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Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet: Foods to only buy organic

Anna Guyer | 02.06.10

Buying 100% organic produce is something to aspire to, but it isn't always possible. Access to organic produce may be limited where you live. Sometimes, though not always, buying organic is more expensive and families have to make choices based on budget. Living a green lifestyle often demands a bit of a balancing act.

That's where being an educated consumer is important. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has a Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to help people make smart decisions when choosing fruit and veg. Knowing which have the most pesticide residues puts you in control of reducing your intake of harmful chemicals which EWG says have been linked to a variety of health problems, including: nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone system effects, and skin, eye and lung irritation.

According to EWG, "you can lower your pesticide consumption by nearly four-fifths by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and instead eating the least contaminated produce."

That's significant.

Check out their site for a downloadable list, or a link to their iPhone app.

Meanwhile, artist Heidi Kenney was inspired by EWG's list and has illustrated and created a handy "Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet."

Carry it in your wallet and you'll always know the top fruit and veg you should only buy organic, as these are the highest offenders in pesticide residue. On the other side is a list of fruit and veg with the least amount of pesticide residue, so these are safer to buy when organic isn't an option.

You can download Heidi's Dirty Dozen Cheat Sheet here.

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organic veg, pesticides, organic fruit, environmental working group, heidi kenney