Dirty, Dirty Produce

We all know that we’re supposed to eat our fruits and vegetables.  It’s been shouted to us time and time again by our parents, teachers, doctors, and various news sources.  But recently, as major headlines have shown, produce has been pegged as a deadly killer.  What happened?!  Quality farming has gone down the toilet.  Conglomerate companies are now in charge of growing our food, and as a result the quality/safety of our food is being jeopardized.   

So as consumers, what are we to do? Eat contaminated veggies?  Or opt to eat Top Ramen? Talk about a conundrum.  Solution?  Wash your veggies and/or buy organic.  As we’ve established, I’m a connoisseur of kale.  I  buy two bunches a week.  And because of those cute frilly edges, I daresay I spend a ratio of 2:1 washing kale compared to eating it.  It takes a while.  But.  It’s a necessary evil.  Two things that make it faster: 1) buy a non-toxic soap to help get the gunk off your food 2) invest in a salad spinner.  This will help cut back on prep time.

So when you’re at home, considering whether or not to wash that apple or peach before eating it, take into consideration the following list of most contaminated produce (taken from Foodnews.org, and compared to a plethora of  other studies):

1 (worst).       Celery
2.       Peaches
3.       Strawberries
4.       Apples
5.       Blueberries
6.       Bell Peppers
7.       Spinach
8.       Cherries
9.       Kale
10.   Potatoes
11.   Grapes
12.   Lettuce
13.   Blueberries
14.   Carrots
15 (better).   Green Beans

And for the least contaminated foods,  the following checked out alright:

               

1(Best).       Onions
2.       Avocado
3.       Sweet Corn
4.       Pineapple
5.       Mango
6.       Sweet Peas
7.       Asparagus
8.       Kiwi
9.       Cabbage
10.   Eggplant