12 Fruits & Veggies to Buy Organic (and Save Money Too)
To help shoppers make informed choices at the grocery store, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit dedicated to educating consumers about commonplace but potentially dangerous chemicals, tested pesticide residue on common fruits and vegetables. The lists they created from their research serve as a great money-saving cheat sheet:
12 Fruits & Veggies Highest in Pesticides (Try to Buy Organic)
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Lettuce
- Grapes - imported
- Pears
- Spinach
- Potatoes
12 Fruits & Veggies Lowest in Pesticides (Don’t Sweat If It’s Not Organic)
- Onions
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn - frozen
- Pineapples
- Mangoes
- Sweet Peas - frozen
- Asparagus
- Kiwi
- Bananas
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
- Eggplant
EWG offers a more detailed downloadable PDF guide that you can print out and take shopping. The other good news is that our family taste tests, the “try to buy organic” foods like peaches, apples, and strawberries taste much better than their higher-in-pesticide counterparts. And the ones lowest in pesticides like onions or cabbage taste just as good as organic.
