The 'dirty dozen'

Since no nutritionist's blog is complete without a reference to the most contaminated fresh produce, I thought I'd get this in early!

The present economy is forcing us to make the most out of each dollar (or pound!), and so 'buying organic' has, in many families, had to take a back-seat. In this context, I find the list of the 12 most contaminated produce maintained by The Environmental Working group to be an essential prop to any grocery store round ... in fact, the truth be known, I live by it. Wherever possible, my organic purchases are determined by whether my product of choice is cited on the 'dirty dozen' list ... if it is, I fork out the extra pennies, and if it isn't, I buy the cheaper, conventional counterpart (with a clean conscience!). For the record, the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables (from worst to less-worse!) are:
Peach, Apple, Sweet Bell Pepper, Celery, Nectarine, Strawberries, Cherries, Kale, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Carrot and Pear.

If you have an iphone, there is an app provided by the Environmental Working Group which provides both the 'dirty dozen' and the 'Clean 15' on (www.foodnews.org) so you will never again be in a grocery store without these lists ... too easy?!!