The Dirty Dozen

Okay, so there are plenty of good reasons to choose locally grown, organic produce whenever possible. However, I do understand that organic food is admittedly more expensive. If you want to maximize the good stuff, while minimizing the cost, you do have options. If you can avoid eating conventionally grown produce in the top 12 "Dirty Dozen" list, you can reduce your pesticide exposure by up to 80%! Holy moly! This list was compiled by the Environmental Working Group from approximately 87,000 studies by the USDA and FDA of the 47 fruits and vegetables listed between 2000 and 2007. Please bear in mind that there are many fruits and vegetables that are not on this list…these 12 were chosen simply because they are the most commonly consumed on a regular basis. Number 12 on the list is one you may find interesting (potatoes.)  Ask any potato farmer if they eat their own potatoes and the answer will be, point-blank, "never." Most of them preserve a separate plot of their land to grow their own organic potatoes that they feed to their own familes. The problem: root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation's most popular vegetable—they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. Try this little experiment; buy a conventional potato in a store, and then try to get it to sprout...it won't.

Shop organic only:

Peaches
Apples
Sweet bell peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Lettuce
Grapes (imported)
Pears
Spinach
Potatoes

Safe to buy conventional:
Eggplant
Broccoli
Cabbage
Bananas
Asparagus
Sweet peas (frozen)
Mango
Pineapples
Sweet corn (frozen)
Avocado
Onions