Do you ever find yourself stuck between wanting to buy organic products & needing to keep your grocery bill low? If so, here is some information that may be able to help as you make decisions at the grocery store.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out a list of produce highest in pesticides each year. They state that by avoiding conventionally grown foods on this list (& buying organic instead) you can reduce your pesticide exposure by 80%! The top 12 are known as the “Dirty Dozen“ & are as follows:

• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Sweet bell peppers
• Potatoes
• Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale/Collard greens

In addition to the dirty dozen, it would be beneficial to avoid non-organic corn & soy products, as almost all of the non-organic varieties are genetically modified, as well aiming to buy natural & organic animal products (eggs, meat, & dairy if you eat it.)

The EWG also puts out a “Clean 15“ list, containing the fruits & vegetables with the lowest pesticides. These foods would be the least critical for you to buy organic, & are as follows:

• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Sweet peas
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Mushrooms

Many times you may find that as you eat out & buy packaged junk food less, affording organic food isn’t that hard at all. The investment of buying healthy food is well worth the pay off of feeling better & lowering your cost of health care.