The Dirty Dozen – How to Shop Organic on a Budget

You would like to eat organic food but is it possible to eat organic on a budget?

Each year the Environmental Working Group publishes a shopper's guide to pesticides in produce called The Dirty Dozen. I have personally relied on this list year after year to navigate the world of organic vs. conventionally grown foods.

In your quest to consume 5-7 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruit per day (that IS your quest, right?) you should be aware of the amount of harmful pesticides you are potentially consuming as well.

As much as I would love to tell you all to only buy organic and ideally organic that is grown close to home, I am realistic and I know we can't all afford all organic all the time. That's why this list is your new best friend.

The list is split into two sections:

The Dirty Dozen (+) – Produce that has the highest levels of pesticide use. You should buy these items organic.

For 2013 The Dirty Dozen is as follows:

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Celery
4. Cherry Tomatoes
5. Cucumbers
6. Grapes
7. Hot Peppers
8. Nectarines (imported)
9. Peaches
10. Potatoes
11. Spinach
12. Sweet Bel Peppers
13. Collards and Kale (pesticides of special concern)
14. Summer Squash and Zucchini (pesticides of special concern)

The Clean Fifteen – Produce that has the lowest levels of pesticide use and can be bought conventionally grown.

For 2013 the Clean Fifteen is as follows:

1. Onions
2. Pineapple
3. Avocados
4. Cabbage
5. Sweet Peas (frozen)
6. Papayas
7. Mangoes
8. Asparagus
9. Eggplant
10. Kiwi
11. Grapefruit
12. Cantaloupe
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Mushrooms
15. Corn

Environmental Working Group has a handy app for your phone. Simply check the app while shopping to determine which produce you should absolutely be spending a bit more to assure it's organic and which you can go ahead and buy conventional.

You can also download the PDF file of the list here: EWG DIRTY DOZEN