Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen

Trying to eat as clean as possible can be a daunting task with so much talk of ‘super foods’ versus toxic foods floating around. Today we know that eating organic food is the most healthful choice because these foods are grown as close to the most natural state as possible. Buying organic, especially for large families, can get expensive.

Since college, I started eating only organic, but travelling can make that commitment rather difficult. Some countries don’t label foods that are organic and some countries don’t have the funding to actually obtain the certifications, although the crops are grown in organic conditions. If you are lucky enough to live in a city with weekly farmer’s markets, then you should have no problem finding organic produce and the like. For those of us that have to visit a grocery store to shop for our food, then this list may be helpful.

Conventional produce is sprayed with toxic chemicals and pesticides. These contaminants are harmful to the body and can create a whole slew of life-threatening health problems. The chemicals used on the food are also found in the soil which can then be absorbed by the crops. What’s more, some conventional produce are genetically-modified. Genetically-modified, commonly known as GM or GMO, actually decrease the nutritional value in foods and may lead to harmful side effects. If you want to look more into the scandal of GM foods I suggest the documentary King Corn. Anyhow, here are the highly sprayed foods that I strongly urge you to buy organic:

The cleaner produce are sprayed the least and most have peels which at least protects the food a bit better. Here are the safer conventionally grown foods:

So there you have it! Print out the list and take it with you grocery shopping. Every dollar you spend is your vote to what you want more of. If we can be more conscious of how we eat, then not only will our health benefit, but our environment will as well.