5.25.2010

Which Fruits and Vegetables Should I Buy Organic? The Dirty Dozen


Heard about the dirty dozen? These are the 12 fruits and vegetables that are considered the "dirtiest" (meaning most pesticide-ridden) and that should (as recommended by experts, I'm just relaying the info here) be bought organic whenever possible. Even though I'd heard of the Dirty D, I never took the time to find out which fruits and vegetables they were. Except today I did and here's the list:

DIRTY:
  • apples
  • bell peppers
  • celery
  • cherries (good to know, this time of year I'm so tempted but I'll hold off for organic)
  • grapes (imported)
  • nectarines
  • peaches
  • pears
  • potatoes (whoa, very good to know)
  • raspberries
  • spinach
  • strawberries
Then again, there is also a list of fruits and veggies that are considered clean enough whether you buy organic or factory-farmed:

CLEAN(er):

  • asparagus
  • avocado*
  • banana*
  • broccoli*
  • cauliflower*
  • corn*
  • kiwi*
  • mango*
  • onion*
  • papaya
  • peas*
  • pineapple
* indicates fruits/vegs that are widely available organic and from personal experience don't really cost that much to buy the organic version (at least in the southwest US where I live). So, I don't think this CLEANer list will affect my past shopping habits as far as stopping buying these items organic (fresh and frozen); I'm going to keep doing just that. However, I'm super-happy to see asparagus and pineapple on the CLEANer list because they are not as readily available organic and are both favorites.

Here are a couple of website stories that get deeper into this information (and that I used as sources):

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/13737389/page/2/

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-12-Most-Pesticide-Ridden-Fruits-and-Veggies&id=73473

-Lindsey

2 comments:

Mike said...

Do you find it odd that every single "clean" vegetable/fruit has to be peeled or cut open? Except for broccoli and it's evil albino brother.

Anonymous said...

[p]I think I've got it . Kamp Amersfoort Foundation director Harry Ruijs said he no longer intends to sell the 50 pieces of wire for 10 euros, 13 dollars, [url=http://www.barbed-wires.com]Barbed wire[/url] apiece to finance an exhibition of artifacts discovered at the site . Rose, a local farmer, presented a curious contraption of fencing . Thus, Haish sprang to improve his own fencing and to put his own foot into what would become a patent battle . is often used together with different fences to reinforce security for residences, buildings [url=http://www.barbed-wires.com]razor wire price[/url] and places . is located in the famous 隆庐Hometown of Chinese wire mesh隆炉--Anping [url=http://www.barbed-wires.com]Barbed wire price[/url] county of Hebei province . At first, Gates sold little barbed wire, instead establishing [url=http://www.barbed-wires.com]Barbed wire sale[/url] contacts and a ground for future sales . Glidden had first applied for the patent of his [url=http://www.barbed-wires.com]razor wire sale[/url] method of putting barbs on wire on October 27, 1873, yet the patent was not granted . The Struggle for Monopoly: From the "Moonshiners" to United States Steel

Due to the increased production and power of the Washburn & Moen and I.[/p]