Welcome to another episode of Nutrition is the Key to Health, My name is Alicia, and I am your host.
Let’s face it, groceries are expensive. They are even more expensive when you purchase organic the organic form. But, there is a hack that can give you the most bang for your buck.
Disclaimer, I am not a physician, nurse, registered dietician, physical therapist, or mental health professional. This is my story and what I have done and learned over the course of my journey. If you plan to start a diet or exercise program, please get approval from your doctor.
The Environmental Working Group or EWG.org released its 2024 Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 List. The Dirty Dozen can be a great weapon in your arsenal for your new healthy lifestyle. It contains the top 12 fruits and vegetables containing the highest amounts of synthetic pesticides like Roundup. The Clean 15 is the top 15 of the cleanest fruits and vegetables with the lowest amounts of synthetic pesticide loads.
So a good hack is to purchase the fruits and vegetables found on the Dirty Dozen as organic and get conventional for all others. This saves money on the grocery budget.
What about someone who cannot afford to purchase organic produce? Should they purchase conventional knowing the high pesticide rates? Absolutely!
It is estimated that 90% of all Americans do not get their recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Whether you purchase organic or conventional, it is suggested that these be incorporated into your diets, regardless of the type of diet you are on, unless you have been instructed otherwise by a healthcare professional.
The Environmental Working Group or EWG.org, tests all produce every year for the amount of pesticides in each. They release the results each year in the form of a list. These lists are called The Dirty Dozen and Clean 15.
In recent years, these lists have come under scrutiny by large governmental organizations, like the FDA. They are saying that this list is keeping people from eating fruits and vegetables entirely.
I find that a bit off-putting considering the Standard American Diet, a diet that the FDA and USDA touted for so long, really is the reason for that.
I believe the FDA and other government offices are working against the organic trend for the benefit of some of the larger growers of conventional produce as they have seen profits fall.
This is my opinion, but the reason I believe this is I ran across an article about Yogurt which stated that the FDA stated in March of 2024, that it authorizes marketers of dairy yogurt products to include the following qualified health claims on their product labeling:
“Eating yogurt regularly, at least 2 cups (3 servings) per week, may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes”.
It goes on to say, that the plant-based options will not provide the same benefit.
I believe the FDA is pandering to the dairy industry and their lack of profits, as more people are choosing to go plant-based, and decreasing their consumption of dairy products.
It is interesting that the FDA, mentions no increased risk of cancer with the increase in dairy consumption. There is a large scale study that was recently published in the BMC, which followed over 510,000 men and women were followed over 11 years, and found that over 29,000 new cancer cancers which consisted of lung, breast, and liver cancer were among the highest. Researchers believed the addition of the female hormones that were in the cow’s dairy was the cause.
Now I paraphrased that study greatly but if you are interested, the China Kadoorie Biobank Study, from the University of Oxford.
So, if you are considering starting a diet or changing your habits, the Dirty Dozen list will go a long way in helping you.
What is on the lists?
The Dirty Dozen contains the following:
1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens
4. Grapes
5. Peaches
6. Pears
7. Nectarines
8. Apples
9. Bell and Hot Peppers
10. Cherries
11. Blueberries
12. Green Beans
The Clean 15 List contains the following:
32. Carrots
33. Sweet Potatoes
34. Mangoes
35. Mushrooms
36. Watermelon
37. Cabbage
38. Kiwi
39. Honeydew Melon
40. Asparagus
41. Sweet peas (frozen)
42. Papaya
43. Onions
44. Pineapple
45. Sweet Corn
46. Avocados
These lists will be a great cost-saving strategy when trying to approach any new diet. Using the Dirty Dozen list to purchase everything organic, will help you decrease the synthetic pesticide load in your food.
So, does the Clean 15 mean that these fruits and vegetables have zero pesticide loads? No, it doesn’t. All produce contains pesticides. Organic vegetables still contain “natural” herbicides and fungicides, but are supposed to be free or contain only traces of synthetic pesticide loads.
So, if you are faced with an economic situation of conventional vs. organic, get organic if you are able, if not, then conventional will do just fine.
You should be consuming the recommended daily requirements of fruits and vegetables each day, whether that is in the form of organic or conventional. The RDA for fruits is approximately 1.5 to 2 cups a day depending on age, and for vegetables is 2-3 cups of vegetables a day.
Washing your fruits and vegetables will not reduce the pesticide loads, because the pesticides are inside the cells. However, you should always take precautions and wash all fruits and vegetables to remove any surface bacteria and bugs.
The Americans are being crushed with increased prices on food, gasoline, housing, insurance, benefits, healthcare costs, and increased utility costs. We are in a stall and have been for the last few years.
The unemployment rate rose last month and inflation numbers hit this week. Inflation once again is going the wrong way. It took an increase over last year and the prior February rate.
Google and Apple were just among the last to announce another round of upcoming layoffs.
For those who are lucky enough to still have their jobs and pulling in 6 figure incomes, you probably are not feeling the crunch yet. The realization hasn’t hit yet. But, for those lower wage earners and the unemployed, it is a glaring stark reality.
So anywhere you can save money in the budget like using the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen Lists helps to lower the costs you can save on reaching your goals and trying to eat healthier.
But, if you can only afford conventional, then buy conventional. There is no shame in that. At least you are filling your plate with fruits and vegetables and not processed junk.
You can find the new 2024 Lists on my website at Nutritionisthekeytohealth.com
See you in the next episode.