With Spring finally here and Summer not too far away, it means I’m all about adding fresh fruit and vegetables to my meals. Not only are they good for you but they of course make your meals look extra pretty. Now, you might have heard of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 food list. The Environmental Working Group compiles the data yearly. Noted are all of the fruits and vegetables that are grown with the most and the least amount of pesticides.
Don’t let the initial thought that you may never eat anything off of the “dirty” list become your reality. Buying organic can be considered expensive, so try and head to your local farmers markets and local farms around you. You’d be surprised to find that many farms are practicing organic farming methods but are unable to get the actual label of being organic due to the cost of achieving that.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines cites that only one in 10 Americans is consuming the recommended amount of fruits or vegetables daily. {Source} And let’s be real, a non-organic strawberry over a strawberry pop tart is still a much better choice!
The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 list are a guide to what you may want to focus on buying that’s organic that’s focused on a health perspective. But remember to still be focusing on choosing the fruits and veggies over the McDonald’s Big Mac (when possible or course).
The Dirty Dozen
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard & Mustard Greens
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Bell & Hot Peppers
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Celery Tomatoes
The Clean 15
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Cantaloupes
- Mangos
- Watermelon
- Sweet Potatoes
If you take a look at both of these lists you can really tell the majority of fruits and veggies on the clean list do have some type of outer shell / or flesh part that we peel or cut off too. It’s like their own personal barriers from pesticides.
On the clean list, avocados and corn scored the highest as far as clean goes. Only 2% of these samples and any detectable pesticides on them.
Now What?
Still get out there and stock up on your favorite fruits and veggies! Just be a little more mindful if you’re getting some from the convenience of the grocery store or heading out to the Sunday morning farmers markets in your town. Bonus, with shopping at the farmers market you’re also supporting local businesses in your town and you know how much they appreciate that!
