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Grocery Shopping Tips

I understand a budget. I’m not rolling in the dough over here, and we support a family of five. I have chosen to put an emphasis on organic foods even years ago before I started my nursing career or had a career in general. I tried to get organic food that my family used frequently, such as milk. I've worked my way and been able to incorporate more organic foods. Why you might ask- because I believe it’s important. There are a lot of chemicals in pesticides that make their way into and on food. I prefer for myself and my loved ones that we try to minimize the amount of potentially harmful chemicals we come in contact with. I don’t control when we go out or they’re out with others, but in my house, I want to provide the best I can.

With that being said, organic isn’t always easy. I totally get it. The good news I have for you today is that not every single produce item has to be organic. Isn’t that great news?! There’s a list of foods that comes out each year that has two lists, one called the clean fifteen and the other the dirty dozen. These lists are based off of reported pesticide residual found on produce samples. As the name suggests, the dirty dozen has the highest amount of pesticide residual, which means you should probably buy those items organic. I do understand if this isn’t an option for anyone. At least still work on getting what fruits and vegetables you can into your diet. If you can, try to get organic with at least the top ones on the list that have the highest and greatest pesticides found on them. The clean fifteen has the least amount of residue, which means it’s safer to buy regular and not necessarily organic. This list doesn’t cover all produce, so my other general rule of thumb is if I can take off the outer layer, like banana, I don’t necessarily buy organic because I’m not consuming the outermost part that is exposed. This is not a hard fast rule, but it can help some. Keep in mind to always wash your fruits and vegetables, even if they are organic. I hope you can use this list to help save money where you can, and splurge a little where you should! Happy shopping!! This is the list that was released in 2019. It is updated yearly.

Clean Fifteen:

  1. Avocado

  2. Sweet corn

  3. Pineapples

  4. Sweet peas (frozen)

  5. Onions

  6. Papaya

  7. Eggplant

  8. Asparagus

  9. Kiwi

  10. Cabbage

  11. Cauliflower

  12. Cantaloupes

  13. Broccoli

  14. Mushrooms

  15. Honeydew melon

Dirty Dozen

  1. Strawberries

  2. Spinach

  3. Kale

  4. Nectarines

  5. Apples

  6. Grapes

  7. Peaches

  8. Cherries

  9. Pears

  10. Tomatoes

  11. Celery

  12. Potatoes

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