Enjoying Fruits & Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are good for us. We all know that. What some of us may not know is how our choices in this department can make us very sick. Some fruit and veggies are so filled with pesticides that they should only be eaten if organic. Don’t panic...it’s only 12 items. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a list they call “The Dirty Dozen”. I live by this list. These are the 12 fruits and vegetables that have been found to have the highest pesticide residues. You can get more information here: EWG.org  The pesticides listed are designed to kill  insects that feast on the crops. Even if you thoroughly wash members of the produce on the Dirty Dozen list, it won’t make any difference to your health! The pesticide is absorbed as the fruit or vegetable grows and will makes its way into your system no matter how you eat it. These are the foods that you need to buy organic, or avoid! It’s the only way you can control your exposure to the harmful pesticides that can make you sick.

Topping the list of foods with the most pesticide residues, the Dirty Dozen for 2018 are:

Strawberries, Spinach, Nectarines, Apples, Grapes, Peaches, Cherries, Pears, Tomatoes, Celery, Potatoes, Sweet bell peppers, and Hot peppers

I can’t believe how many people in my everyday life are not aware of the “Dirty Dozen” list so I keep writing about it to remind everyone. The silver lining here is that there’s also a “Clean 15” list of foods which are the least likely to contain pesticide residue. You can eat them whether they are organic or not. Two of these are avocados and cauliflower. They are two of my staples so I was happy to see them on the list.

The complete “Clean 15” list includes:

Avocados, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Cabbages, Onions, Sweet Peas, Papayas, Asparagus, Mangoes, Eggplants, Honeydews, Kiwis, Cantaloupes, Cauliflower, and Broccoli

Now you can truly enjoy your favorite fruits and vegetables without worrying about nasty side effects. Happy Eating.