Almost all food grown in the United States today is grown with at least one type of pesticide.These pesticides are used to increased yield for greater profitability, however that have also been found to have toxic effects on humans when ingested.
Ideally we could all buy and consume organic foods that are grown pesticide free. However, with a lower yield production, these foods come at a price to us. So when our pocket book can’t afford to buy everything organic, we can stick the buying the top 12 foods found to be highest in pesticides. The United States Department of Agriculture, Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group provide the following information.
The dirty dozen:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard & mustard greens
- Peaches
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Spinach
- Bell & hot Peppers
- Blueberries
- Green Beans
In general, fruits and vegetables with thin skins, high water content, or that are growing close to the ground, tend to absorb more pesticides and will have a greater contamination level than other fruits and vegetables that have thicker skins and grow higher above ground.
The top 15 safest foods to buy:
- Avocados
- Corn
- Pineapples
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet Peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Mangoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Watermelon
- Carrots