The Dirty Dozen

One of the most popular non-profits The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that you can lower your pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding conventional versions of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

According to the EWG, "One of the biggest myths out there about organic is that it's automatically more expensive. However, in some cases, cost can be prohibitive for some families, so it's always good to be able to make an educated decision about where to focus your greenbacks. If you'd like to at least get a little greener at the grocery store."

Use this EWG "Dirty Dozen" list (in order of most-to-least contaminated) as a helpful way to prioritize which fruits and veggies to buy organic.

Print this list and keep it with you when you shop.

Most contaminated:

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet Bell Peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Lettuce

9. Grapes

10. Pears

11. Spinach

12. Potatoes

You may have noticed, that many of these are thin-skinned items that we frequently eat unpeeled. I'm sure you can figure out why they would be more pesticide-packed versus things like citrus fruits that have a thicker skin that may not absorb quite as much of the "yukkies".

So which produce is of least concern in terms of pesticides? The EWG reports that these 12 fruits and vegetables tested lowest in pesticide residue:

1. Onions

2. Avocado

3. Sweet Corn (frozen)

4. Pineapples

5. Mango

6. Sweet Peas (frozen)

7. Asparagus

8. Kiwi

9. Bananas

10. Cabbage

11. Broccoli

12. Eggplant