| I will never forget the day my mom told me to wash | | | | bad. I would have never guessed potatoes though. |
| strawberries. As a typical inquisitive 4 year old, I | | | | So what to do? Not eat these sprayed fruits and |
| asked, 'Why?' Because fruit pickers pick their nose | | | | veggies? Pretty much. Definitely do not feed them to |
| was her response. I then washed them - sometimes. | | | | your children. The body mass of a child is much less |
| Now as a 31 year old, I buy organic produce which | | | | than a fully grown adult. Thus, it does not take many |
| must mean it is free from boogers and by all means, | | | | non-organic strawberries to inflict potential harm on a |
| it best be free from pesticides. But as a med student | | | | little one. The best method is to buy these twelve |
| with a wife, two kids and a mortgage, the wallet | | | | organically. If you cannot, then wash them with the |
| feels stress when buying organic produce. | | | | pesticide-removing soaps they sell in good stores. |
| Demand has gone up for organic products, especially | | | | There will still be poisons harbored in the produce but |
| in Seattle, which has lowered the cost some; but not | | | | diminished at least. You can also peel apples and |
| enough during the rough financial times. | | | | other produce with skins but then you lose nutrients |
| So I find myself wondering which of the non-organic | | | | along with some pesticides. So you may as well then |
| veggies and fruits are the safest to eat? A | | | | go eat some plastic as it is toxic and has no nutrient |
| watermelon looks tough - it has a big thick skin. A | | | | value. Organic is the best bet. |
| juicy thin-skinned peach must be really tasty to bugs | | | | Spend your tight dollars on buying these twelve fruits |
| so the growers must spray the heck out of it. | | | | and vegetables organically - or keep them away from |
| This rationale obviously is not fool-proof and did not | | | | your kids. |
| put me at ease when buying non-organic produce. | | | | Now that you've purchased expensive organic |
| What to do? I enrolled in med school, got to the | | | | strawberries, what are the safest non-organic fruits |
| second year nutrition course and found out which are | | | | and vegetables? |
| the twelve most pesticide ridden fruits and | | | | Most Popular Fruits and Vegetables with lowest |
| vegetables. Good plan, Ben. $50,000 later I now | | | | pesticides: |
| know which twelve they are. | | | | - Asparagus |
| Being strapped on cash again, I needed to refresh | | | | - Avocados |
| my memory. In doing so, I thought I may as well | | | | - Bananas |
| benefit the public as well. This information is not new | | | | - Broccoli |
| but it definitely may be new to you. | | | | - Cauliflower |
| So which are the most toxic? This information is | | | | - Corn (sweet) |
| gathered from FoodNews and they gathered the | | | | - Kiwis |
| information from the Environmental Working Group | | | | - Onions |
| Most Popular Fruits and Vegetables with highest | | | | - Mangoes |
| pesticides | | | | - Papaya |
| - Apples | | | | - Pineapples |
| - Bell Peppers | | | | - Peas (sweet) |
| - Celery | | | | To save you writing all this down, I have provided |
| - Cherries | | | | the option for you to view the FoodNews Wallet |
| - Grapes (imported) | | | | Guide. Cut out the guide and stick it in your wallet. Go |
| - Nectarines | | | | shopping without having to guess.For those of you |
| - Peaches | | | | who want to know the details of the Environmental |
| - Pears | | | | Working Group's report on Organophosphates |
| - Potatoes | | | | Insecticides in Children's Food, you may view it. |
| - Red Raspberries | | | | Enjoy worry-free shopping. If there is anything that is |
| - Spinach | | | | on your mind, let me know. Ill do my best to anwer |
| - Strawberries | | | | your health questions. |
| So my rationale of thin-skinned produce was not all | | | | |