Getting down and dirty...and clean

If you are like me, I feel like I should carry smelling salts when heading to the grocery checkout counter these days. I joke that it seems like every single item is at least $5 and honestly, its not that far from the truth. You know how when you go to places like Costco or Home Depot, you can pretty much feel your wallet getting pinged just as your foot crosses the threshold? Same with groceries these days. Add to that, if you want to buy heathy food, which we know is pricier than unhealthy food because of how off-kilter our food system is here in the U.S., and you are swimming further upstream. And on top of that, you say you want to buy more organics? Houston, we have a problem.

Well, we do and we don’t. I subscribe to the let’s-do-the-best-we-can mentality in many areas of life. Eating healthily is one of them. The truth is, I’m not going to buy everything organic because my wallet would be crying for mercy. I’m not going to eat perfectly healthy, perfectly portioned meals (ha) much of the time, going out to eat with all of it’s extra salt, fat and expense is going to happen because my social circle factors into my good mental health, and a bright orange cheese curl is going to pass my lips from time to time. it’s just life. Balance is key, balance is better than perfection. Balance is its own perfection, actually. 

Happily, we have the EWG-Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), helping out with some balance in our lives and our food receipts. Every year they publish their Dirty Dozen list of fruits/veggies that top the laden-with-pesticides list and to counter that, their Clean 15 list of ones that rate much better. All this info works to protect you from exposure to toxic pesticides and helps you prioritize spending…or not spending.

Pro tip: you’ll notice that most of the Clean 15 list contains fruits and veggies with thicker skins or skins that we don’t consume. Those help protect the flesh from pesticides. 

Yearly lists for the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 are generally released in early spring (so stay tuned for the 2024 list).

2023 Dirty Dozen

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

2023 Clean 15

1.Avocado

2.Sweet Corn

3. Pineapple

4. Onions

5. Papaya

6. Sweet Peas

7.Asparagus

8. Honeydew melon

9. Kiwi

10. Cabbage

11. Mushrooms

12. Mangos

13. Sweet Potatoes

14. Watermelon

15. Carrots

Once you get your delicious produce, here are some tips for washing your fruits and vegetables, per the College of Naturopathic Medicine:

1. Always wash your fruits and veggies, all kinds, whether organic or conventional. 

2. Give bagged greens/salads a wash at home, even if labeled already washed. Bagged salads are a breeding ground for E. coli and other bacteria.

To effectively wash:

Soak in a salt water solution for 20 minutes, follow with water rinse.

or

Soak in a baking soda/water bath (2 cups of water plus 1 teaspoon of baking soda) for 15 minutes. Follow with water rinse. 

or

Soak in a white vinegar/water bath (4 parts water to 1 part vinegar) for 20 minutes. If cleaning berries, only soak for 5-10 berry, depending on how delicate it is.