The Dirty Dozen vs. The Clean Fifteen

We got a new one for you, Overheard LA . In the produce section of the TJ’s in Marina del Rey the other day, a hand grabs a bag of avocados with the organic label. Their friend says, “Nah, your avocados don’t need to be organic since you don’t eat the skin.” The organic bag gets put back. The cheaper bag gets purchased. But this got us thinking… is there any truth to the idea that some organic foods could be more important to purchase than others? 

Sometimes, it seems like certain folks have an all-or-nothing mentality on the elements of eco-living. That feeling of: if I really want to be good, I should only buy organic. Or, I should go full vegan. Or, I should sell my car and only ever use public transportation. But we can “I should” ourselves into paralysis. The zero v. 100 approach can create false barriers to access when the truth is the little changes add up to make big differences.

So, what about the avocado? Or some spinach for that matter? Or even some succulent strawberries? Could “organic” mean more for some fruits and veggies over others? Wouldn’t it be nice if we had some sort of scale for this?

We do! Let us introduce you to the Dirty Dozen (no, not this one). It’s a list put out every year by the good people at the Environmental Working Group. Dirty Dozen ranks the top twelve worst offenders in pesticide presence in conventional produce. They also publish a Clean Fifteen to showcase the (yup, you guessed it) cleanest foods.

This year’s lists just dropped on St. Patty’s Day (maybe EWG wanted to prove they were green for the occasion, get it?). Turns out those ripe red strawberries are the dirtiest of the dirties. Spinach, Kale, Nectarines, and Apples are all in the top five. But guess what item tops the Clean Fifteen? Give the friend in Trader Joe’s a hand, because the avocado is truly the king of clean. But perhaps, like us, you’d be more surprised to hear broccoli, asparagus, and mushrooms all make the cut on that list, too.

Of course, pesticide level is only one reason to factor into your decision about what produce to get, and where to get it. Sustainable production, local sourcing, and seasonality all factor into the footprint of our food. And so does food waste. According to WWF, 11% of all global greenhouse gas emissions come from food that gets tossed. 

We’re not here to preach which kind of peach you “should” pick up. But we can all use a little help making wiser choices, whether it’s at the supermarket or the farmer’s market. Thanks, EWG, for the guidance. You help us live clean. We help you LIV GRN.