The Produce You Should Be Buying Organic

Each year, the Environmental Working Group updates their "Dirty Dozen" list to let consumers know which foods they should be buying organic. According to the EWG, nearly 75% of non-organic fresh produce in the U.S. contains residues of potentially harmful pesticides, and the Dirty Dozen list contains the 12 fruits and veggies that tested for the highest traces of pesticides.

Before you shrug this off, pesticide consumption can have very real health ramifications, especially for children. Interestingly, some of the tests performed by the USDA even showed pesticides that have long been banned by the EPA, which is alarming.

Choosing organic produce can almost immediately reduce the amounts of pesticide residue in a person's body, so paying a bit more for organic fruits and veggies is a sensible investment in your health. But not all foods need to be purchased organic.

Here are the 12 most contaminated foods that you should be buying orgranic, in order of contamination:

Strawberries

Spinach

Kale, Collard, and Mustard Greens

Peaches

Pears

Nectarines

Apples

Grapes

Bell & Hot Peppers

Cherries

Blueberries

Green Beans