THE PULSE

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is a crucial part of a healthy diet. When you’re in the produce department at your local grocery store, you might find yourself wondering whether you should buy from the organic section.

The truth is, getting plants on your plate should be the priority. But some shoppers are concerned about pesticides found in non-organic produce. According to EWG’s 2022 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce™, more than 70 percent of non-organic produce contains residues of potentially harmful pesticides.

Every year, the EWG creates a list called the “Dirty Dozen,” which shows the twelve types of produce containing more pesticides than other crops according to their analysis of USDA data.

Organic food is often more expensive, so if you’re hoping to avoid pesticides but can’t afford to go all organic, these are the twelve items you may want to splurge on.

2022’s Dirty Dozen

Try to buy these organic when you can:

• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Kale, collard and mustard greens
• Nectarines
• Apples
• Grapes
• Bell and hot peppers
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Pears
• Celery
• Tomatoes