Every year the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org) looks at the fruits and vegetables in our markets to determine which conventionally grown (not organic) produce contain the most and least chemical pesticides.

The 2019 report found that nearly 70% of the produce tested was contaminated with pesticide residues.  Strawberries, spinach and kale are often the worst offenders.

The most surprising news from the USDA tests reveals that the popular health food, kale is among one of the most contaminated vegetables. More than 92 percent of kale samples had two or more pesticide residues detected, and a single sample could contain up to 18 different residues. The most frequently detected pesticide, found on nearly 60 percent of kale samples, was Dacthal, or DCPA – classified by the Environmental Protection Agency since 1995 as a possible human carcinogen, and prohibited for use in Europe since 2009.

Before testing, all produce was washed and peeled, just as you and I would prepare food for ourselves.  You guessed it; simple washing does not remove all pesticides.  However, cooking does tend to reduce the amount of pesticides consumed.

EWG’S DIRTY DOZEN FOR 2019

1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Peaches
8. Cherries
9. Pears
10. Tomatoes
11. Celery
12. Potatoes

Each of these foods tested positive for a number of different pesticide residues and contained higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce. Key findings:

• More than 90 percent of samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines, and kale tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides.
• Multiple samples of kale showed 18 different pesticides.
• Kale and spinach samples had, on average, 1.1 to 1.8 times as much pesticide residue by weight than any other crop.

But don’t fear; there is some good news.  Not all fruits and veggies receive this grim report.  Avocados and sweet corn tend to be the cleanest crops with less than 1 percent of samples showing any detectable pesticides.  Below is a list of fruits and veggies from the Environmental Working Group having showed the least amount of pesticide residues.

EWG’S CLEAN FIFTEEN FOR 2019

1. Avocados
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Frozen sweet peas
5. Onions
6. Papayas
7. Eggplants
8. Asparagus
9. Kiwis
10. Cabbages
11. Cauliflower
12. Cantaloupes
13. Broccoli
14. Mushrooms
15. Honeydew melons

Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticide residues. Some additional key findings:

• More than 70 percent of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had no pesticide residues.
• With the exception of cabbage, all other produce on the Clean Fifteen tested positive for less than four pesticides.
• Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen vegetables. Only 6 percent of Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable samples had two or more pesticides

So what the heck are we supposed to do with this information?  Never eat another strawberry?  Heck no!  Only buy organic fruit and veggies?  Double heck no!  If you can afford it, great!  But most of us working families just can’t afford to buy exclusively organic foods.  What I can do is share with you how I’ve changed my shopping habits as I strive to help myself and family eat and live a more healthy lifestyle. I keep a list of the produce on the current Dirty Dozen List on my smart phone.  So when I’m out grocery shopping, I can refer to it.  Does that mean that I never eat conventional strawberries?  No, but if I can find a good price on organic strawberries and it fits our budget, I will buy them rather than reaching for the conventional ones.

I also keep a list of the produce on the current Clean 15 list.  If the budget doesn’t allow us the organic strawberries, then I might throw in a pineapple instead.

Now that you have the information, you can make your own informed choices.  Information is power!  If your budget doesn’t allow you to buy any organic foods, that’s ok.  In my opinion, eating a bowl of conventional strawberries is still better than a bowl of Doritos (even though those who know me can see me doing just that).

Don’t be discouraged.  Eat your fruits and veggies.  And if you can, maybe consider the organic kale next time you shop.  Kale?  Yep, please don’t give up on kale.  Let me share with you something that my youngest said to me one day before I headed off to the grocery store.  “Mom, don’t forget to buy kale!”  What?!  My teenaged daughter just asked for kale?  That’s when I truly felt that all my attempts at feeding my family healthy foods had definitely paid off.  It’s a day I’ll never forget.  In honor of her and her love of cooking, here’s a recipe for kale chips.  They are easy to make and can be very addictive.

Help Us Be Nice, Amen!

Kale Chips
4 cups of kale
1 Tb avocado or olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat ove to 300 degrees F. Grease large baking sheet. (We use a stone baking sheet). Remove stalks from kale and rip into large pieces or use kale already chopped. Rinse and dry with a towel or use a salad spinner. Try and get the kale as dry as possible. Spread kale on baking sheet. Pour oil in your hands and massage oil into all the kale on the sheet. Sprinkle seasonings onto kale and distribute evenly. (NOTE: You can use any seasoning you prefer; lemon pepper, taco seasoning, Greek seasoning, anything!) Bake kale in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, watching very closely so they don’t burn. Let kale cool slightly and enjoy! Kale chips don’t keep well so eat them all. It won’t be difficult to do!