I will never forget the day my mom told me to wash strawberries. As a typical inquisitive 4-year-old, I asked, ‘Why?’ Because fruit pickers pick their noses, was her reply. I then washed them – sometimes.
Now, at 31, I buy organic products, which must mean they’re booger-free and definitely pesticide-free. But as a medical student with a wife, two children and a mortgage, buying organic products puts a strain on her wallet.
Demand for organic produce has increased, particularly in Seattle, which has brought costs down somewhat; but not enough in the tough financial times.
So I’m wondering which of the non-organic vegetables and fruits is the safest to eat? A watermelon looks tough – it has a big, thick skin. A juicy, thin-skinned peach has to be really palatable to bugs, so growers have to spray the fuck out of it.
This justification is obviously not foolproof and hasn’t put my mind at ease when buying non-organic products.
What should I do? I enrolled in medical school, did my second year of nutrition class, and found out what the top 12 fruits and vegetables most contaminated by pesticides were. Good plan Ben. Now, 50,000 dollars later, I know which twelve it is.
Since I was short on cash again, I had to refresh my memory. I thought that I could also benefit the public. This information is not new, but it may definitely be new to you.
So which are the most toxic? This information comes from food news and they collected the information from the environmental working group
Most popular fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticides
- apples
- paprika
- celery
- cherries
- grapes (imported)
- nectarines
- peaches
- pears
- potatoes
- Red Raspberries
- spinach
- strawberries
So my rationale for thin-skinned products wasn’t all bad. But I would never have thought of potatoes.
So what to do? Don’t you eat those sprinkled fruits and veggies? yes Never feed them to your children. A child’s body mass is much less than that of a full-grown adult. So it doesn’t take a lot of non-organic strawberries to cause potential harm to a little one. The best method is to buy these twelve organic. If that’s not possible, wash them with the pesticide-removing soaps they sell in good stores. There will still be toxins in the products, but at least they will be reduced. You can also peel apples and other produce with peels, but then you lose nutrients along with some pesticides. So you might as well eat some plastic as it is toxic and has no nutritional value. Organic is the best choice.
Spend your scant dollars to buy these 12 organic fruits and vegetables — or keep them away from your kids.
Now that you’ve bought expensive organic strawberries, what are the safest non-organic fruits and vegetables?
Most Popular Fruits and Vegetables with Lowest Pesticides:
- asparagus
- avocados
- bananas
- broccoli
- cauliflower
- corn (sweet)
- kiwis
- onions
- mangoes
- papaya
- pineapple
- Peas (sweet)
Um Ihnen das Aufschreiben zu ersparen, habe ich Ihnen die Option bereitgestellt, den FoodNews Wallet Guide anzusehen[SchneidenSiedenGuideausundsteckenSieihninIhreBrieftascheGehenSieeinkaufenohneratenzumüssenFürdiejenigenunterIhnendiedieEinzelheitendesBerichtsderEnvironmentalWorkingGroupüberOrganophosphat-InsektizideinKindernahrungwissenmöchtenkönnenSieihnsichansehen[CutouttheguideandstickitinyourwalletGoshoppingwithouthavingtoguessForthoseofyouwhowanttoknowthedetailsoftheEnvironmentalWorkingGroup’sreportonOrganophosphatesInsecticidesinChildren’sFoodyoumayviewit[SchneidenSiedenGuideausundsteckenSieihninIhreBrieftascheGehenSieeinkaufenohneratenzumüssenFürdiejenigenunterIhnendiedieEinzelheitendesBerichtsderEnvironmentalWorkingGroupüberOrganophosphat-InsektizideinKindernahrungwissenmöchtenkönnenSieihnsichansehen[CutouttheguideandstickitinyourwalletGoshoppingwithouthavingtoguessForthoseofyouwhowanttoknowthedetailsoftheEnvironmentalWorkingGroup’sreportonOrganophosphatesInsecticidesinChildren’sFoodyoumayviewit
Enjoy worry-free shopping. If you have something on your mind, let me know. I will do my best to answer your health questions.
in health,
ben
(c) 2005 Benjamin Lynch of HealthE Goods
Thanks to Ben Lynch
