In a perfect world, I would be buying everything Organic & Grass-fed. Right now we just don’t have all the extra bucks to commit to a 100% Organic Lifestyle. We ARE slowly making the switch tho! I’m sure you have all heard this term before, The Dirty Dozen! This refers to the vegetables that are the most affected by pesticides! This would mean that these foods under “The Dirty Dozen” are what you should start buying as Organic! I’ve also found a list for “The Clean 15”. This list refers to the foods that are not quite as affected by pesticides. These you can get away with the non–organic sister…for now!!!! (Make sure you are still washing your produce…Check out my DIY Produce Cleaner in an earlier post!)

These vegetables have the highest amount of pesticide residue, typically have a skin that is eaten, which means it’s easiest to consume these chemicals!! These you are going to want to start investing in the Organic version. I was kind of surprised at what I saw!!

“The Dirty Dozen”

• Apples
• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Celery
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Bell Peppers
• Nectarines
• Cucumbers
• Potatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Hot Peppers

**I did also see the Blueberries can fall on this list!! =(

This next group of food shows what you can buy without buying organic. These foods absorb a small amount of chemical pesticides. (Still scary =( ) But if you are slowly converting to Organic, this is a good place to start! (Still wash these foods!!!!!!)

“The Clean 15”

• Corn
• Onions
• Pineapples
• Avocados
• Cabbage
• Peas (Frozen)
• Papaya
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Eggplant
• Kiwi
• Grapefruit
• Cantelope
• Sweet Potatoes
• Mushrooms