EWG’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Navigating the grocery store and shopping with your health in mind can be overwhelming and expensive. Eating 100% organic is almost always impossible because of factors such as availability, cost, and just wanting to live your life and have a little freedom! Each year, the Environmental Working Group releases a guide that is based off of an analysis from the government’s Pesticide Data Program report, which is a monitoring system for crops created back in 1991. The “Dirty Dozen” is a list of crops that have the highest contamination of pesticides while the “Clean Fifteen” lists out crops that are generally safe to purchase conventional. Use these lists as a guide for purchasing produce that will support you as you make choices at the grocery store AND help you not break the bank each time you shop.

We recommend that when shopping for produce you buy organic and local when possible. Farmer’s markets are a great way to support local businesses and find foods that are nourishing and also at lower risk of being contaminated. However, we recognize this isn’t always possible! Focus on the dirty dozen when shopping for produce and always make sure to wash your fruits and veggies thoroughly before consuming. It is important to always be intentional with the foods we put into our bodies <3