The so-called “dirty dozen” are the products most likely to be contaminated by pesticide residues, thus the best ones to buy organic. The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit research organization, came up with this list in 2006. If you can’t afford to buy everything organic, these are the items you should probably invest in first.
A good rule of thumb is: if it has a thin skin, buy organic. Something like a banana, however, has a thick skin, and so the food inside the skin is less susceptible to pesticides or other contamination. If you’re looking to save money, buy your thin-skinned products locally and your thick-skinned fruits and veggies wherever you’d like.
All information courtesy of the Environmental Working Group. www.ewg.org. —Diane Ivey
The dirty dozen. Better buy organic:
Peaches Apples Sweet Bell Peppers Celery Nectarines Strawberries Cherries Pears Grapes (imported) Spinach Lettuce Potatoes
The 12 safest to buy anywhere:
Onions Avocado Sweet corn (frozen) Pineapples Mango Asparagus Sweet peas (frozen) Kiwi fruit Bananas Cabbage Broccoli Papaya