Produce- "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15"

It would be great to be able to buy organic all the time. It would also be great to have a vacation house, 4 cars, and a flying pony, but that's just not realistic for most. We need to retain some discretionary income to be able to enjoy the non-food niceties of life too, right? (what? Non-food-related enjoyment? Impossible. I know, I know, but let's focus...)


Unless you're able to set aside a pretty hefty portion of your paycheck to always buy organic, you'll probably find yourself picking up some conventional items pretty regularly. Each year the Environmental Working Group tests produce for the amount of residual pesticides AFTER they are prepared as normally eaten (washed, peeled, etc). The produce left with the highest amount of pesticides (containing toxins with links to cancer, neurological disorders, etc) are labeled "The Dirty Dozen." (gross, right? I'll say that again: AFTER washing and peeling. yikes.) More recently, they've also come out with "The Clean 15" list, which, as you can imagine, has the least amount of residual pesticides. 


There's always another side to these studies and UC Davis takes serious issue with the methodology of this study, particularly with the inclusion of the uber-healthy blueberry on the dirty side, but I would still err on the side of caution with most, particularly those at the top of the list. 


Here's the 2012 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15:


Dirty Dozen Plus™ as listed on ewg.org
Buy these organic
1   Apples
2   Celery
3   Sweet bell peppers
4   Peaches
5   Strawberries
6   Nectarines– imported
7   Grapes
8   Spinach
9   Lettuce
10   Cucumbers
11   Blueberries – domestic
12   Potatoes
Plus +   Green beans +   Kale/Greens
+ May contain pesticide residues of special 
concern


Clean 15™
Lowest in Pesticide
1   Onions
2   Sweet Corn
3   Pineapples
4   Avocado
5   Cabbage
6   Sweet peas
7   Asparagus
8   Mangoes
9   Eggplant
10   Kiwi
11   Cantaloupe - domestic
12   Sweet potatoes
13   Grapefruit
14   Watermelon
15    Mushrooms


Want a printable list to take to the store with you? 
Print This Lil' Guy! ---->

3" x 4"