The Clean Fifteen and a 5-Minute Habit
Last week I covered the Dirty Dozen— the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 12 recommended fruits and vegetables that should be organic whenever possible, due to the excessive pesticide use.
This week, I’ll give you the list of the Clean Fifteen—those fruits and vegetables that are low in pesticides. 
You may choose to buy organics in this list, however it’s not as critical. When budgeting for groceries, you may want to spend the extra money on those that are listed in the dirty dozen and save money by choosing the conventional produce listed here.
The Clean Fifteen
- Avocados
- Sweet corn*
- Pineapple
- Onions
- Papaya*
- Sweet peas (frozen)
- Asparagus
- Honeydew melon
- Kiwi
- Cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Cantaloupe
- Mangoes
- Watermelon
- Sweet potatoes
* A small amount of sweet corn, papaya and summer squash sold in the United States is produced from genetically modified seeds. Buy organic varieties of these crops if you want to avoid genetically modified produce.
When I shop, if the organic variety of what I’m looking for is of good quality, I’ll buy it. If it looks sad, or if it’s not available, I’ll buy conventional. I do my best to avoid conventional when buying produce on the Dirty Dozen list.
Buying local produce in stores and from farmers markets is fresher and more nutritious than produce shipped from afar. At farmers markets, you can inquire as to whether the produce is grown organically. Many times, it is.
A Healthy 5-Minute Habit
My most recent 5-minute healthy habit is one that is perfect for summer. I’ve been putting together a fruit salad after dinner as our dessert. 
It’s a sweet treat that is full of nutrients, fiber, and very satisfying.
Any combination of fruit works. Pick up what looks good when you shop and have fun tossing it together in different ways.
Much love,
Health Coach Carol
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.”—Miles Kington