The Clean 15: Fruits & Veggies Don’t Have to be Organic
Penny pinching is second nature as the recession wears on. We’ve grown accustomed to cooking at home, even to the point of really enjoying it. I try to buy organic whenever I can; produce, meats and dairy. But sometimes my budget is tight or I just can’t find enough organic to make a week worth’s of meals.
We have talked about the dirty dozen before. Fruits and vegetables that retain a high percentage of pesticides and other chemicals that are sprayed on it. But now the Environmental working Group is putting out a new list the Clean 15. Fruits and veggies that retain little of the chemicals they encounter. They are …
- Onions
- Avocado
- Sweet corn
- Pineapple
- Mangoes
- Sweet peas
- Asparagus
- Kiwifruit
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Grapefruit
- Sweet potato
- Honeydew melon
Many of these options have thick skins or outer layers that are easily peeled away. These are the areas that come in contact with pesticides. So if you’re looking to manage your budget or keep variety going through the fall and winter give these a try.
What do you think?
Lisa
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I _always_ disagree with these lists. It’s actually a big hot button with me. If your only goal of eating organic is to not have pesticide / fertilizer in your food, then sure this list is just fine. However, I’d like to think people are also concerned with the impact of pesticides, non organic fertilizers, etc on the rest of the environment. It’s not just about what you consume, but what is going back into the earth.
AO
AO,
I disagree heartily with you. Sure the ultimate goal is to get rid of bad chemicals and fertilizers all together. The family that buys organic and then spreads fertilizer all over their lawn is being pretty hypocritical. But you have to start somewhere. Several of the Dirty Dozen list are also the most popular produce purchased. It sends a pretty important message to BigAgra to stop using the bad stuff and figure out how to give us the good stuff. BUT, if you have a family who can’t afford it or doesn’t have access to organic as readily as some communities then you have to make compromises. This is one way you can compromise and keep your family relatively safe. It’s not the best choice, but it’s a better choice then just grabbing what looks good off the shelves.
Baby steps. Do one little thing, then do another little thing. We’ll get there. My biggest gripe with the eco movement is that we’ve been screeching for years because we feel how urgent it is we be heard. Well, no one responds to screeching …
I have to agree with Lisa. Not every family can choose to buy all of their foods organic, including myself. I buy as much as possible, but I am more likely to buy the “clean 15″ not organic. I buy organic milk and meats and whatever else I can. One step at a time…
I can see and agree with both AO and Lisa. It has taken some time for myself to switch over to organic produce when ever possible. I buy certain items (baby spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, berries, etc) organic, mainly the ones where the skin is eaten or more directly exposed to pesticides, etc. I agree with some items on the list above (avocados, melons) to buy conventional for the simple fact they are a cheaper choice when bought in season. It’s a major learning experience (learning to read labels properly) and does take time to adjust financially. Nowadays, I do not pick up conventional produce just because it is cheaper than organic. I am more self aware of the choices I make at the store, and even more happy to check out the local farmer’s market on Saturday mornings!