Strawberries are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to pesticide-infected foods. According to the Environmental working group studies, 90 percent of samples had tested positive for pesticides. Most of the samples contained two or more pesticides. And if pesticides are a concern, you’ll want to buy organic.
Strawberries are a great source of vitamins and they taste delicious, so if you are buying organic, there’s really no reason not to eat them – other than if you are allergic. Strawberries are loaded with Vitamin C, manganese, Folate, calcium, vitamin K, and potassium. They can reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Since pesticides are usually found on the surface of foods, fruits like avocados that have thick skins are usually protected from becoming exposed to pesticides - at least the part you eat. That being said, you can safely buy avocados without having to worry about consuming unhealthy pesticides because nobody is eating that outer layer of skin.
Avocados are plenty expensive as it is, so it’s not worth paying twice as much for one that is basically the same product. And even if you are concerned about GMOs, it’s worth noting that there are currently no genetically modified avocados on the market.
Spinach is loaded with pesticide residue by weight compared to most other vegetables given that the leaves of spinach are very light weight. Non-organic spinach often contains permethrin, which is a known neurotoxin that can pose harm to your health, particularly when you consume a lot of it over time.
The good news is that organic spinach is exceptionally easy to come by. Organic spinach can be found in both the fresh and the frozen aisles and there are so many ways to eat it. You can cook it, put it in a salad, put it in bread, or blend it in a smoothie.
Bananas are another fruit with a thick skin that you really don’t need to buy organic, and by the skin, we mean the peel, of course. And while you could eat the peel because it’s high in B12 and B6 vitamins as well as potassium and fiber, most people don’t do that because they don’t taste so great.
And there’s certainly no nutritional advantage to buying organic bananas. They are both low in fat and calories, and are a good source of natural sugars, fiber and vitamins. The organic and non-organic bananas are identical in almost every way except for the production methods used.
Even though apples have skin that protects the fruit inside, most people eat the skin so your exposure to pesticides with the non-organic variety is very likely. The peel is also so thin that it does not prevent pesticides from passing through the peel into the flesh of the apple.
Around 90 percent of apples contain pesticide residue. Most conventionally grown apples contain diphenylamine, a pesticide that is actually banned in Europe. You shouldn’t avoid apples, however, as they are a great source of fiber and antioxidants. They can improve brain and gut health, as well as promote weight loss.
Like bananas, since nobody is actually eating the skin, it’s going to be safe to buy a non-organic pineapple. The thick skin protects the fruit inside, so you don’t have to deal with the consumption of pesticides. And all varieties of pineapple are extremely healthy, a great source of vitamins and antioxidants.
In one cup of pineapple alone, an adult can get 100% of their daily value of vitamin C. On top of that, pineapple is rich in manganese, which is vital for human development, as well as the body’s metabolism and antioxidant system. Pineapple also contains bromelain, which helps digest protein and reduces inflammation in the body.
With peaches, you are close to certain in coming into contact with pesticides if you don’t buy organic. Both peaches and nectarines usually have around four different pesticides found on them and their thin layer of skin can easily penetrate the flesh of the peach or nectarine.
Around 99 percent of non-organic peaches were found to have pesticide residue. In addition to being a lot less toxic, organic peaches usually taste a lot better as well. Health benefits of organic peaches include improved immune system, heart health, eye health and improved digestion.
Out of every common fruit and vegetable you would find at your local grocery store, onions would have to be the best in terms of pesticide residue. Because of the outer layer skin that protects the onion, you will be exposed to a lot fewer pesticides.
According to a study from the Environmental Working Group, about 90% of onions do not contain any pesticide residue, meaning your exposure to pesticides would be extremely limited. Rest-assured, once you peel your onion, you’re pretty much good to go. And should your onion be exposed in any way, you could always take off another layer.
Conventionally grown tomatoes are often harboring a variety of pesticides. Up 15 different pesticides can be found in a single tomato. But most samples contained at least four as well as breakdown products. Luckily organic tomatoes are easy to find in fresh or canned form.
Organic tomatoes usually contain higher levels of nutrients too. The higher content of vitamin C, lycopene and other antioxidants acts as stress compounds that protect the tomatoes from being consumed by pests. Howe does it work exactly? The vitamins provide the tomato with a brighter color that wards off predators.
Broccoli is one of the safest vegetables because about 70% of samples in the study had no pesticides found on the non-organic options. And on top of that, only one in ten samples had more than one form of pesticide.
On another note: scientists have even developed a type of broccoli that is pest-resistant.
Your safest bet for getting the best-quality broccoli is to purchase the kind that looks the freshest. Broccoli can go bad fairly quickly, and that’s more likely to make you sick than any pesticide. It offers a ton of nutritional benefits including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber and potassium.
Around 95 percent of conventional celery samples contain pesticides. Up to thirteen different samples were found on a single celery sample in the EWG study. Because celery is so porous, they retain much of the pesticides they are sprayed with, making them unsafe for consumption.
When shopping for celery, pick celery stalks that are tightly packed and firm. They should not feel rubbery, otherwise, they are bad. The leaves should be a vibrant green color and not wilted. Also look for discoloration and spotting. Celery is rich in vitamins A, K and C.
Cabbage is often a safe bet when it comes to pesticide exposure because the vegetable leaves very little residue behind. On top of that, you can always remove the outer layers of the cabbage, as most due, and you’ll significantly lower your exposure to pesticides since any residue would be mostly found on the outer layer.
Cabbage also offers a ton of health benefits in its organic or non-organic form. The crisp, leafy vegetable has been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer. The purple variety of cabbage contains anthocyanins which are believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties. It’s also a great source of vitamins K and C.
Grapes are notorious for pesticides. In the samples of grapes from the EWG, around 96 percent contained pesticide residue. And in those samples there were five different pesticide residues found. Grapes are often vulnerable to all sorts of pests, so often farmers will use basically a cocktail of pesticides to keep the bugs at bay.
Organic grapes have also been found to have more nutritional value, containing more vitamin C and resveratrol than the standard variety. Eating organic grapes can improve your immune system, lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and bone health. Eating them can also help prevent cancer and diabetes.
The husk on corn naturally protects the kernels from exposure to pesticides. According to the Environmental Working Group’s study, only around 2% of corn samples were infected with pesticides. Now, if you are concerned about GMOs, then that is a whole other story.
There is a small percentage of sweet corn that is genetically modified, but there’s no evidence to indicate that GMOs are harmful to consumers, although some believe that consuming them causes adverse effects such as antibiotic resistance and toxicity but there’s not much evidence to support this notion.
Bell Peppers, as well as hot peppers like Jalapenos or habaneros, contain trace amounts of pesticides when you don’t buy organic. Tests showed that nearly three-fourths of pepper samples had pesticide residue. Given these statistics, Consumer Reports suggests you should always buy organic peppers.
Peppers are important to your diet, and you don’t have to eat the hot ones, because they contain many essential vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, potassium and folic acid. Peppers are great for eye health, helping reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. They also work to lower blood sugar.
