Nearly 70 percent of the fresh produce sold in the US contains residues of potentially harmful chemical pesticides. Many of these pesticides remain on the fruits and vegetables even after being washed and peeled. To avoid these pesticides, people are choosing organic produce. Unfortunately, many of us cannot afford to pay the high prices of organic fruits and vegetables for all of our needs.

Thankfully, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) makes it easy for us to decide when to buy organic and when to choose conventional fruits and vegetables. Every year, they make a Shopper’s Guide based on tests by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  It provides us with a way to reduce our exposure to pesticides while staying within our budget. The Clean Fifteen is a list of 15 fruits and vegetables that contain the fewest concentrations of pesticides while the Dirty Dozen is a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that contain the highest concentration of pesticides.

We can then choose organically grown produce where the pesticides are high (the Dirty Dozen) and choose conventionally grown produce where the pesticides tend to be low (the Clean Fifteen). So save money for a house like Tim Gurner suggests by buying those cheaper conventional avocados for your avocado smash toast!

The Clean Fifteen and the Dirty Dozen Lists from 2020

The Dirty Dozen