The New Dirty Dozen

The Environmental Working Group updated their "Dirty Dozen" list last week, the list of 12 produce items you should buy organic due to their high pesticide residue:

The 2010 Dirty Dozen

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

(FYI, lettuce, carrots and pears were formerly on this list...they have been booted by blueberries, spinach and potatoes)

In doing a little research for this post, I found a great blog post to help decipher the best way to clean produce before you eat it: "8 Ways to Wash an Apple."

On the flip side, here is the current Clean Fifteen, 15 produce items with usually low pesticide residue levels:

Clean Fifteen

1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet Potatoes

Using these two lists can help you target your grocery dollars to make effective organic food choices.

Speaking of choices, here are our meal choices for the week:

Broccoli Fritatta, Whole Wheat Toast, Blackberries
Shrimp and Grits with Romesco Sauce, Asparagus
Black Bean Tostadas, Sliced Avocado, Green Chili Rice
Grilled Lemon Garlic Halibut, Tzatziki, Greek Salad

Have a sweet week-
SPC