When Should You Buy Organic?
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Once found only in health food stores, organic food can now be commonly found at most grocery stores. This may create some confusion on how to shop the produce aisle. For example, now you have to pick between a typically grown apple and an organic apple. Both apples are firm, shiny, and red. Both apples provide vitamins and fibre. Neither has fat, salt, or cholesterol. So, which one do you choose? Keep reading to find out!
Pesticides are used to destroy insects or other plants that will damage produce. However, some produce is grown and treated with a lot of pesticides, which can be harmful to your health. Every year, the Environmental Working Group releases a guide that ranks fruits and vegetables based on their pesticide contamination, so you can make informed choices about when and when not to buy organic. The “Dirty Dozen” list includes the produce with the highest pesticide residue which are recommended to be bought organic. The “Clean 15” have the lowest residue, so you can skip buying these organic. This guide can give you peace of mind that you are limiting your family’s pesticide exposure and helping your money go further.
To answer the question – apples are in the dirty dozen this year, so buy organic!
Check out the full list below for the 2024 season.
| Dirty Dozen – Buy Organic | Clean 15 |
|---|---|
| 1. Strawberries | 1. Carrots |
| 2. Spinach | 2. Sweet potatoes |
| 3. Kale, collard & mustard greens | 3. Mangoes |
| 4. Grapes | 4. Mushrooms |
| 5. Peaches | 5. Watermelon |
| 6. Pears | 6. Cabbage |
| 7. Nectarines | 7. Kiwi |
| 8. Apples | 8. Honeydew melon |
| 9. Bell and hot peppers | 9. Asparagus |
| 10. Cherries | 10. Sweet peas (frozen) |
| 11. Blueberries | 11. Papaya |
| 12. Green beans | 12. Onion |
| 13. Pineapple | |
| 14. Sweet corn | |
| 15. Avocadoes |
For more information, visit https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
Writer: Lauren Sibbald, Health Promotion Coordinator
