Save Money: Don't Buy These Organic

Each year, the Environmental Working Group compiles a list of fruits and vegetables called The Clean Fifteen. Using information from a USDA database, the EWG has found the produce on this list to have the lowest residue from pesticides. This makes finding affordable, non-organic produce a little easier for those on a tight grocery budget.

The Clean Fifteen is a resource provided to consumers detailing the fifteen produce items with the least pesticide residue. These fruits and vegetables are considered to be the cleanest to eat without buying organic. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is good for health and buying non-organic is gentler on the grocery budget. Learn more about which food items have a starring role on the list and why that matters to your budget and health.

Meet the Clean Fifteen

Each item on this list was found by the EWG to have either little or no pesticide residue.

Avocado is at the top of the list, followed by sweet corn, pineapples, frozen sweet peas and onions. Papayas, kiwi, honeydew melons and cantaloupes round out the fruits on the list. The remaining vegetables are eggplant, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and mushrooms.

The Clean Fifteen and Your Budget

Eating organic produce can get pricey, with organic foods costing an average of 47% more than conventional items. For individuals who have concerns about pesticide residue in the foods they eat, The Clean Fifteen gives insight into which non-organic items to toss into your shopping cart. This allows for budget-friendly produce shopping without compromise.

The Clean Fifteen and Your Health

Research has found that conventionally grown produce isn’t dangerous to consumers’ health. That being said, each person has their own comfort level and The Clean Fifteen provides plenty of options to those who feel better eating foods with lower pesticide residue.

The most important message of The Clean Fifteen is this: If you want to improve your health, it is important to eat lots and fruits and vegetables. Fear of pesticides shouldn’t hold anyone back from meeting the American Heart Association’s recommended minimum of four servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables each day.