2016 Dirty Dozen Food List
I am huge on nutrition. Food is medicine. I live it, breathe it and eat it. And I encourage anyone that is looking to become healthier to look at their diet. Everything you put in your body has a direct affect on your wellness. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables will nourish you with various necessary vitamins and minerals.
The Environmental Working Group has published the Dirty Dozen list. The foods on this list contain the highest levels of pesticides and chemicals. I recommend eating organic as much as possible, and if you are purchasing foods from this list, please make sure they are. Some vendors at your local farmer’s market may have produce that is not certificated organic. Make sure they don’t use harmful chemicals and pesticides.
Strawberries are at the top of the list. The average American eats 8 pounds of strawberries a year. They contain dozens of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and have been banned in Europe. According to USDA tests, the residue of these chemicals can still be found on the strawberries after they have been picked, rinsed and washed before eating. For more information please read: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/strawberries.php
Dirty Dozen:
- Strawberries
- Apples
- Nectaries
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Cherries
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
*Plus kale and collard greens have traces of toxic chemicals and pesticides as well.
Summary of Key Findings:
- A simple sample of strawberries contains over 17 different pesticides
- A single grape and sweet bell pepper contain 15 pesticides
- More that 98% of strawberries, grapes, apples, nectaries and peaches contain at least one pesticide residue.
Here is a list of the clean fifteen. I always recommend organic, however, if that is not available these foods are least likely to hold toxic pesticides.
Clean Fifteen:
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn*
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Sweet pea frozen
- Onions
- Asparagus
- Mangos
- Papayas
- Kiwi
- Eggplant
- Honeydew Melon
- Grapefruit
- Cantaloupe
- Cauliflower
*Keep in mind that most conventional corn is genetically modified, to avoid purchase organic corn.
Summary of Key Findings:
- Only 1% of Avocados samples present any detectable pesticides
- Multiple residues are rare with the Clean Fifteen foods, only 5.5% of the samples had two or more pesticides
- No single fruit or vegetable tested for more than 4 types of pesticides.
For more information please refer to the EWG website.
With Love,
Carine
