Which Fruits and Vegetables Have The Highest and Lowest Levels of Pesticides

When I go shopping I try to remember which fruits and vegetables have the highest and lowest levels of pesticides. I make sure I buy only the organic fruits and vegetables that have the highest levels and feel ok if I can only buy the conventional type of the fruits and veggies on the lowest levels. Here’s the list:

Highest Levels

Apples

Bell peppers

Celery

Cherries

Grapes (imported)

Lettuce

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Potatoes

Spinach

Strawberries

Lowest Levels

Asparagus

Avocado

Bananas

Broccoli

Cabbage

Corn

Eggplant

Kiwis

Mangos

Onions

Peas

Pineapple

Things to remember:

• Organic Standards in the United States differ from those abroad.
• Foods grown with high levels of pesticides are fed to animals we consume.
• Foods that did not make the list for high levels but are often grown with high pesticide levels are; winter squash, green beans, apricots,soybeans, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, rice, imported almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts and wheat.

We don’t have to get crazy about it but information is always good to have and gives us the ability to make educated choices.

Source: Clean Food by Terry Walters, Published 2009, Sterling Publishing Co. Inc.

This is a recommended resource for great clean food recipes!

Here is a recipe from the book:

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 bananas, mashed

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut

pinch of salt

1/4 cup semi-sweet dark chocolate chips (I like Trader Joe's chocolate chips)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In medium bowl, combine bananas, oil, syrup and vanilla. In separate medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, coconut and salt. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and blend until just combined (do not over stir). Fold in choc chips.

Drop batter by the heaping teaspoon onto the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place in oven and bake 14 min. or until lightly browned. Remove and cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 1/2 dozen.....Yum!