So many warnings these days about the pesticides that may be in the food we eat that it seems sometimes that the very act of eating is dangerous. Like most people, I’m concerned but don’t want to live on a boring diet of food that reminds me sometimes of twigs and thistles. Now, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has produced a handy tool to use as a reference guide when we shop. They say that you can “lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce.” Here is a list they call The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce:
The Dirty Dozen
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines-imported
7. Grapes
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries-domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens
The Clean Fifteen
1. Onions
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe-domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms
(http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/)
