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Mar 22, 20233 min read

Have You Heard of The Dirty Dozen?

By Emily McGuigan I 22nd March, 2023



It's the year 2023, and as more and more people are becoming aware of the hidden nasties in the food we are consuming, we are also overwhelmed with where to even start when it comes to cleaner eating and being able to afford it.


It would require a lot of time and effort to research and uncover all the individual chemicals that are sprayed on our foods, along with the detrimental effects they can have on our health. It would be overwhelming for the average person to try and work it all out on their own. But what we do know as fact, is that chemicals are sprayed on most of the foods we consume, we know a large number of them could have negative impacts on our bodies and our health, and we know eating organic would be a better option for us and our families.


But where do we even start?


It's no secret that buying organic can be a costly event, especially if you are feeding a young family like me, when they are growing and are seemingly always hungry, and we can feel like we are constantly searching for something healthy to give them, the pantry is quickly bare again, and the bank account can take quite a hit.

So, if your budget is tight, and buying all organic simply isn't an option, we just have to get smarter.


Fortunately, we have non-for-profit organizations such as the EWG (Environmental Working Group) who are working to help us navigate our journeys to cleaner eating.

They provide us with an updated list each year on what they call The Dirty Dozen.

It is a guide based on samples tested by the USDA and FDA, on foods ready for consumption (meaning they have been washed, and/or peeled) and yet, chemical residues with known side effects, are still present in these foods.



Below is a list of the 2023 Dirty Dozen. These are the top 12 fresh produce items that had the highest amounts of pesticides and chemicals left on them, even after being washed and prepared. They are the foods that the EWG would recommend you buy organically if you can.



  1. Strawberries

  2. Spinach

  3. Kale, Collard and Mustard Greens

  4. Peaches

  5. Pears

  6. Nectarines

  7. Apples

  8. Grapes

  9. Bell and Hot Peppers

  10. Cherries

  11. Blueberries

  12. Green Beans


Here is a great place to start your journey to better health and less toxin exposure for you and your family. It's a simple and easy thing to swap these 12 items for organic and shouldn't break the bank in doing so.


For a more comprehensive report on these foods, follow the link below to go to their website:


There you will also find a list called the Clean 15. So, it's not all doom and gloom, this is a list of produce that they detected the lowest amounts of pesticides on.



  1. Avocados

  2. Sweet corn

  3. Pineapple

  4. Onions

  5. Papaya

  6. Sweet peas (frozen)

  7. Asparagus

  8. Honeydew melon

  9. Kiwi

  10. Cabbage

  11. Mushrooms

  12. Mangoes

  13. Sweet Potatoes

  14. Watermelon

  15. Carrots


Essentially, if you are on a budget and you have to buy conventionally grown produce, these are the ones that you could feel better about, knowing they don't contain as many nasties as the Dirty Dozen.


Final Thoughts. This is just a brief oversight into where you might start your clean eating journey for you and your family. Other options could also include growing your own foods in your own backyard, and maybe the foods on the dirty dozen could be the first ones you plant. But if that's not your thing, I think this guide could be really helpful in taking the first steps to reducing your toxic load.


I hope you enjoyed reading this.


Emily


References

EWG’s 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™

By EWG Science Team

MARCH 15, 2023

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