Your Groceries & The Dirty Dozen

In our post Stretching Your Wallet for Organics, we briefly touched on the the Dirty Dozen, the 10 produce items that get the most pesticide during growth. After further thought, we felt that this list deserves its own article to go into more detail.

Introduction:

Going raw can be expensive. It means loading up on a lot of produce, and sometimes going to the grocery store or local market more often than normal to get the freshest ingredients. In an additional effort to put only the most pure and wholesome goodies into your body, you should consider buying organic whenever you can. However, buying everything organic can be very expensive. So how do you choose what to buy organic and what to buy conventional? The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has developed a list to help you answer that question. Whether you are 100% raw or just up for preparing a raw meal, this Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides is a valuable resource.

More Details:

EWG researchers have confirmed that consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest. The growing consensus among scientists is that small doses of some pesticides and other chemicals can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.

According to a press release from EWG, Executive Director Richard Wiles says “Consumers can’t shop their way out of being exposed to toxic chemicals, but the Shopper’s Guide can help people make smart decisions that dramatically reduce their pesticide intake. The Shopper’s Guide is a must-have for expectant mothers and parents of young children. While the government ponders pesticide risks, parents need to know which fruits or vegetables might expose their child to a handful of toxic pesticides and which will not.”

If consumers get their USDA-recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables from the 15 most contaminated, they could consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest less than 2 pesticides daily. Do you need any more convincing? We hope not! We want all of our readers to be smart consumers.

Safe Alternatives:

If you cannot purchase the items on the dirty dozen list organic, consider these safer alternatives with similar vitamins and minerals (provided by The Daily Green, see Resources for link to article):

• Peach – watermelon, tangerine, grapefruit, oranges
• Apple – watermelon, bananas, tangerines
• Bell Pepper – green peas, broccoli, cabbage
• Celery – broccoli, radishes, onions
• Nectarines – watermelon, papaya, mango
• Strawberries – blueberries, kiwi, pineapple
• Cherries – blueberries, raspberries, cranberries
• Kale – cabbage, asparagus, broccoli
• Lettuce – cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
• Grapes (imported) – blueberries, kiwis, raspberries
• Carrot – sweet corn, sweet peas, broccoli
• Pear – grapefruit, honeydew melon, mangos

You can download the full list of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen at FoodNews.org. A couple grocery stores actually have this list on display for customers to see, but not everyone is hip to the game. Download this list, print it out and cut it out. It’s wallet size so no folding involved. Carry it with you always so you can be in the know every time you’re at your local market. For additional information, please check out our resources below.

Resources:

Shoppers Guide to Pesticides, http://www.foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf

EWG Updates the Shoppers Guide to Pesticides, http://www.ewg.org/newsrelease/EWG-New-Pesticide-Shoppers-Guide

The Daily Green: Top 10 Foods to Eat Organic http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods

By rawfoodnation Tags: clean fifteen, dirty dozen, Environmental Working Group, EWG, shopper's guide to pesticides
Posted in Lifestyle Tips | 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Your Groceries & The Dirty Dozen”

1. Marijean Horton says:

   November 23, 2009 at 2:17 pm

   Where do domestic grape fit in? Are they as “bad” as imported? I appreciate this information !!!Mj

   [Reply]

   

   admin Reply:
   November 26th, 2009 at 6:44 am

   Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape’s thin skin.

   Domestic grapes would definitely be the safer alternative. Otherwise try to buy them organic. Can’t find organic? Safer alternatives include blueberries, kiwi and raspberries.

   [Reply]