Your favorite green veggie is now on the Dirty Dozen list

Your favorite green veggie is now on the Dirty Dozen listYour favorite green veggie is now on the Dirty Dozen listIf you love shopping for fresh produce as much as we do, we have some sobering news. TheEnvironmental Working Groupjust released its2019 updates to the Dirty Dozen list, and alotof the star players in your kitchen made the pesticide-ridden cut.The most upsetting? Kale, our favorite leafy green superfood, made it into the list for the first time in a decade. More than 92 percent of the kale samples tested had at least two detectable pesticide residues on them, with a single sample containing up to 18 different residues. (Weknow.) Dacthal, or DCPA, was the most commonly found pesticide among all kale samples.And just so you know, DCPA is classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (and has been since 1995) as a possible human carcinogen. Its been prohibited in Europe for a solid 10 years.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happine ss, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraBefore testing fruits and vegetables, the USDA researchers washed and peeled all produce just as you would at home before digging in. In doing so, they revealed how a simple rinse in the sink isnt enough to remove all pesticides from the foods youre about to eat. Overall, the USDA found 225 different pesticides and pesticide breakdown products on popular fruits and vegetables we eat daily.EWGs 2019 Dirty Dozen ListStrawberriesSpinachKaleNectarinesApplesGrapesPeachesCherriesPearsTomatoesCeleryPotatoesMore than 90 percent of samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines, andkale tested positive for at least two different pesticide residues.xperts recommend, when your budget allows, that you opt for organic versions of theseproducepicks to keep your pesticide exposure as minimized as possible.On a positive note, we were relieved to see lots of tasty options rank in the Clean Fifteen list for 2019 - or theproduc ethat carries the least amount of pesticide residues once it leaves its natural home and shows up on supermarket shelves.The 15 fruits and vegetables below have few, if any, detectable pesticide residues, so you can buy the conventionally grown (and cheaper) options here without so much as a second thought.EWGs 2019 Clean Fifteen ListAvocadosSweet CornPineappleFrozen Sweet PeasOnionsPapayasEggplantsAsparagusKiwisCabbagesCauliflowerCantaloupesBroccoliMushroomsHoneydew MelonsAvocados and sweet corn were the cleanest, with less than 1 percent of samples revealing any detectable pesticides. So were going to whip up a bowl of fresh guac (with some corn, onions, andpineapple tossed in for fun) tonight in celebration of our favorite healthy fatsTo learn more about pesticides in produce, pesticide regulations, genetically-engineered crops and what you can do to ensure that your fruits and veggies are, in fact, safe to eat, download a copy of the EWGs reporthere.Sign up forDaily Fit by Swirl ed, our newsletter featuring a wellness tip of the day and must-read health news from around the web Youll be one step closer to living a healthy, balanced life.This article first appeared on Swirled.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people