Shopper's Guide to Pesticides

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) came out with a shopper's guide to pesticides. See the list below:

The Dirty Dozen (worst to worse):

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries (domestic)
6. Nectarines
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale/Collard Greens
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)

The Clean Fifteen:

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn (Frozen)
4. Pineapples
5. Mango (Subtropical and Tropical)
6. Sweet Peas (Frozen)
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi Fruit (Subtropical and Tropical)
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe (Dometic)
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potatoes
15. Honeydew Melon

Realistically, most people cannot afford to buy 100% organic all the time. But by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and buying the least contaminated produce, you can lower your pesticide consumption by 80%. When you eat the 12 most contaminated product, you'll be exposed to an average of 10 pesticide a day. When you buy fresh produce from the least 15 contaminated fruits and vegetables, you'll consumer fewer than 2 pesticides per day.

Children are at greatest risk because of their rapid development. Children's exposure to pesticides can pose a risk to vital organ systems that grow and mature from conception throughout infancy and childhood. However, with all that said, the EWG writes that the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweighs the risks of pesticide exposure. Eating conventionally grown produce is better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all.