The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 - A Guide to Buying Organic
For the past 7 years or so, I have steered towards buying mainly organic, non-gmo and local foods. I choose to buy these foods because I truly believe that you are what you eat. Eating clean has become more important to me over the years as I learn more about the toxins, pesticides, chemicals, artificial ingredients, and fillers that are added to food. I like to know what I’m putting in my body.
I have also learned that by paying more attention to what I consume over the years, what I put in or on my body has a direct impact on my energy, mood, immune system, skin, digestive, etc. I love living an active lifestyle, so I need a good source of energy to keep me going throughout the day. And I certainly don’t enjoy being bloated, gassy, constipated, low energy, moody, or sick – who does – it’s all about balance and finding what works for you.
Most of our grocery shopping is done at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Natural Food Stores, and local farms – all of which makes buying organic, non-gmo, and local foods easily accessible. I’m very grateful that where we live makes it easy and affordable to sustain our lifestyle. While some may think buying organic is a complete waste of money, you have to honor what is best for you.
Below is a list of the dirty dozen - a good place to start when it comes to buying organic. These foods have been evaluated by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) which evaluates fruits and vegetables to determine their overall pesticide exposure. This list will help prioritize which foods are most important to purchase organic when trying to limit pesticide exposure.
Clean 15: Doesn’t Need to be Organic
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Cauliflower
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Mangoes
- Onions
- Papayas
- Pineapples
- Sweet corn
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Sweet Potatoes
The Dirty Dozen: Should Always be Organic
- Apples
- Celery
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Grapes
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Potatoes
- Snap peas
- Spinach
- Strawberries
- Sweet bell peppers
+ Hot peppers
+ kale/collard greens