Time to go organic for those kale wraps! Eco-nonprofit Environmental Working Group just updated its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides — and kale’s been added to the list of “Dirty Dozen” fruits and veggies.
That means “conventional” kale’s got more potentially harmful pesticides on it than a lot of other fruits and veggies do. So save up your money — or buy in season at the farmers’ market — and opt for organic versions of that dozen.
Kale took spinach’s spot, though since spinach has just dropped to the 14th spot of produce with the heaviest pesticide load, you’d be well off continuing to get your spinach organic certified if you can afford it.
I was most saddened to see that bananas were taken off the “Cleanest 12″ list that recognizes conventionally-grown produce with the least pesticides — until I remembered I get organic bananas anyway. The great news is that the “Cleanest 12″ list has been expanded into the “Cleanest 15″ in this edition. So while bananas are no longer on the list, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and papayas are. Yum!
Avoiding the dirty list and opting for the clean list really will help you decrease the pesticides you ingest by quite a bit. According to EWG’s analysis, “consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest.”
So download the FREE Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides here (PDF). You can also check out the full list of 47 fruits and veggies, plus get the full details on the methodology behind the list. If you’re still hungry for more info, look over last year’s guide.
Spinach, kale, and lettuce are all pretty easy to grow in cool weather so, if you have a sunny spot for a couple of pots, growing it yourself is a viable and pretty economical solution in the fall, winter, and spring. I’m still looking for the perfect lettuce variety that’ll grow well through the hot LA summers but for those near the coast where it’s a little cooler and more humid in the summer than it is here in Altadena lettuce might make it through the summer with just a little shade to protect it from the heat of the day.
Comment by sarahliz — March 10, 2009 @ 6:50 pm
Thank you for your efforts to educate people about developments that are taking place around organic. Please consider, though, buying organic is about more than keeping pesticides out of our bodies. It is about supporting a system of sustainable agricultural management that promotes soil health and fertility through the use of such methods as crop rotation and cover cropping, which nourish plants, foster species diversity, help combat climate change, prevent damage to valuable water resources, and protect farmers and farmers’ families from exposure to harmful chemicals. In this sense, buying organic is a commitment to the bigger, more complex picture of which our personal health is a part.
Comment by Organic Trade — March 11, 2009 @ 4:49 am
Buy it all organic kids….that’s the point. It’s for the health of the planet, not just the health of yourself.
jake’s last blog post..JacobFeldman: It’s 3am and I wanna go to bed…
Comment by jake — March 11, 2009 @ 4:53 am
This list is really going to help me because I am living in a developing country and certified organic is not readily available. It’s less carrots and more peas for me, I guess.
Martin’s last blog post..It’s A Boat Time We Got Serious About Plastic
Comment by Martin — March 11, 2009 @ 6:38 am
Organic Trade and jake — You and I — and most readers here — are in agreement. We are in a recession though, and as you know, many people start opting not to buy organic across the board. Perhaps I should’ve emphasized the option of buying more of the local, in-season produce that’s more affordable at the farmers’ market :)
The idea with this list isn’t just buying conventional whenever it’s less harmful for personal health, but making smarter food choices overall that’ll be better for the environment. People can use this list to decide what best to plant in their organic this spring, for ex :)
sarahliz — Thanks for the gardening notes! I think I’ve finally had to admit that my balcony garden just doesn’t get enough sun to grow anything but strategically-placed herbs, but many socalians should benefit from your timely advice :)
Comment by Siel — March 12, 2009 @ 1:33 pm