Key Takeaways
- The Environmental Working Group publishes the Dirty Dozen each year: the produce with the highest pesticide residue.
- If you can't buy everything organic, prioritize these foods.
- Strawberries make the list every year, and leafy greens, apples, and potatoes are on it too.
Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes the Dirty Dozen, its list of the produce with the highest pesticide residue. In this video, Dr. Parsons walks through the list as it stood at the time of filming (April 2026) and explains why it matters for your grocery budget.
Why the Dirty Dozen Matters
Buying everything organic would be ideal, but it isn't realistic for most families. If you have to be selective, Dr. Parsons says these are the foods worth spending your organic budget on.
The List
- Spinach
- Kale, collard greens, and mustard greens
- Strawberries, which make the list every year
- Grapes
- Nectarines
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Apples
- Blackberries
- Pears
- Potatoes
- Blueberries
- Green beans
- Bell peppers and hot peppers
How to Use It
The list changes each year, so get the current version from the Environmental Working Group's website. They'll email it to you. Dr. Parsons suggests taking a picture of it so you have it with you whenever you shop.
Wondering whether you have to buy everything organic? Dr. Parsons answers that in Myth: You Have to Eat All Organic to Be Healthy. For more on where organic matters most, read Is Organic Food Worth It? What to Buy First.
Read the full video transcript
Hey everyone, it's Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, founder of the Natural Path Health Center, and I've got news for you. For some of you, it's good news, and for some of you, not so good. Every year, the Environmental Working Group comes out with the list of the Dirty Dozen. That is a list of the foods that have the highest pesticide residue, which means if you're going to be investing in organic, these are the ones you need to invest in. So: spinach. I know for a lot of you, that's going to make a sad face. Kale, collard greens, mustard greens. Strawberries. Strawberries are on the list every freaking year. Only get organic. Grapes; I know a lot of you are grape lovers. Nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples. Yes, apples. Blackberries, pears, potatoes (I know), blueberries, green beans, bell peppers, and hot peppers. I know it would be great if we could all do organic for everything all the time. But if you have to be selective, these really should be organic. So use your money wisely. You can go to the Environmental Working Group's website and get the list. They will email it to you. You can take a picture of it and take it with you whenever you're making your purchases. So you can start to get healthier just by tweaking your organic versus non-organic foods. I hope this serves you well. And now, we're going to throw this all away. Bye.
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB is a Doctor of Chiropractic, certified clinical nutritionist, and brain wellness expert with 34+ years serving Fresno families at The Natural Path Health Center.
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