Every year, the Environmental Working Group puts out a list of the fruits and vegetables with the most and least amount of pesticides. Called the "Clean 15" and the "Dirty Dozen", these lists help shoppers who want to avoid harmful pesticides in their produce. The Clean 15 list highlights the top 15 fruits and vegetables with the least amounts of pesticide residue. Superstars on this include onions, sweet corn, mangoes and more! Produce on the Dirty Dozen list, (the 12 fruits and veggies with the most residue), include strawberries, spinach, and grapes. Apples are listed in the number one spot on the Dirty Dozen list.

Over the last few months, since I committed to limiting my family's exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in food, I have had the EWG's Shopper Guide in the forefront of my mind. Only one problem: I kept forgetting which items were on which list.  Were strawberries on the clean 15 list or the dirty dozen list? I would often mix them up and end up buying the wrong thing!  

So when I found the EWG's Shopper's Guide smart phone app (available to both iphone and android users) I breathed a little sigh of relief. No more stressing out in the middle of the grocery store. I now have the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen literally at my finger tips. For those of you without  a smartphone, you can print out the handy EWG Clean 15 wallet card 

I wasn't expecting to see Avocados on the Clean 15 list. What about you? Is there a fruit or veggie you were surprised to see on the list?