Top Fruits and Veggies to Buy Organic

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), nonprofit environmental research organization based in Washington, DC, reports that you can lower your pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding conventional versions of the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables.

This EWG "Dirty Dozen" list, in order of most-to-least contaminated, offers a helpful way to prioritize which fruits and veggies to buy organic.

We suggest keeping this guide with your grocery list — especially if you’re trying to economize on groceries or have trouble finding organic versions of some produce. If you especially love one or more of these fruits or vegetables and eat them frequently, all the more reason to buy organic whenever you can.

1. Peaches

2. Apples

3. Sweet Bell Peppers

4. Celery

5. Nectarines

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Lettuce

9. Grapes (imported)

10. Pears

11. Spinach

12. Potatoes

So which produce is of least concern in terms of pesticides?The EWG reports that these 12 fruits and vegetables tested lowest in pesticide residue:

1. Onions

2. Avocado

3. Sweet Corn (frozen)

4. Pineapples

5. Mango

6. Sweet Peas (frozen)

7. Asparagus

8. Kiwi

9. Bananas

10. Cabbage

11. Broccoli

12. Eggplant