When most people decide they want to go organic with their produce choices, they worry that it is an all-or-nothing sort of deal and they may not be able to afford to live that way. I am here to tell you that you can do pretty well in your organic quest if you know what to buy.
At the end of this post, there is a link for a printable (that’s FREE!) that you can print out to hang on your fridge and a portion at the bottom with wallet sized lists so you have them when you are at the store for quick reference.
The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15
What is the dirty dozen, you ask? The dirty dozen and the clean 15 are 2 lists of produce types that you should watch for or that are generally safe to buy conventionally (non-organic). As you have probably guessed, one of the biggest reasons people go organic is to avoid pesticides. It should be noted that organic does not always mean non-GMO, though.
This list of foods are what are rated to generally use the most pesticides in the industry and which types use less. Either way, you should always wash your produce before eating it.
The Clean 15 is a list of fruits and vegetables that you can generally feel safe about buying non-organic and the Dirty Dozen is a list of fruits and vegetables that you should strive to buy organic if possible. Having this list will help you pick and choose which ones you should prioritize if you are on a budget and can’t afford to buy all of your fruits and veggies organic.
Here are the lists below and the free printable is linked at the bottom as well.
The Clean 15:
Onions, Sweet Corn (watch for GMO!), Avocado, Pineapple, Mango, Sweet Peas, Eggplant, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Kiwi, Cabbage, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Sweet Potatoes and Honeydew
The Dirty Dozen:
Apples,Celery,Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Potatoes, Spinach, Strawberries, Blueberries and Sweet Bell Peppers
Get your FREE printable for the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen here. You can just download it to your computer and print for later or you can print from the doc right now! The bottom section is small and can fit in your wallet for on-the-go reference.
More Healthy Eating Tips:
[…] Skip organic on certain foods- While organic is best, you can get away with buying conventional veggies by just avoiding the dirty dozen and buying the clean 15. These are fruits and vegetables with the highest and lowest pesticides. Check out my printable clean 15 and dirty dozen chart. […]
[…] the Clean 15- If you can’t do all organic, at least shop the clean 15 and buy organic for the dirty dozen. I also save a lot by shopping the section of my local Fred […]