Which Fruits & Veggies Are the Most Important to Buy Organic?

apples at the farm

Avoiding Pesticides in Fruits & Vegetables

It's true -- organic produce can cost a bit more than conventional. So where should you put your organic consumer dollars? Use those shopping dollars to avoid the conventional fruits and vegetables that have shocking levels of pesticides.

Meet the Dirty Dozen Plus™; the fruits and veggies MOST laden with pesticides by conventional growers. If at all possible, buy these organically grown. Thanks to the Environmental Working Group for creating the Dirty Dozen Plus™, based on their annual testing of pesticide levels in fruits and vegetables.

  1. Strawberries
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale, Collard Greens & Mustard Greens
  4. Nectarines
  5. Apples
  6. Grapes
  7. Bell and Hot Peppers
  8. Cherries
  9. Peaches
  10. Pears
  11. Celery
  12. Tomatoes
Tricia talks to Chris from Chaffin Family Orchard
Shop an organic farmers' market with Tricia in our video. Wondering who gets to say what is and is not "organic"? Tricia explains that too, and we decipher the alphabet soup of those organizations in another article. Please consider sharing this with your friends who don't always buy organic.
Oh, and if you want some good news, check out the Clean Fifteen™ -- conventional fruits and veggies with low levels of pesticides.
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