The Clean 15

The Clean 15 is the opposite of The Dirty Dozen! These are the top 15 fruits and veggies in the Environmental Working Group's list that are least likely to be contaminated by pesticide residues:

1. onions (even though it is not necessary to buy organic onions due to their pesticide residues, I find they taste much better!)
2. avocado
3. sweet corn
4. pineapples
5. mango
6. sweet peas
7. asparagus
8. kiwi fruit
9. cabbage
10. eggplant
11. canteloupe (rock melon)
12. watermelon
13. grapefruit
14. sweet potatoes (kumara)
15. honeydew melon

It is interesting to note that nearly all the studies on which this list is based tested produce after it had been rinsed or peeled.

You can download your wallet-size guide here

Even though this is a US-based list, it is good food for thought. I will try to find a similar NZ list as I know that there are some pesticides that are still in use in NZ that are banned in the USA. If you have any info on this, please let me know!