Organic food mela (Photo credit: Hari Prasad Nadig)

Many people who visit our clinic are very health conscious and try to eat organic fruits and vegatables as much as possible. And with good reason: organic food is richer in nutrients, better tasting, as well as void of chemicals and pesticides.

Many will agree, however, that eating organic can be costly. Luckily, there is compromise where you can enjoy the health benefits of eating organic food, without hurting your grocery budget. Some foods are exposed to more pesticides and chemicals than others, so it’s more important to choose organic in those cases. Here is a list of organic food recommendations: (see the full list)

Dirty Dozen Plus (buy these organic)               Clean Fifteen (these are cleanest)

1. apples                                                                Avocados
2. celery                                                                 Sweet Corn
3. strawberries                                                    Pineapples
4. peaches                                                             Cabbage
5. spinach/Lettuce                                              Sweet Peas-Frozen
6. nectarines                                                        Onion
7. grapes                                                               Asparagus
8. sweet bell peppers                                         Mangoes
9. potatoes                                                           Papayas
10. snap peas                                                         Kiwi
11. hot peppers                                                     Eggplant
12. kale/collard greens                                        Grapefruit
13. Cucumbers                                                      Cantaloupe
14. Cherry Tomatoes                                           Cauliflower
15. Blue Berries                                                    Sweet Potatoes