The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

Many people are confused about Organic produce, they just don’t understand why it costs more for fruit and vegetables that just don’t seem as “pretty”.  

Organic produce is grown without the use of harmful pesticides and chemicals that are absorbed into the fruit or vegetable.  Those pesticides and chemicals are rarely tested for human consumption, and have been implicated in a number of health conditions.

Some health experts suggest that the benefit of consuming fruits and vegetables outweighs the risk of long-term exposure to pesticides.  While the importance of fruits and vegetables can’t be understated, neither can the chemical exposure risk, especially to susceptible populations like children and pregnant women.  Due to the developing brain and fetal tissue, those groups should avoid chemical exposure at all cost.

Luckily, the Environmental Working Group released its annual list of the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15; a guide to organic produce.  

This year Strawberries, Spinach and Kale made the list of the worst fruits and vegetables based on the concentration of absorbed pesticides.  Avocados, Sweet Corn, and Pineapples were the best, with the least amount of pesticides.

When it comes to spending your money on produce, buy the organic options of produce on the Dirty Dozen.  You can still buy the non-organic options for produce on the Clean 15.