Top Fruits and Veggies to Buy Organic

Top Fruits and Veggies to Buy Organic:

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), nonprofit environmental research organization based in Washington, DC, reports that you can lower your pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding conventional versions of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

These are the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables in the market:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Grapes (imported)
10. Pears
11. Spinach
12. Potatoes

So which produce is of least concern in terms of pesticides? The EWG reports that these 12 fruits and vegetables tested lowest in pesticide residue:

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn (frozen)
4. Pineapples
5. Mango
6. Sweet Peas (frozen)
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Eggplant

The lesson here? If you're not ready to switch to all organic, at least make an effort to minimize your purchases of the first 12 fruits/veggies - or at least buy organic versions when possible. On the flip side, the second list of 12 provides fruits/veggies that are safer to consume as conventional produce. (As opposed to organic or pesticide free.)

Why lower your exposure to pesticides? Studies have shown that many pesticides often contribute to cancer. Besides, if it isn't good for bugs, I doubt that it's good for humans either!