Produce and Pesticides

What's In Your Fruits & Vegetables?, An Article From Nutrition Action Health Letter

...If you want to avoid pesticides but don't want to buy everything organic, use this [list] to find out which organic produce makes the most difference. It was created by the Washington, DC-based non-profit Environmental Working Group (EWG)...

The Dirty Dozen:

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

The Consistently Clean:

• Papaya
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Bananas
• Kiwi
• Sweet Peas (frozen)
• Asparagus
• Mango
• Pineapples
• Sweet corn (frozen)
• Avocado
• Onions

My Comments:

This list is wonderful when buying produce. You can lower your pesticide exposure by almost 90% if you avoid "The Dirty Dozen" and eat the 12 least contaminated instead. You can buy organic and eliminate the problems from eating the traditional versions of "The Dirty Dozen." If you don't buy organic, you are better off eating fruits and vegetables with pesticides than not eating fruits or vegetables at all.