[1]Photo used under Creative Commons from Rick Audet
There is nothing like the summer months when supermarkets are filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Local farmers markets have set up shop for the season, offering an abundance of fresh produce. When we shop for produce we have many choices -one of the most difficult being whether to invest our hard earned dollars on fruits and veggies that have been organically grown. While buying organic is always the better option, it is impossible and cost prohibitive to buy everything organic.
So how do we decide which fruits and vegetables to buy organic?
Researchers at the nonprofit Environmental Working Group [2] recommend choosing organic for these 12 fruits and vegetable and dubbed them the “Dirty Dozen”.
[3]Photo used under Creative Commons from Thedeliciouslife
- Celery
- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Nectarines
- Bell Peppers
- Spinach
- Kale
- Cherries
- Potatoes
- Grapes-imported
EWG went a step further and came up with a second list of “Clean 15”. Clean 15 is a list of 15 fruits and vegetables that were the least likely to have pesticides detected on the parts you eat, after typical washing, whether or not they’re certified organic.
CLEAN 15-YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH BUYING THESE CONVENTIONAL FRUITS AND VEGGIES
- Onions
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn
[4]Photo used under Creative Commons from thedeliciouslife
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Sweet Peas
- Asparagus
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Grapefruit
- Sweet Potato
- Honeydew Melon
Click HERE [2] to sign up to download the iPhone app or print out a PDF version of the lists.
To see a full list of fruits and vegetables click HERE. The list is constantly changing so be sure to check back often.
Remember if you can buy organic- do it!
Don’t forget your reusable shopping bags!