The Most Toxic and Cleanest Produce
Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out two produce lists – The Dirty Dozen and The Clean 15. The Dirty Dozen is a list of produce to only eat organic because they are so laden with chemical pesticides. The Clean 15 is a list of foods to eat more safely in convention form, because testing on them has shown that they have little or no chemical pesticide residues in them when tested.
The Dirty Dozen
This list includes: strawberries, spinach, kale/collard/mustard greens, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, grapes, hot and bell peppers, cherries, blueberries, green beans (new to the list).
The Clean Fifteen
This list includes: avocado, sweet corn, pineapples, onions, papaya, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, honeydew melons, kiwi fruit, cabbage, mushrooms, mangoes, sweet potatoes, watermelons, carrots.
Note: It is still best to avoid sweet corn and papaya unless organic, because they are genetically modified. Or, look for conventional forms that say non-GMO.
It’s best to do what you can with the information, and favor the Clean 15 foods when organic food is not available, or it’s too pricey for your budget. Also consider growing some of your own food. If you do not have space for a garden, you can grow veggies in pots on a terrace or patio, herbs in pots on your windowsill, and microgreens in a tray or wide/low ceramic pot in a sunny window.
Also take advantage of the growing season by visiting farmers’ markets in your area. Be sure to ask them if they use chemical sprays. Most do not these days, but some still do. You can also freeze fruits and veggies when they are in season, or when your local grocery store has a sale on some Clean 15 or organic food(s).
For more information, check out The Food Revolution Network And scroll to the bottom of the page for some yummy recipes.
Also check out EWG.
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thanks for the info Carol.
Glad it helped. I check it out every year and adjust what I definitely need to buy organic. Although, when that’s not an option, I just learned a good tip…soak conventional produce in water with 1% baking soda and leave for 10 min. That helps get pesticides off the produce.