How to Choose Organic Produce

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By HS Schulte
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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.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 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.
Step 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
Step 3

The least polluted produce is as follows:
Eggplant
Broccoli
Cabbage
Bananas
Kiwi
Asparagus
Sweet Peas-Frozen
Mango
Pineapples
Sweet Corn-Frozen
Avocado
Onions
Step 4

For a detailed list of all tested produce and the level of pesticide found visit the EWG link below.