Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

A few years ago I undertook a course at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (online but it is based in New York) and the course covered so much ground on topics which traditional Nutrition courses neglect. Since I started there, I’ve been more and more aware of the dangers of pesticides on our food, pollutants and toxins in the air production and so have been trying very hard to eat mostly organic seasonal produce where possible. However,  as you know living in the modern world, sometimes this is just not possible and you may be forced to purchase foods which are not ‘perfect’, which can make one feel quite anxious (or is that just me?!).

One great tool I have come across is the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15” – which is basically, if you can’t afford or obtain organic ALL the time, there are certain foods you should only buy organic to reduce risk of chemical contamination, and also provides a list of other ‘safe’ foods that have less chemicals. Food that is grown without chemicals is the healthiest diet you can feed your body, and doing so can nourish your soul.

Dirty Dozen = foods you should NOT eat unless organic
Apples
Celery
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Grapes
Hot Peppers
Imported nectarines
Peaches
Potatoes
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet Ball Peppers
Kale/ Collard Greens
Summer Squash

Clean Fifteen – foods which have the least amount of pesticides used to create and sustain them.
Asparagus
Avocados
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Sweet corn
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi
Mangos
Mushrooms
Onions
Papaya
Pineapple
Sweet peas (frozen)
Sweet potatoes

Be aware of these Fruits and Veggies Treated with the MOST pesticides:
-HOT PEPPERS                    -LEAFY GREENS            – PEACHES              – CELERY          – CUCUMBERS          – APPLES                          -RASPBERRIES                    -GRAPES (IMP & LOCAL)    – STRAWBERRIES            – POTATOES            – PLUMS