Summer is just a couple weeks away. Fruit salads and grilled veggies will be pushed into high gear. I always encourage people to try to shop organic when it comes to produce. Aside from a higher nutrient value in organically-produced produce, organic fruits and vegetables are grown without synthetic pesticides, petroleum-based or sewage sludge-based fertilizer (ick!). All that said, it's not always convenient or affordable to buy organic.
The real upside to conventionally-produced produce is that it's cheaper. Often times much cheaper. When it comes to pesticides conventional produce absorbs, this list varies greatly. Here is a breakdown of the "dirtiest" fruits and vegetables (conventionally-produced), followed by 15 of the cleanest (conventionally-produced).
Did You Know: Conventional produce is always coded to start with the number "4" or "3." Organic produce is always coded to start with the number "9." Genetically modified produce starts with the number "8."
Dirty Dozen (absorbs the most amount of pesticides)
Peaches
Celery
Apples
Bell Peppers
Cherries
Grapes (imported)
Nectarines
Pears
Potatoes
Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries
Clean 15 (absorbs the least amount of pesticides)
Onions
Avocado
Sweet corn
Pineapple
Mangos
Sweet peas
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Grapefruit
Sweet potato
Honeydew melon
