The New Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Are Here

Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of the "Dirty Dozen," or the fruits and vegetables the nonprofit claims have the highest amount of pesticides when grown conventionally versus organically.

The EWG has compiled the list annually since 2004 based on internal data that's not peer-reviewed. Using 40,900 samples for 47 different types of produce, the EWG found these twelve had the most pesticide residue:

The 2019 Dirty Dozen Foods List

Strawberries

Spinach

Kale

Nectarines

Apples

Grapes

Peaches

Cherries

Pears

Tomatoes

Celery

Potatoes

IMO: The biggest problem is that 50% of Americans don’t eat enough fiber, nor do we consume recommended amounts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, minerals that are found in — you guessed it — vegetables and fruit. What’s worse? Less than 10% of us are actually meeting our needs for recommended servings of vegetables and fruit.

When we demonize a specific food (or 12 foods) that, on the whole, is beneficial for health, we’re laying the groundwork for avoiding veggies and fruit — a trend that's taken off with diets like keto. So regardless of whether or not you buy organic produce, here are two things we should all know about produce:                 

                                                                                 

Consider eating more. Period. Simply choose more veggies and fruit at meals or snacks and you’re already on the right track to better health. They displace other, more processed food on your plate that may not be as nutritious.

Think about whole foods vs. fresh foods: Whole describes the best form in which to eat fiber-filled fruit and veggies: fruit instead of fruit juice, vegetables instead of veggie chips, baked potatoes instead of fried ones … you get the point. It'll help you cut back on saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. This can include frozen and canned produce, so fresh isn't the only way to go.

The 2019 Clean Fifteen Foods List

If you're concerned about pesticides, the EWG also publishes a list of the "Clean 15," a.k.a. the produce from conventional growers that generally had less residue in the group's tests. This year they are:

Avocados

Sweet corn

Pineapples

Frozen sweet peas

Onions

Papayas

Eggplants

Asparagus

Kiwis

Cabbages

Cauliflower

Cantaloupes

Broccoli

Mushrooms

Honeydew melons