“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” — Michael Pollan
June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, an observance to promote growers and the grilling season. Buying in season local and organic produce is ideal but not always practical. When making choices about how to spend your grocery dollars, take into consideration The Dirty Dozen™ — twelve fruits and vegetables determined to have the highest levels of pesticide residues according to EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data in their 2024 Shopper’s Guide. Produce items to prioritize when choosing organic include:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Kale, collard & mustard greens
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Pears
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Bell & hot peppers
- Cherries
- Blueberries
- Green beans
EWG also identifies The Clean Fifteen™ – these fruits and vegetables were shown to have the lowest amounts of pesticide residues:
- Avocados
- Sweetcorn
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Papaya
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Mangoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Watermelon
- Carrots
LocalHarvest National Directory is a grassroots, online directory of over 40,000 family farms and farmers markets, along with restaurants and grocery stores that feature local food nationwide. Use it to search for area farms, farmers markets, CSAs, U-pick, farm stands and more.
Happy eating!
