WHEN IT COMES TO PRODUCE, ORGANIC ISN’T ALWAYS NECESSARY. It’s highly recommended to go organic when you can. Conventionally grown produce requires the use of toxic chemicals designed to kill insects and other pests. The residue of these chemicals remains on the food we eat, which then makes its way inside our bodies. Unfortunately, organic is often costlier, so refer to the Environmental Working groups (EWG) list, known as the “Dirty Dozen.†This list can tell you which foods you must buy organic according to their ranking of toxicity. The EWG also keeps a list of the foods that have the least amount of pesticide residue, known as the “Clean Fifteen.†Any fruits or veggies where you do not consume the peeling such as oranges, banana, avocado, pineapple, etc. may not be crucial to buy organic because the peeling acts as a protectant shield. Generally speaking, anything that you might have to wash before you eat is well worth buying organic.
The 2021 DIRTY DOZEN AND CLEAN 15
The Dirty dozen: The Clean 15:
- Strawberries                          1. Avocados
- Spinach                              2. Sweet Corn
- Kale/Collard/Mustard greens          3. Pineapples
- Nectarines                           4. Onions
- Apples                               5. Papayas
- Grapes                               6. Frozen sweet peas
- Cheeries                             7. Eggplant
- Peaches                              8. Asparagus
- Pears                                9. Broccoli
- Bell and hot peppers                 10. Cabbage
- Celery                              11. Kiwifruit
- Tomatoes                           12. Cauliflower                                                                            13. Mushrooms                                                                             14. Honeydew                                                                              15. Cantaloup