The Dirty Dozen
One of the topics I find myself talking about more and more often is the "Dirty Dozen.". The "Dirty Dozen" are the top 12 fruits and vegetables that test the highest in pesticide levels. You can read about them here and here and here. I thought it was pretty common knowledge what the dirty dozen were but the more I talk to people about the benefits of eating organically and saying, "Hey, if you're gonna pick some foods to eat organically, go with the dirty dozen for sure" and getting blank stares after saying that, the more I realized, well, it's not so common knowledge. So, here are the top 12 fruits and vegetables you should eat organically, or should I say the 12 worst fruits and vegetables to eat conventionally . . .to put it easily, EAT THESE ORGANICALLY!!!: One of the articles says that "The group estimates that individuals can reduce their exposure by 80% if they switch to organic when buying these 12 foods." (!!!)

1. Strawberries (more to come on these little guys soon!)
2. Apples
3. Blueberries (mostly imported)
4. Nectarines
5. Grapes (mostly imported)
6. Lettuce/Kale
7. Potatoes
8. Celery
9. Bell Peppers
10. Peaches
11. Spinach
12. cherries (domestic)

The interesting thing here is that based on where you look for the dirty dozen, you'll come across different foods. It could be that different articles separate different foods i.e. on some lists spinach/kale/lettuce are all in one category whereas in other articles they're 3 separate items, so the list that combines them would default to the next highest pesticide ridden food, like cherries. The other thing is that the list is supposed to be revised annually based on the most current testing information available.

So, if you can't wrap your head around an overhaul in your refrigerator and pantry from conventional to organic completely, start with the dirty dozen. Because hey, we all have to start somewhere!