What are the 12 Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables and How to Find the Safest Foods for your Family?

What are the 12 Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables and How to Find the Safest Foods for your Family?

One of my favorite non-profits, The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that you can lower your pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding conventional versions of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

According to the EWG, "One of the biggest myths out there about organic is that it's automatically more expensive; however, in some cases, cost can be prohibitive for some families, so it's always good to be able to make an educated decision about where to focus your greenbacks if you'd like to at least get a little greener at the grocery store."

Use this EWG "Dirty Dozen" list (in order of most-to-least contaminated)as a helpful way to prioritize which fruits and veggies to buy organic.

Print this list and keep it with you when you shop.

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet Bell Peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Lettuce

9. Grapes (imported)

10. Pears

11. Spinach

12. Potatoes

So which produce is of least concern in terms of pesticides?  The EWG reports that these 12 fruits and vegetables tested lowest in pesticide residue:

1. Onions

2. Avocado

3. Sweet Corn (frozen)

4. Pineapples

5. Mango

6. Sweet Peas (frozen)

7. Asparagus

8. Kiwi

9. Bananas

10. Cabbage

11. Broccoli

12. Eggplant

For more help living a healthy life for yourself and your family, I have found a site which you should check out called  Frontier Natural Products Co-op – Your Source for Organic and Natural Products