The Dirty Dozen

Many have you have probably heard of the "Dirty Dozen" when it comes to conventional and organic food. If you haven't, they are the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticides used on them. Alayna and I have been thinking about when to buy organic, and have done it in a sort of haphazard way, and are now planning on using the dirty dozen to guide our choices.

Here they are:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
   
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Imported grapes
10. Spinach
11. Potato
    
12. Lettuce
    

We were having a hard time remembering all 12 of them, and so we came up with a little story we wanted to share with you. (Go ahead and cover this up, how many can you remember?)

Once upon a time, Mr. Peach (who had a little fuzz on his chin) and Mrs. Apple had a sweet little son "bell pepper." Bell pepper had a cousin, celery, who was quite lengthy. Last week, when celery was going down the slide at the park, the Pink Fruit Gang (Nectarine, Strawberry and Cherry) started to beat him up. Then, with his lovely green cape, Principal Pear came to the rescue. He said, "Now, don't be such sour grapes. This is unacceptable." And he sent the pink fruit gang to the spinach detention center, where they ate nothing but potatoes and lettuce for the rest of their lives. The end!

Good luck staying away from the conventionally grown Dirty Dozen!