This is the second part of our guide to cleaner eating when it comes to avoiding high pesticide levels in our fruits and vegetables. In the last post we broke down the "Dirty Dozen," meaning what foods you should buy organically-grown if you can. This is just a guide and if you are unable to access certain foods on the list that aren't organic, by all means still get them! The following is a list of 15 foods that you can consume knowing that they are nearly pesticide free, and you can save a few dollars too! After the list I'll make note of some other foods that fall in between in the spectrum so you can make the choice if you want to buy organic or conventional.
Avocados
Hooray! Honestly I'm thrilled that these are on the list. Avos are finicky and pricey to begin with, so the fact that their thick skin protects the fruit from pesticides is awesome. Out of all the avocados tested 99% of conventionally grown avocados had no pesticides.
Pineapples
Pineapples have a pretty impressive armor protecting them. It’s no wonder their spiny web of segments ward off invaders and any chemicals. A perfect after dinner sweet (and nutrient-dense) treat as pineapples contain a protease enzyme called Bromelain. Simply put, enzymes like this will help your body digest proteins more efficiently so you can absorb the nutrients more easily.
Onions
Not many critters like the taste of raw onions, so their natural sulfuric defenses make it so onions don't need to be sprayed. Onions are anti-oxidant power houses and great for immunity!
Eggplant
Eggplant is a wonderful low carbohydrate higher fiber versatile fruit. If you don’t like bananas (like me) they are a great source of getting potassium into your diet. Eggplants are technically a berry but also a nightshade. If you are frying: It’s good to slice and salt them before cooking so they release moisture and the solanine that can make it bitter.
Asparagus
You might be noticing a trend here.. the tougher the outer skin, the less pesticides are needed. Asparagus is an amazing prebiotic (food for the probiotics in your gut) and has a high amount of folic acid. Organic asparagus can get very pricy especially considering you lop of the ends. Great way to save money here!
Papaya
Papayas can also aid in digestion has anti-aging properties and fiber. Make sure papayas are fully ripe and yellow before you eat them to avoid naturally occurring latex. If getting Hawaiian papayas go organic if you can due to GMO use.
Cauliflower, Broccoli & Cabbage
Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage all have a pretty tough exterior that aren’t interesting to pests. If buying conventional cabbage just remove the outer leaves for some extra assurance. I love grabbing those $2.99 bags of chopped cauliflower and broccoli for a quick roasted dinner side after a long day. Cauliflower rice is also a great low carb alternative in dishes!
Cantaloupe & Honeydew
Some tough skinned melons right here. Sorry honeydew your pic didn‘t make the cut...
You would probably have to go to a natural grocery store to find these organically grown anyway, so no need to worry.
Frozen Sweet Peas 🥶
Yes, they have to be frozen! I think everyone grew up with these bags in the freezer. Mine were used mostly for bumps and bruises. If buying fresh sugar snaps, best to go organic.
Mushrooms
Oh the world of the magical mushroom! If you take a close look at our logo, you can see the oyster mushrooms on the tines of the fork. It was super important to Hannah and I that we incorporated an ode to mushrooms into the logo. The benefits of these fungi are nearly endless. Many future posts on the benefits of mushrooms to come, and what’s fantastic is you don’t need to buy organic.
Kiwi
We knew the fuzzy thick skin was good for something!
It’s best to peel it off when buying conventional as traces of pesticides can reside there.
So there you have it. The clean... “wait Amanda you only posted 14? You forgot one!”
Oh right.. corn. Well I didn’t actually forget. Technically the husk of sweet corn is said to prevent any pesticides from getting through. Here’s the truth, the whole reason why I started this website was to truly help people get well and get truthful information out to everyone I can! I truly believe that buying in season (think 4th of July!) organic sweet corn is the only way to go. Corn (and soy) are 2 of the most heavily genetically modified crops in existence and I avoid them at all costs. I will most likely go into depth on this in a future post!
As promised here are some in between fruits and vegetables that you can buy organic or not depending on your access and budget.
I’ll group them in my humble opinion!
Organic
Berries (or Wyman’s Wild Frozen Berries) www.wymans.com 🍓
Cucumbers
All peppers
Lettuces
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Watermelon
Plums
Conventional
Grapefruit
Bananas
Squashes
Oranges
Tangerines
Mangoes
I hoped this 2 part blog post was of interest to you and gave you some clarity on how to shop for produce. Below are some citations and sources for further reading! 🍴Amanda
This post is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease.
©️Control Your Fork
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