How to Choose Organic Produce

Organic produce is mandated to be grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers, or sewage sludge. It's hard to believe that is NOT a requirement for ALL produce. Because of pesticide residue in the soil, it is virtually impossible to grow produce "residue free" and even organically grown foods do not claim to be completely free of chemical residues. So you are thinking of buying organic, but you want to save money, you've come to the right place.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Know your produce! The Environmental Work Group, EWG, tested 45 types of conventionally grown produce and came up with a list ranking from the most polluted to least polluted with pesticide. This list is helpful in determining which produce to buy organic, with a reduced levels of pesticide, and which produce are relatively safe to buy conventionally grown if you are trying to save money.
2. Often referred to as the “Dirty Dozen” are the 12 fruits or vegetables with the highest concentrations of pesticides. They are as follows:
   
   
   Peaches
   Apples
   Sweet Bell Peppers
   Celery
   Nectarines
   Strawberries
   Cherries
   Lettuce
   Grapes - Imported
   Pears
   Spinach
   Potatoes
3. The least polluted produce is as follows:
   Eggplant
   Broccoli
   Cabbage
   Bananas
   Kiwi
   Asparagus
   Sweet Peas-Frozen
   Mango
   Pineapples
   Sweet Corn-Frozen
   Avocado
   Onions
4. For a detailed list of all tested produce and the level of pesticide found visit the EWG link below.