The economy may be sluggish but your food bill certainly
hasn’t hit the skids. Organic
foods may be the better choice but they also cost a bit more and when money is
tight you have to cut somewhere.
With that in mind the Environmental Working Group's annual list of the
dirty dozen foods is very useful.
The dirty dozen are the foods you should absolutely buy organic. I followed up with a list of the clean
fourteen that will allow you to save money on foods that aren’t as susceptible
to pesticides.
Here's a closer look at the Dirty Dozen:
1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost
impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy
organic celery, or choose alternatives like broccoli, radishes, and onions.
2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides (as many as 62 of them) are regularly
applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find
organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and
grapefruit.
3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're
most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for
pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries.
Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.
4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to
kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different
pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate
chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to
apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial
nutrients. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas,
and tangerines.
5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated
with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the
market.
6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines,
they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit. Can't
find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.
7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier
to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. (Tests have
found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.) Can't find organic? Safer
alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.
8. Spinach
New on the list for 2010, spinach can be laced with as many
as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetables.
9. Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that
rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of
pesticide residue when tested this year. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives
include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.
10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In
fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to
have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government
testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries. Can't find organic?
Safer alternatives include raspberries and cranberries.
11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen
list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as
many as 37 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include
eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.
12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination
than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen
list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different
growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate
contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from
grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides.
Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.
The Clean Fourteen:
1 Onions
don't see as many pest threats, which means less pesticide spraying.
2 Avocados
have thick skins that protect the fruit from pesticide build-up.
Sweet
corn may take a lot of fertilizer to grow, but you're unlikely to end up
with any pesticides on the kernels.
You won't be eating the tough pineapple skin, which protects the
fruit from pesticide residue. As with all your produce, you should rinse the
pineapple before cutting.
Sweet mango
flesh is protected by its thick skin from pesticides. Still, you'll want to
rinse under water before cutting open.
Asparagus
face fewer threats from pests such as insects or disease; so fewer pesticides
need to be used.
Sweet
peas are among the least likely vegetables to have pesticide residue,
according to the Environmental Working Group's latest survey of government
data.
Kiwi peel
provides a barrier from pesticides. Give them a rinse before cutting.
Cabbage
doesn't hold on to so many pesticides because a ton of spraying isn't required
to grow it. What it does hold onto is beta-carotene: It's a super food!
Maybe
it's the thick skin, but eggplants
are among the least likely to be contaminated by pesticides according to the
Environmental Working Group.
1 With
that rind, watermelon has a natural
defense against the onslaught of any chemical.
Conventional
broccoli doesn't retain so many
pesticides because the crop faces fewer pest threats, which means less
spraying.
Tomatoes were on the 2008 Dirty Dozen
list of foods with the most pesticide residue, but the latest update finds them
cleaner than most. Why? The Environmental Working Group isn't sure. If tomatoes are out of season opting for organic may be a prudent choice.
Not
only are sweet potatoes unlikely to
be contaminated with pesticides, they're also a super food, packed with Vitamin
A and beta-carotene.
I used to just rinse my fruits and vegetables with water
and have never suffered any type of food-borne illness. However, my wife soaks all of our
produce in the sink with about two teaspoons of food-grade hydrogen
peroxide. Soak for 10-15 minutes
and then rinse with water and it will destroy harmful bacteria. You can purchase food-grade hydrogen peroxide
in most health food stores but they don’t have it at Whole Foods.
Reference
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