It seems the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, who ate a poisonous apple, is closer to reality than we may have realized. Apples ranked second, right behind peaches, on the Environmental Working Group’s updated “Dirty Dozen,” the list of 12 foods shown to contain the highest amounts of pesticides.

Click here to download the complete Dirty Dozen list, along with its counterpart, the “Clean 15,” fruits and vegetables found to contain the lowest amount of pesticides.

According to the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide, if you regularly eat the 12 most contaminated foods, you’ll be subjecting your body to 10 different pesticides each day. The EWG tells us we can lower our pesticide exposure by almost 80 percent by avoiding (or buying organic versions of) the top 12 most-contaminated fruits and vegetables.

I’m happy to say that for the past year-and-a-half (around the time I found out I was expecting my first child) I’ve been buying mostly organic foods. It can get expensive, though, especially if you don’t live near farm stands or a food collective, where you can get locally-grown, organic fruits and vegetables at low prices.

This list can help you decide what foods you should absolutely buy organic, and what areas you may be able to cut corners. And because pesticide amounts change frequently, the EWG’s updated list is a huge help. For instance, spinach, which ranked number one on the previous list, moved down to a modest number 14, just ahead of potatoes at 15. But where do you draw the line of when to buy organic?

It’s a personal decision, so you may want to study the entire list of 47 fruits and vegetables when you make your shopping list. For instance, if you consume a lot of a certain food that is halfway down the list, it might make sense for you to buy an organic version of that food. You can save money by looking for sales at your store, stocking up, and even freezing quantities of certain vegetables when they are on sale.

Learning about the methodology behind the study will also help you make informed decisions about buying produce. For instance, you’ll find out that pineapple, mango and avocado are largely pesticide-free, with fewer than 10 percent of the samples found with any detectable pesticides on them at all. Fewer than one percent of those fruits were found to contain residue from more than one pesticide.

Buying fruits and vegetables free of pesticides is even more important when you are feeding children. According to the EWG report, even small doses of pesticides can cause lasting damage to human health, especially during fetal development and early childhood. Their smaller size means the amount of pesticides they ingest can do even more damage to their tiny systems.

Since I started feeding my infant daughter solid foods, mostly homemade, I buy even more organic produce. I’m happy to see two of her favorite foods, sweet potatoes and avocado, near the bottom of the list.

Even so, I’ll be printing out the EWG shopper’s guide and putting it in my OnTray (www.ontray2go.com) along with my weekly coupons, so I can refer to it as I navigate the produce aisle of my local grocery store.

In this final installment of the Food for Thought series, we’re taking a closer look at produce.

The health benefits of fresh produce are widely publicized … from being low-calorie snacks to sources of helpful antioxidants. But as you navigate your way through the produce aisle, do you know what?s lurking behind those fresh leaves and bright colors?

Know the code ? the secret language of produce

Understand the numbers on the product look-up (PLU) codes. All produce has small oval stickers on them with a series of numbers. Anyone who has gone through the self-service checkout lane at the market, knows that those numbers help identify the item along with the price per pound.

But those little numbers tell you more than just the price, they contain a wealth of ?secret? information. PLUs were developed by the International Federation for Produce Standards, a coalition of fruit and vegetable associations that started in 2001. There is no regulatory body for the use of PLUs and grocers are not required to use them, but most do.

PLUs consist of four or five numbers. Four numbers starting with the number three or a number four indicate produce grown in conventional methods, for global distribution and sustained with pesticides. Five numbers, starting with the number nine, are organic, and five numbers starting with the number eight are genetically engineered/genetically modified (GE/GM). The PLU codes also indicate the type of produce, variety (white grapes or red grapes for example), distribution information and price per pound. For organic and GE/GM varieties, the numbers nine and eight respectively are added as a prefix to the existing PLU code for the conventional version of that type of produce.

Conventional/Traditional Produce

Conventional crops are fed synthetic fertilizers, which force the plant to grow bigger in mass, in a shorter period, thereby not allowing the plant the time to take up the same full amount of nutrients as organic crops.

Some examples:

Alfalfa Sprouts (4514)

Granny Smith Apple, small (4138)

Beefsteak Tomato (3061)

California Sweet Onion (4165)

Yellow Banana [including Cavendish] (4011), small (4186)

Organic Produce
Five numbers starting with a “9″

Organically grown produce means that the produce has been grown without the use of artificial chemicals, synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and do not contain the residues of toxic pesticides. Organic produce follows the principles of ecological sustainability.

Example:

An organically grown California sweet onion would bear the number 94165

GE & GM Produce
Five numbers starting with an “8″

Genetically engineered or genetically modified produce means that genetic material (whether natural or manufactured) is introduced into the DNA of a host species, a procedure that results in disruption of the genetic blueprint of the organism.

The FDA describes GE/GM produce as ?an extension of traditional plant breeding [or grafting, but] involves direct modification of DNA … [and makes] it possible to direct and predict changes without introducing … undesirable traits … and will allow scientists to introduce genes from essentially any organism into a plant.”

There are many who caution against consuming GE/GM foods because of concern over allergies, toxicity, an increase in viruses and resistant bacteria, and yet unknown adverse effects on human and animal biology.

Examples:
A GE/GM Beefsteak Tomato would bear the number 83061.

For some produce contain residual traces of pesticides even after washing, something that we tend to think is a reliable way to protect ourselves. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) studied 43 fruits and vegetables, among which many stapes in our family?s diets ? including peaches, apples, lettuce, spinach, carrots and cucumbers. It?s important then, that the next time you?re in the produce aisle, consider what those little oval stickers may mean for the health of your family.

Learn more about understanding the organic label.

Inexpensive ways to buy organic.

Genetic engineering: The future of foods?

Get/View the EWG?s produce report.

The first day of spring has arrived. As such, it?s time to start thinking about your garden. Gardening can be a great project to get your kids involved in, especially after the snow has cleared and they?re clamoring to get outside. Whether you have a few pots on the balcony or back porch, or a big backyard garden plot, you can start planning ? and planting ? now.

Starting plants from seed is an inexpensive way to get a lot of plants, and also teaches kids about horticulture. Planting a seed and observing it grow over time is rewarding and brings a sense of accomplishment. When to start seeds indoors depends on two factors: what type of seed you are trying to grow and the last expected frost date for your zone. A handy way to help determine how early you can start certain seeds based on your region?s last frost date is the Weekend Gardener?s Grow Guide. This tool will tell you what you can plant now so you can jump start your spring vegetable garden. Or, if you?re lucky, you might live in a region where it?s already warm enough to plant directly into the ground.

You can find a variety of seed packets in most grocery, big box and home improvement stores. I suggest using organic and non-hybrid (aka, ?heirloom?) seeds, as they are a more sustainable way to grow fresh produce and taste better. In addition, the ripening process for heirlooms is staggered, which means you will get produce that ripens on an ongoing basis. Many hybrids were bred to ripen at the same time, which optimized mechanical harvesting. Seed starting kits are readily available as well. Or, you can start seeds yourself by planting them in small containers, such as empty yogurt or pudding cups. Follow instructions on the back of the seed packet for planting and watering, and before you know it you?ll have plants ready to place in your garden!