We’re told time and again to eat vegetables and fruit in order to be healthy, but with all the pesticides used in agriculture nowadays we’re eating a lot of stuff that’s not good for us at all:
Of the 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides used annually in the US, less than .01% actually reach their intended targets--the bugs! Obviously they are completely contaminating our food, and the consequences are disastrous, with numerous national and international government agencies acknowledging the connection to various health problems--nervous system toxicity, cancer, hormone system effects, and irritation of skin, eyes, and lungs among them.
Unfortunately, due to cost and availability, organic food which is grown without any pesticides, is not a plausible option for every family. Thankfully, the Environmental Working Group has put together a ranked list of the 49 most purchased produce items, based on laboratory tests conducted by the US Department Of Agriculture Pesticide Testing Program. So if you can't get organic, at least you know which foods are the safest, and which should be avoided.
View the EWG's full list of 49 produce items here and a handy pocket shopping guide with the "Dirty Dozen" worst and "Clean 15" best of the list here.
Curious about what’s the worst vegetable you could possibly eat?
Celery.
Thankfully, I don’t like celery, but it’s followed by peaches and strawberries, two of my favorite fruits. Onions top the ‘best’ list, and I love onions, but how am I supposed to replace a nice serving of strawberries with an onion?
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