Today, we’re diving into a hot topic in the world of fruits and veggies. Every year, the Environmental Group shares a list called the “Dirty Dozen.” This list names fresh fruits and veggies that have a lot of pesticides if they’re not grown organically. But the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) has something to say about that!
What The Environmental Group Is Saying
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is all about helping people and the environment. They tell us that non-organic, or regular, fruits and veggies can have stuff on them called fungicides, which might be bad for our bodies. They looked closely at a lot of data and said that 75% of regular produce might have these not-so-great pesticides on them. Yikes!
The EWG has two big lists they want us to know about:
- The Dirty Dozen for 2024: This list shows us the top 12 non-organic fruits and veggies with the most pesticides. The line-up includes strawberries, spinach, different kinds of leafy greens, grapes, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, peppers, cherries, blueberries, and green beans.
- The Clean Fifteen: These champs are fruits and veggies with the least pesticides. We’ve got avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, and lots of other tasty stuff that’s mostly free from bad stuff.
The EWG advises us to buy organic stuff from the Dirty Dozen list, and it’s cool to get organic or regular for the Clean Fifteen.
The Alliance for Food and Farming Speaks Up
The AFF is another group that cares about the farmers who grow our food, both organic and regular. They have a catchy thing they say every year called “A Dozen Reasons,” which is all about how awesome fruits and veggies are. According to the AFF, fruits and veggies are superstars for our health, making us live longer and preventing diseases.
Plus, they’ve got some research saying that if we all ate just a bit more fruits and veggies every day, we could stop lots of cancers from happening. The AFF tells us to eat what we like and what we can afford, organic or not. Washing the fruits and veggies before we eat them, like the FDA says, is a big help in getting rid of any tiny bits of pesticides, dirt, or germs.
The AFF is also proud to share a bunch of reasons why we should munch on apples, peppers, berries, cherries, grapes, green beans, leafy greens, peaches, nectarines, and pears. These goodies can help our minds feel better, make our skin glow, and keep our weight healthy.
That’s the scoop on the big debate about organic vs. regular produce. No matter what you choose, remember to give those fruits and veggies a good rinse, and enjoy the health benefits they bring to the table! Stay happy and healthy, everyone!