Often, my patients complain to me about the cost of organic food. Yet not too long ago, it was considered normal for the average family to spend 40% of their income on food.[i] In 1901, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey found that families from New York and Massachusetts spent 42.5% of income on food.[ii] Now it seems we want to spend less on food and more on material goods like cell phones and computers. Perhaps it’s not that organic food is too expensive, but that you might consider re-evaluating the cost of your health.

Over exposure to chemicals found in pesticides may negatively impact your overall health as well as your hormones in reproductive healthiii.

The best defense is to stop buying pesticide laden foods. The good news is that you don’t have to buy organic all of the time to be healthy. See below for a list of the “Clean Fifteen” fruits and veggies that you can take to the grocery store. They contain the least amount of pesticides in which you can eat freely and save money. Bon appetit!

CLEAN FIFTEEN

  • Onions
  • Sweet Corn
  • Pineapples
  • Avocado
  • Cabbage
  • Sweet peas
  • Asparagus
  • Mangoes
  • Eggplant
  • Kiwi
  • Cantaloupe
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Grapefruit
  • Watermelon
  • Mushrooms

 

References:

[i] T. Crozier, A. Stalmach, M. Lean, A. Crozier. Espresso coffees, caffeine and chlorogenic acid intake: Potential health implications  (Article) Food and Function (2012; 3(1):30-33

[ii] http://www.bls.gov/opub/uscs/1901.pdf

iii Reini W Bretveld, Chris MG Thomas, Paul TJ Scheepers, Gerhard A Zielhuis, Nel Roeleveld. Pesticide exposure: the hormonal function of the female reproductive system disrupted? Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 2006, 4:30