Clean Produce List

Organic vs inorganic produce - To avoid ingesting pesticides and chemicals that are harmful to our bodies is the main concern, because the nutritional content may be the same.

I know there are lists of clean produce that you do not have to buy organic. I clipped one out of the newspaper several years ago and have kept it on the refrigerator for reference. If I found out about others not on this list, I added them on.

For those who shop at grocery stores -

The cleanest vegetables are: broccoli, onions, corn, avocados, asparagus, sweet peas, eggplant, cabbage, sweet potatoes, mushrooms.

The cleanest fruits are: pineapples, mangoes, cantaloupe(if grown in USA), kiwi,watermelon, grapefruit, honey dew melon, bananas

Notice that all the fruits listed are those you would normally eat without the outer peeling. For juicing, if you wanted to use the peeling as well, then you might want to consider using organic for concerns about ingesting agricultural pesticides and chemicals.

There are produce sprays to buy for inorganic; or, there are recipes to make solutions at home yourself.

Here are "3 Simple Homemade Veggie Washes" - from Rodale's Organic Life

(1) Super-Simple Veggie Wash

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup cold tap water in a spray bottle

Mix, shake well, and apply to your produce. Rinse with tap water before cooking or serving.

(2) Leafy Green Wash

1 cup distilled white vinegar
3 cups water

Mix the water and vinegar together in a bowl. Allow your greens to soak in the bowl for about 2 minutes, then rinse them well.

This wash, which researchers from the magazine Cook's Illustrated found killed 98 percent of bacteria on food, is good for leafy greens because greens are more likely than other forms of produce to be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, according to the CDC. If you want even more of the germ-killing boost, add a tablespoon or two of salt. A study in the Journal of Food Protection found that vinegar's ability to kill E. coli bacteria was "significantly enhanced" when salt was added to the mix.

(3) All-Purpose Germ Killer

1 spray bottleful of undiluted white vinegar
1 spray bottleful of undiluted hydrogen peroxide

Spray your food first with the vinegar and then with the hydrogen peroxide. Rinse thoroughly.

You can use this on produce or on raw meat to kill E. coli, Listeria, and salmonella bacteria, according to a study in Food Microbiology. You can also use the mixture to disinfect your countertops. Alternately, spray the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide on a surface, then let it dry. Don't rinse or wipe the surfaces down afterwards.

Information for protecting our health.