Do You Know When To Buy Organic?

Most of us cannot afford to buy 100% organic when we grocery shop- I know I can't. Here's some information to help you decide what foods are better, i.e. healthier, when organically grown: the Environmental Working Group (EWG) advises that consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and only eating the cleanest ones. If consumers get their USDA-recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies from the 15 most contaminated, they could consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Consumers who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown produce ingest less than 2 pesticides daily. The "dirty dozen" are the foods with the highest concentrations of pesticides and chemicals — even after washing and peeling, so buy organic whenever possible.

12 Most Contaminated:
(Buy organic when possible)

1. peaches
   
2. apples
   
3. sweet bell peppers
   
4. celery
   
5. nectarines
   
6. strawberries
   
7. cherries
   
8. pears
   
9. imported grapes
   
10. spinach
    
11. lettuce
    
12. potatoes

15 Least Contaminated

(Okay to buy non-organic)

1. Pineapple
2. Honeydew Melon
3. Cantaloupe
4. Watermelon
5. Grapefruit
6. Kiwi
7. Mangoes
8. Sweet Potato
9. Onions
10. Eggplant
11. Sweet Peas
12. Asparagus
13. Cabbage
14. Avocado
15. Sweet Corn

To download a free copy of the Environmental Working Group's Shopping Guide To Pesticides™, click here.