarines
- Bell Peppers
- Spinach
- Kale
- Cherries
- Potatoes
- Grapes (imported)
Clean 15 – Lowest in Pesticides
- Onions
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Sweet Peas
- Asparagus
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Grapefruit
- Sweet Potato
- Honeydew Melon
Print out this list for your next grocery visit and remember that calories should not be the only concern next time you are filling the cart. The organic section can be a bit pricier, but it’s a small price to pay to stay clear of known toxins.
Check out EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides for more information.
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