The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen

Fruits and VegetablesAre you aware of which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases a shopper’s guide every year. The shoppers guide is a list of 47 fruits and vegetables that are organized by fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides to the least. Within that one list, there are two separate lists.

The vegetables and fruits containing the most pesticides are put into the “dirty dozen” while the fruits and vegetables containing the least amount of pesticides are called the “clean fifteen”. According to Forbes,

“The EWG guide is based on the group’s analysis of pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).” Here are the 2012 lists:

The Dirty Dozen

These fruits and vegetables are recommended to purchase organic due to the high
pesticides.

  1. Apples (second year in a row)
  2. Celery
  3. Sweet bell peppers
  4. Peaches
  5. Strawberries
  6. Imported nectarines
  7. Grapes
  8. Spinach
  9. Lettuce
  10. Cucumbers
  11. Domestic blueberries
  12. Potatoes

The Clean Fifteen

These fruits and vegetables have been found this year to have the lowest amounts of pesticides. If your budget does not allow for organic fruits and vegetables, then this list is for you.

  1. Onions
  2. Sweet corn
  3. Pineapples
  4. Avocado
  5. Cabbage
  6. Sweet peas
  7. Asparagus
  8. Mangoes
  9. Eggplant
  10. Kiwi
  11. Domestic Cantaloupe
  12. Sweet Potatoes
  13. Grapefruit
  14. Watermelon
  15. Mushrooms

The EWG also says that it is better to eat fruits and vegetables with pesticides than not to eat fruits and vegetables at all.

“Eat your fruits and vegetables! The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Use EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides™ to reduce your exposures as much as possible, but eating conventionally grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all.”

The next time you head to the grocery store make sure to bring this list with you. If you are growing your food at home, consider using rootsticks to help your plants receive the water, oxygen and nutrients they need to reach optimal growth potential.

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