Eating Well – The Dirty Dozen

By Joanie in Health Tips on 23 July 2019

EATING WELL – THE DIRTY DOZEN
12 Foods you should buy Organic

Studies show that less than 10% of us are actually meeting the recommended servings of fruits & vegetables. Which means that for a lot of us, we are lacking an equivalent amount of fibre, calcium, magnesium and minerals that mainly come from produce. It is incredibly important that we consume fruits and vegetables (organic or not) as studies have linked the health benefits to include reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, protecting against certain types of cancer, lowering the risk of eye and digestive problems and lowering blood pressure.

Unfortunately, growing practices can affect produce, which leads to many fruits and vegetables absorbing traces of pesticides. However, buying organic can limit your exposure to extra pesticides and insecticides. If buying many organic foods isn’t affordable or feasible for you, then a good strategy may be to buy organic versions of certain produce that ranks highest in pesticide residue and then buying conventional produce that is less contaminated.

Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the non-profit environmental organization, publishes a list of the “Dirty Dozen” which consist of the fruits and vegetables that have the highest level of pesticides when grown conventionally versus organically. The list is complied annually since 2004, using 40,900 samples for 47 different types of produce.

The EWG Dirty Dozen list can help you prioritize your shopping and give you peace of mind that you’re limiting your pesticide exposure. Read below the 12 fruits and vegetables that the EWG recommends that you buy organic, beginning with the most pesticide residue. We have also listed the “Clean 15” that are less likely to be contaminated with pesticide residue if you are trying to stick to a budget.

The 2019 Dirty Dozen Foods List

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

The 2019 Clean 15 Foods List

1. Avocado
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Frozen sweet peas
5. Onions
6. Papayas
7. Eggplants
8. Asparagus
9. Kiwis
10. Cabbages
11. Cauliflower
12. Cantaloupes
13. Broccoli
14. Mushrooms
15. Honeydew melons