2011 Dirty Dozen: How to Shop for Produce and Avoid Harmful Pesticides

Eating your daily serving of fruits and veggies is essential. However, it pays to be aware of what you're eating! To support the maximum health benefits of eating a fruit and veggie-rich diet, reducing exposure to pesticides found in produce is beneficial.

The EWG's 2011 Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce can help you to "determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce," EWG says.

Here are the top 5 produce listed on the EWG's Dirty Dozen (foods to buy organic):

#1 Apples
#2 Celery
#3 Strawberries
#4 Peaches
#5 Spinach

Here are the top 5 produce listed on the EWG's Clean 15 (foods lowest in pesticides):

#1 Onions
#2 Sweet Corn
#3 Pineapples
#4 Avocado
#5 Asparagus

To see the complete lists and download the Guide as a PDF, visit http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

We'd love to hear from you. Were you surprised by the Dirty Dozen? Leave a comment with your favorite summer fruit and veggie recipes!