How Safe is Your Non-organic Fruit?

I was just at the grocery store, drooling over all the beautiful nectarines, apricots and peaches that are out and looking ripe, juicy and utterly delicious. But I always wonder, is it safe to eat if it’s not organic? My friend, Dawn, a Key West artist, has always been a big proponent of eating healthy, which means organic food to her, and most people.

But do we have to eat organic? Dawn sent me a print out from a magazine article about what non-organic fruits and vegetables are OK to eat, and what should always be bought organic. A lot of people don’t have the luxury of buying organic food because it can be pretty pricey. I happen to be one of them,  but when you think of pesticide residue going into your body, I guess I can’t really afford that either because one day I may be paying for it with my health.

I wondered, do pesticides really hurt you? How could a beautiful apricot be bad for me?

It looks so innocent. Apricots didn’t make the dirty dozen list, so there’s hope!

There isn’t much research on how harmful pesticides are when ingested with fruits and vegetables,  but there has been research on people who work with pesticides — either applying them, or picking the fruit –and that shows pesticide exposure definitely hurts you. I thought this article in Consumer Reports  called, “Eat the Peach, Not the Pesticide,” was pretty good.

I did some research and it looks like the article Dawn sent me was also in some other publications, like this one from 2010 on PBS So Cal. There is The Dirty Dozen, which you should always buy organic, and The Clean 15, which don’t need to be organic.

I’m listing them because it helped me and hopefully it can help you. I just broke down and spent the extra buck fifty for organic strawberries at Costco yesterday, so I’m hoping the more common organics become, the less expensive they’ll be! Thanks Dawn. (Writing about food is much more pleasant than tackling politics!)

The Dirty Dozen (Always Choose Organic)

1. celery
2. peaches
3. strawberries
4. apples
5. domestic blueberries
6. nectarines
7. sweet bell peppers
8. spinach, kale and collard greens
9. cherries
10. potatoes
11. imported grapes
12. lettuce

There was a slightly different list on the publication she sent me. It didn’t include domestic blueberries, but did include tomatoes and hot peppers. It didn’t specify imported grapes — just grapes, and it included pears.

The Clean Fifteen (Doesn’t Need to be Organic)

1. onions
2. avocados
3. sweet corn
4. pineapples
5. mango
6. sweet peas
7. asparagus
8. kiwi fruit
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. cantaloupe
12. watermelon
13. grapefruit
14. sweet potatoes
15. sweet onions

And on this list,  watermelon  is listed as clean, but on the list Dawn sent, honeydew melon and cauliflower are listed as clean, which are not on this list. But overall, the lists were very similar.

Listen, don’t worry too much. Just go shopping and buy a juicy, (hopefully) organic nectarine, take a big bite, let the juice roll down your face and savor the sweetness. Now that’s summer! Hope you had a Happy Summer Equinox!