|
Ever Hear Of The “Dirty Dozen?” No, not the 1967 movie with Ernest Borgnine. It’s the new “Dirty Dozen” coupled with the “Clean 15” – a list from the EWG (Environmental Working Group) of the 12 “dirtiest” fruits and veggies that you should buy organically grown and the 15 “clean” ones which are fine to buy less-expensive conventionally grown. The “dirties” have “higher levels of pesticide residue” than other “cleaner” produce and are sprayed with pesticides several times during their growing season to keep them looking pretty as they are more susceptible to bruising and pest munching. You’ll notice that these are fruits and veggies that are mostly eaten whole, with very little trimming – what gets sprayed is what gets eaten. |
↓ Watch This Video ↓ From The US FDA About Safe Produce Handling
|
The US Government assures us, however, that if the produce is sold in super markets, the amount of contamination is negligible and is still considered to be safe for human consumption. Given the choice, you may want to err on the side of educated caution and choose the organic versions of the following “dirty dozen:”
|
Dirty Dozen: If the organic versions of these cost lots more, or are unavailable at your grocery store, don’t worry – it’s still better to eat any of these with their cancer-fighting nutrients than to pass entirely. Just invest in a good fruit/veggie brush. The “winners” are:
Surprised? Me, too! Eight of these dozen are my family’s favorites and are in my grocery cart each week. (Cha-ching! That’s the sound of our grocery bill going up.) $5 for an organic pint of strawberries is still better for the fam, though, than the $5 foofy coffee drink staring up at me from the grocery cart cup-holder. Priority check! |
Clean 15: Most of these fruits and veggies are also exposed to pesticides when conventionally grown, just as the “dirty dozen.” But you don’t need to buy them organically grown because they are usually eaten after they’ve been peeled. Do wash these before cutting into them, though, as knives can carry contaminants into the flesh of the produce.
|
My Heroes! Kraft Has A New Macaroni & Cheese.
If you must reach for the blue box dinner, reach for the “new blue!”
It’s the meal kids most enthusiastically request at home and at restaurants, after all. My kids didn’t love it at first, but they have recently acquired a love for the stuff (peer pressure at 6 and 3)! When paired with steamed broccoli (it’s on the “Clean 15” list!) and some grilled chicken, I think mac & cheese is a good thing.
Kraft’s classic blue-box favorite is now being offered in a version made with freeze-dried, pulverized (mm-sounds good already!)… cauliflower added to the pasta flour to boost it’s nutritional value (to 1/2 a serving of veggies per serving of mac & cheese). Although it still has other questionable ingredients (more on that later), and fresh, whole (not processed) veggies are the best source of more essential nutrients, I’m thrilled that this processed-food giant is taking steps to bring health-ier food to our tables.
But with the “whole grain” version and now the “veggie” version, the famous yellow goopy stuff is getting even better. You go, Kraft! The next challenge will be to get restaurants to serve this version, rather than the old – hopefully Kraft is manufacturing in bulk. Be sure to leave a comment/suggestion with restaurants that ask for your input on a comment card or in an online survey.
Have You Tried This Macaroni And Cheese, Yet?
Tell us what you think – please leave a comment below.