Date: 30 Jun 2010 Comments: 2 so far

This is a complaint I hear a lot.

Yes organic food can be more expensive.

And people are on tight budgets, especially with the recent condition of the economy.  It helps to know which foods are the worst offenders when it comes to pesticides, and which foods are cleaner.

This video will show you the “dirty dozen” . Those foods that are worst offenders, when it comes to chemical pesticide residue on the produce. Look for organic versions of these foods whenever possible or choose something different.

Then take a look at the  cleanest fruits and vegetables. These are the ones that are sprayed the least, or have the lowest toxic residue of pesticide. Maybe even not sprayed at all. These are the ones you can buy non-organic and not worry too much about it.

The Dirty Dozen – Buy These Organic or Choose Something Different

• Celery
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Cherries
• Kale/Collard
• Greens
• Potatoes
• Grapes (Imported)

The Clean 15 Fruits and Vegetables

• Onions
• Avocado
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapple
• Mangos
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Grapefruit
• Sweet Potato
• Honeydew
• Melon

This list if provided by the Environmental Working Group.

Check the video to learn about the criteria used to determine this list of foods contaminated by pesticides.