I try to eat as much organic food as possible, but I don’t buy everything organic. Each year I wait for the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to release the “dirty dozen” – the top 12 foods to buy organic. The list for this year is here so I want to share it with everyone! Hopefully this will help you make some changes when you’re at the grocery store, and you won’t feel at all overwhelmed when it comes to whether or not you should go organic.

Dirty Dozen:

1. Apples

Apples are often #1 on the dirty dozen list, so there is no surprise here. Go organic!

2. Strawberries

I would say that all berries should be bought organic; they’re sweet, get sprayed with several pesticides, and do not have a protective layer of skin on them. Te be on the safe side, go for organic berries, even when they’re frozen.

3. Grapes

I love grapes! I wait for them to be in season so that an organic option is more likely to be available.

4. Celery

This is a staple in my house since I add celery to salads and smoothies and I always go for the organic option – you should too!

5. Peaches

Peaches are so sweet and so delicious, it’s tempting to buy them whether they’re organic or not. But, they’re #5 on this year’s list of most contaminated food, so skip the commercial ones and pick up organic peaches.

6. Spinach

Be on the safe side and make sure that your spinach, kale, and lettuce are all organic.

7. Sweet Bell Pepper

Organic sweet bell peppers are usually easy to find, so get those whenever you can.

8. Nectarines (imported)

Every single sample of imported nectarines that was tested by the EWG tested positive for pesticides. Go organic!

9. Cucumbers

Almost everyone I know adds cucumbers to salads and sandwiches, so remember to buy organic to avoid exposure to pesticides. Also, people are tempted to peel the skin off of cucumbers, but I’d advise against this since this is where most of the nutritional value is, including fiber and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and silica.

10. Potatoes

Ever since I have been following the EWG’s list of top 12 dirty foods, potatoes are always on this list. I know that people love potatoes (I do too!), but we have to remember to buy organic potatoes whenever possible – commercial ones are filled with many pesticides.

11. Cherry Tomatoes

These little tomatoes are sweet and delicious! I buy organic ones from Trader Joe’s; they’re fairly priced and readily available.

12. Hot Peppers

I haven’t seen this one on the list yet, but apparently we should buy organic hot peppers!

Other things to keep in mind…

I’m not much of a coffee drinker myself, but if I were, I’d be sure to seek out organic, fair-trade coffee – and the same goes for chocolate (which I do love!). Whenever I want some dark chocolate, I get organic, fair-trade dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. I also keep a bag of organic raw cacao powder handy.

I hope this list helps. If you still feel overwhelmed, rest easy! I will post a list of the top 15 clean foods – foods that you don’t have to buy organic.

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