To be or not to be.....organic

Of course buying organic fruits and vegetables typically means spending more money. And more money is something few of us have these days. So does it make sense to go organic? And if you can't go all out with organic foods where should you draw the line, where should your money go? It can be confusing. That is with out good guidelines. Hence the "dirty dozen." These are the foods that when tested proved to have higher levels of chemicals than other foods. If you swapped your traditional foods for organic for just these 12 foods you could reduce your exposure to pesticides by up to 90%.

You can find the dirty dozen list from the Environmental Working Group on many websites and books (including Toddler 411). I just couldn't reference them all.

So without further ado...The Dirty Dozen

12 Most Contaminated
--Peaches
--Apples
--Sweet Bell Peppers
--Celery
--Nectarines
--Strawberries
--Cherries
--Pears
--Grapes (Imported)
--Spinach
--Lettuce
--Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated
--Onions
--Avocado
--Sweet Corn (Frozen)
--Pineapples
--Mango
--Asparagus
--Sweet Peas (Frozen)
--Kiwi Fruit
--Bananas
--Cabbage
--Broccoli
--Papaya

Also keep in mind that children today are exposed to more toxins in general, many we do not have control over, but we do have control over the food we buy. Pound for pound children consume more foods than adults and their little bodies may be even more sensitive to pesticides than ours. That being said the American Academy of Pediatrics has made no official guidelines about the need for organic food for children. However, my personal pediatrician (who is a regular MD not a holistic or homeopathic practitioner) did say it was one thing she wished she had done with her own children.

you can down load the dirty dozen list as a pdf or even iPhone app from here

for more information search "dirty dozen fruits and vegetables" or "dirty dozen organic"