When to eat organic

The cost of organic produce can be quite high. This is especially an issue during these tough economic times. The benefit of eating organic is to reduce the amount of pesticides we consume. But not all produce is laden with pesticides. Recently The Environmental Working Group rated pesticide residues of fresh produce. It claims that you can lower your pesticide exposure by 80% by avoiding the 12 most pesticide laden fruits and vegetables. So if you are willing to shell out bucks for organic produce do it for only these 12. Also referred to as "the dirty dozen":

1. peaches
2. apples
3. pears
4. nectarines
5. imported grapes
6. strawberries
7. cherries
8. bell peppers
9. kale
10. celery
11. lettuce
12. carrots

There are vegetables that were rated as the cleanest in regards to pesticide contamination. Save your hard earned cash and forgo the organic versions of the "clean dozen":

1. avocados
2. pineapples
3. mangoes
4. papayas
5. tomatoes
6. eggplant
7. watermelon
8. kiwi
9. onions
10. asparagus
11. broccoli
12. cabbage