Do you know that in order to gain the benefits of one apple consumed 100 years ago, on average in this day and age we need to eat 9 apples! NINE! Due to poor soil quality, herbicides and pesticides, “travel time” and our own depleted digestive systems, organic produce is becoming a much safer bet to maintain/improve our health.

 

For many, buying 100% organic is impossible (but don’t get me started on how the food “manufacturers” get so much subsidised whilst “growers” receive nil).

 

Some fruits and vegetables have more herbicides and pesticide residues than others. Why do we not want to be eating herbicides and pesticides? They have been related to a raft of health issues - they are chemicals that were never meant to be consumed by humans.  Welcome to the “clean 15” and the “dirty dozen”.  It’s a way of shopping smart and getting the best from your dollar at each shop.

 

If you can only buy a few items each week that are grown organically, it is better than none. Think carefully before leaping in saying “I can’t afford to buy organic produce”. The costs are sometimes hidden – think about the long term health costs of ingesting chemicals. A little organic can go a long way.

 

The Dirty Dozen (in order of contamination)
Apples
Celery
Sweet bell peppers
Peaches
Strawberries
Nectarines
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Blueberries
Potatoes

 

So if you only buy a few organic items each week – choose from this list.

 

The Clean 15 (in order of least contamination) - so don’t worry quite as much about buying non-organic from this list…
Onions
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Avocado
Cabbage
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Mangoes
Eggplant
Kiwi
Cantaloupe
Sweet potatoes
Grapefruit
Watermelon
Mushrooms