2010 Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen

The Environmental Working Group has released its 2010 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides lists of fruits and vegetables.

Dirty Dozen - buy organic

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

Clean Fifteen - lowest in pesticides

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

What to buy organic ...

The Environmental Working Group has composed 2 lists to help you decide which produce is worth the extra money to purchase organic - The Dirty Dozen - the 12 foods with the most pesticide residue & The Clean Fifteen - the 15 foods with the lowest levels of pesticide residue. If you can't afford to buy everything organic, be sure at least to purchase organics for the foods that appear on the Dirty Dozen List.

The Dirty Dozen:

1. peaches
2. apples
3. bell peppers
4. celery
5. nectarines
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. kale
9. lettuce
10. imported grapes
11. carrots
12. pears

The Clean Fifteen:

1. onions
2. avocados
3. corn
4. pineapples
5. mangoes
6. asparagus
7. sweet peas
8. kiwi
9. cabbages
10. eggplants
11. papayas
12. watermelons
13. broccoli
14. tomatoes
15. sweet potatoes

Pretty Clean Thirteen

As food budgets continue to feel the pinch of the tough economy it is getting harder for some to purchase organic produce. There are many fruits and veggies with a low pesticide use due to their natural defenses against pests or they are grown in climates where pests are not as much of a problem. Here is a list of the pretty clean thirteen - foods you can save on by buying conventional:

1. Onions

2. Avocados

3. Sweet Corn

4. Pineapples

5. Mangoes

6. Asparagus

7. Sweet peas

8. Kiwi fruit

9. Bananas

10. Cabbage

11. Broccoli

12. Eggplant

13. Papayas

What to eat organic

Eating organic will reduce your exposure to pesticides, but can be expensive. In these tough economic times, buying organic foods can strain some families' budgets. What can you do? By purchasing organics for the 12 foods with the highest levels of pesticides, you can reduce your exposure to over 90% of the most commonly used pesticides. What to buy organic -

1. Apples
2. Bell peppers
3. Celery
4. Cherries
5. Grapes
6. Nectarines
7. Peaches
8. Pears
9. Potatoes
10. Red raspberries
11. Spinach
12. Strawberries

Organic Fruits and Veggies

Due to the contamination of fruits and vegetables with pesticides, I highly recommend buying organic. If you are unable to buy all organic, concentrate on the fruits and veggies with the highest levels of pesticides. The following fruits and vegetables consistently have the highest amount of pesticides and you should opt for purchasing organic varieties:

1. Apples
2. Bell peppers
3. Celery
4. Cherries
5. Grapes
6. Nectarines
7. Peaches
8. Pears
9. Potatoes
10. Red raspberries
11. Spinach
12. Strawberries