Shop Produce Smart
When shopping the produce section, shop for the Clean 15, and avoid the Dirty Dozen. Just by making a few tweaks in what you pick up in the produce section, you are significantly decreasing your exposure to pesticides and herbicides.
Clean 15 foods have the lowest pesticide load, and consequently are the safest conventionally grown crops to consume from the standpoint of pesticide contamination.
The Dirty Dozen have the highest pesticide load, making it important to buy organic versions.
Bonus? Your shopping cart may look a little more colorful with all those fruits and veggies that you will be experimenting with that you never knew existed!
The Clean 15
- Avocados
- Sweet Corn
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Sweet Peas (Frozen)
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Mangoes
- Papayas
- Kiwi
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Cantaloupe (Domestic)
- Cauliflower
- Sweet Potatoes
Image Source – Flickr Creative Commons
The Dirty Dozen
- Apples
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Celery
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Nectarines (Imported)
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Snap Peas (Imported)
- Potatoes
Image Source – Life of Pix
“Highly Toxic”
Also, these produce options may contain organophosphate insecticides, which the Environmental Working Group characterizes as “highly toxic” and of special concern.
- Hot Peppers
- Blueberries (Domestic)
Image Source – Flickr Creative Commons
Produce Shopping Guide
We recommend you print off these lists to keep in your wallet for when you are shopping.
The Environmental Working Group website also has a great wallet-sized card you can download and carry with you. Get it here.
