Good enough to eat

Q: I read your eTip the other day on pesticides and would love to be able to buy all organic produce, but unfortunately I'm on a tight budget and can't afford to do so. I'm wondering if there are any fruits and vegetables that are okay to buy the non-organic versions of?

JVW: Several years ago, the USDA and FDA examined pesticide levels of various produce items, and found that many items sold in supermarkets (such as the ones mentioned in the eTip you read the other day) have unacceptable levels of contamination. It's definitely in your best interest to try to switch to organic versions of these highly contaminated produce items.

However, there are some fruits and vegetables that didn't rank as high on the pesticide scale. These items are ones that are likely safe to eat simply after a thorough washing. The list of the produce that had the lowest levels of pesticides when tested included:

• Asparagus Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (sweet)
• Kiwi
• Mangos
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Peas (sweet)

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