Be Picky With Your Produce
Summer hasn’t really started until tomatoes reappear in local farmers’ markets. – Jose Andres Puerta
Summer is the perfect time to crave cool and refreshing fruits and vegetables! Seasonal Farmers’ Markets now display a bounty of produce, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm shares are in full force and backyard gardens are thriving. If you have any of these options in your community, take advantage! The less time from soil to salad plate, the more nutrients you can obtain from your produce.
Although these local crop options are becoming more popular, not all communities are as blessed. If you do not have a local farmer’s market, CSA or space for your own garden, there is still an abundance of fruit and vegetables at your local grocery store. Keep in mind, however, most of this produce may be conventionally grown. This means crops are sprayed with pesticides to keep a longer shelf life for their travels across the country. Pesticides are toxic chemicals with real health risks. Don’t expect to completely “wash away” these chemicals either. When sprayed on crops, the pesticides can remain on the skin and even absorb into the flesh of the produce. For this reason, it is best to buy organic and local when possible.
Unfortunately, choosing organic for everything can get expensive. But, you can still pinch pennies and avoid pesticides at the same time! Below is a list of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. The Dirty Dozen is a list of crops that are highest in pesticide residue and are best to buy organic. The Clean Fifteen is a list of crops with the least amount of contaminants. Save money on the Clean Fifteen but splurge for your health and buy organic when it comes to the Dirty Dozen:
Dirty Dozen
Apples
Blueberries
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot peppers
Nectarines
Peaches
Peppers (green, red, yellow, orange)
Potatoes
Snap peas
Spinach
Strawberries
Clean Fifteen
Asparagus
Avocados
Cabbage
Cantaloupe (domestic)
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mangoes
Onions
Papayas
Pineapples
Sweet corn
Sweet peas (frozen)
Sweet potatoes
Think clean or organic on your next shopping trip and you’ll reap the benefits!
Resources:
http://www.ewg.org/