Organic/ Non-Organic Lists

This list I have taken from the Mind, Body, Green website. They post it regularly and I always seem to forget all of the details, so thought I’d repost it. Obviously we would all love to buy organic produce straight off of the farm but most of us to do not have the time, money, or interest. But for some people its a non-negotiable part of their budget. I do get annoyed when people get all victimy and blame the fact that they do not buy fresh veggies or fruits on the fact that they do not have a ton of money. If you go to the markets, it is plain to see that not everyone is rolling in the dough. I mean it is expensive, I get that. BELIEVE me I get that. And I get annoyed too!!! But also its about priorities. I chose to buy good food with my money. That is what is important to me and my husband. Especially now with the baby growing. We do not eat out a lot, never go to bars, do not drink alcohol, or buy cigarettes, I rarely shop, I do not get my nails done or color my hair. I buy mostly organic, thats my “vice” but one that is well worth it. In LA we are lucky because there are so many markets around in pretty much every neighborhood (except for the “hood”). But it takes effort and time to go to the farmer’s markets and sort through the stalls to find the best foods for the best prices. And it takes upkeep. In other words, you can only buy what you will use up quickly as the food has no preservatives and thus a short self life. When I am being good about going to the markets exclusively, I end up having to go at least twice to buy new veg and fruit. However, I fully believe in supporting your local farmers markets. Its one way we can say F-you to the food corporations that seduce us with their processed packaged goods. It’s a way to take back some control over what you put in your body and who you want to give your hard earned money to. It is also a great way to show your kids where real food comes from. Okay enough from me. Jeeeez. Here is a list of the dirty and the clean. Try to buyorganic from the dirty list. You can get away with buying conventional from the clean list if need be. Organic all the time is the best but hey we gotta pick our battles…

xoxox, McLean

The Dirty Dozen:
1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines (imported)
7. Grapes (imported)
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens

And on the flip side, here’s the “Clean 15” list of produce with the lowest amount of  pesticides. If you’d like to save some money on produce and not opt for organic, this list is a good place to start.

The Clean 15:
1. Onions
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe (domestic)
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms