English
French
German
Let’s face it, if we bought every item in our kitchen certified organic, we may have to take out a second mortgage on our homes or at the very least cut costs somewhere else. So being informed helps us choose wisely about what to spend our money on.
Each year, the Environmental Working Group releases a list of produce with the highest pesticide residues.
The following are what I call “pesticide produce.” They are on the list of highest pesticide exposure, and typically fall somewhere on the list every year. If you’re going to pick and choose what to buy organic, please consider these:
APPLE
NECTARINES
PEACHES
STRAWBERRIES
GRAPES
CHERRY TOMATOES
CELERY
SPINACH
SNAP PEAS
CUCUMBERS
BELL PEPPERS (SWEET)
POTATOES
The following items have the lowest pesticide residue – you may want to consider buying these as the lower priced “conventional” version:
AVOCADO
KIWI
PINEAPPLE
MANGO
GRAPEFRUIT
CANTALOUPE
PAPAYA
ASPARAGUS
ONIONS
CABBAGE
EGGPLANT
CALUIFLOWER
SWEET POTATOES
Again, as with most things that are harmful to our health, pesticide exposure is cumulative over our lifetime. It’s just not worth fretting over that apple your child ate at a friend’s house because it may not be organic. And if you’re in a rush to get something to eat, you’re always better off grabbing fresh, whole produce, regardless of if it is organic or not, versus prepackage processed food!
Remember, these are general guidelines for shopping and shopping SMART!
