A couple of weeks ago, we posted The Dirty Dozen – 12 foods that are recognized by the Environmental Working Group as being heavily sprayed with Pesticides.
One of our astute readers asked the obvious question – “what are the 12 that are least sprayed”?
In fact, the EWG lists what they refer to as the “Clean 15” – the top 15 foods that have very low pesticide loads associated with them. Without further ado, here are the Clean 15:
- Onion
- Avocado
- Sweet Corn (frozen)
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Asparagus
- Sweet Peas (frozen)
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Papaya
- Watermelon
- Broccoli
- Tomato
- Sweet Potato
If you’re interested in minimizing your exposure to pesticides, the best approach is to buy certified organic fruits and vegetables. To obtain “certified organic” status, there can be zero exposure to pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. But sometimes, organic fruits and vegetables are more difficult to come by, especially in the dead of a Canadian winter. In that case, the Clean 15 are your best choice.
Happy eating!