Organic Foods Guide
The most and least contaminated foods: Make informed choices about when to buy organic and save money on safer conventional options.
The information provided is for general overview purposes and may not apply to everyone. Any treatment protocol should be discussed with a qualified healthcare practitioner. Medical & Legal Disclaimer
Why This Matters
Even small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect us, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long-lasting effects.
Buying organic can be expensive, so focus on eliminating foods with the highest amounts of pesticides, chemicals, additives and hormones.
Safety Tips & Guidelines
🚿 Minimize Pesticides
- Wash/rinse produce with running water
- Don't use detergents (leave chemical residues)
- Remove outer leaves of lettuce/cabbage
- Scrub thick-skinned produce
- Choose low-fat dairy and lean meats
Note: Washing reduces but doesn't eliminate pesticides. Peeling removes fiber and nutrients.
🥩 Minimize Hormones & Antibiotics
- Choose organic meat and poultry
- Eat variety of protein sources
- Include vegetarian proteins (legumes, nuts, seeds)
- Eat fish for omega-3s
- Avoid daily animal protein
Portion Tip: Use palm-size as guide for healthy meat portions.
🐟 Minimize Mercury
Mercury levels vary significantly between fish species.
Best & Worst Fish GuideComplete mercury safety information
See our mercury poisoning guide for more details.
The Clean Fifteen
✅ Safe to Buy Conventional
These foods are the least contaminated and you don't need to purchase organic versions. Save your money for the dirty dozen!
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cantaloupe (domestic)
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Kiwi Fruit
Mangoes
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Sweet Corn
Sweet Peas
Sweet Potatoes
Watermelon
The Most Contaminated Foods
⚠️ Always Buy Organic
These foods are the most contaminated and should always be purchased organic when possible to minimize exposure to pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals.
🥩 Meat
"Organic meat" means animals raised without growth factors, antibiotics, and steroids. They're fed natural, pesticide-free grass (also called "free range").
Conventional Meat Issues:
- • Fed pesticide-treated feed
- • Growth hormones
- • Antibiotic residues
- • Toxins pass to consumers
🥛 Milk & Dairy
Fat in dairy products harbors pesticides, antibiotics, and bovine growth hormones. These pass through commercial milk, cheese, and butter.
Organic Dairy Benefits:
- • No rGBH or rbST hormones
- • No antibiotics
- • No pesticide residues
- • Cleaner fat content
☕ Coffee
Many beans are grown in countries without chemical regulation. Look for Fair Trade Certified labels for chemical-free assurance.
Fair Trade Benefits:
- • No pesticides/chemicals
- • Fair farmer prices
- • Worker protections
- • Environmental standards
🍎 High-Risk Produce
🍑 Peaches & Nectarines
45 different pesticides regularly applied to these delicate-skinned fruits in conventional orchards.
🍎 Apples
Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely. Organic apples taste sweeter too.
🌶️ Sweet Bell Peppers
Thin skins offer little barrier. May be coated with nearly 40 pesticides to keep them insect-free.
🥬 Celery
No protective skin makes it impossible to wash off the 29 different chemicals used on conventional crops.
🍓 Strawberries, Blueberries, Cherries
Strawberry plantations average 500 pounds of pesticides per acre. Out-of-season imports have less regulation.
🥬 Lettuce & Spinach
Leafy greens frequently contaminated with the most potent pesticides used on food.
🍇 Grapes
Can be sprayed with 35 pesticides during growth. Permeable skin means no washing/peeling eliminates contamination.
🥔 Potatoes
Rank highest for pesticide residue and may be tainted by fungicides added to growing soil.
🍅 Tomatoes
Easily punctured skins are no match for chemicals that eventually permeate the whole tomato.
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