My goal this year is to buy more organic produce and try to incorporate more raw foods into my diet on a daily basis. The Environmental Working Group has compiled a list of the top most sprayed produce in stores today. This list was eyeopening! It was also a great tool to help me choose which produce to start buying organic. If I could, I would buy all organic!! But unfortunately, in some places you don't always have that option. For me personally, the top 3 on the list; Apples, Celery, and Strawberries- I will only buy organic, and if organic is not available, I just don't buy them. For the rest of the list, I try my best to buy organic if it's available, and it also helps to purchase in season, and locally. For instance- most table grapes sold in grocers today are imported, and imported grapes contain up to 14 different pesticides on a single sample.
With that in mind, if organic produce is not available, research suggests that thoroughly washing the fruits and vegetables, removes most of the chemical residue. The cooking process also reduces contamination further, but when trying to add more raw foods to the diet, be sure to wash the food as well as possible, and if at all possible, choose to purchase organic produce, for your health, and the health of the planet. Our choices as consumers do make a difference. If more people choose to buy organic and/ or pesticide free produce and other food products, companies will start to shift the way food is grown.
So... here is the list!
The Dirty Dozen
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines- imported
7. Grapes- imported
8. Sweet Bell Peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries- domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale and Collard Greens
I hope this list encourages you to choose organic produce! For the rest of the list, visit The Environmental Working Group's website. Under the heading Executive Summary, you can also find the Clean 15- a list of the most pesticide FREE produce. The Full List is also available with the top 53 fruits and veggies with the most contamination.
Choose Well, Eat Well, Live Well!
-Lisa
