Good food comes from good ingredients. A key part of my teaching is to help conjure up the most flavor out of each bite of food. Starting with the highest quality ingredients, makes that job much easier and the product much tastier. Also, more flavor means more nutrients. The higher quality the ingredients, the more flavor, the more nutrients.

The highest quality ingredients are not always the most expensive. In my FREE Source Course, I will teach you how to save money on the highest quality veggies, how to support farmers growing high quality meat and what fats are worth your investment.

Today, we’re starting with veggies.

Going all organic is financially out of reach for many families, but many families want to avoid pesticides. To avoid pesticides without going bankrupt, I use the Environmental Working Group’s resources to determine what produce I buy conventional (non-organic) and which I invest in organic.

Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen

Not all conventionally grown veggies are created equally. The Environmental Working Group has created 2 annual lists, the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen to teach consumers about pesticide residue. The Dirty Dozen contains the 12 most contaminated conventionally grown produce items with strawberries and spinach at the top of the list. Because these items can test for over 22 different types of pesticides, it is worth investing in the organic version of these.

The Clean 15 list contains the conventionally grown items with the least amount of pesticide residue. These items do not need to be organic to be consumed. These should be staple food items in your pantry as they are inexpensive and free of pesticides. Whenever possible, purchase these from local farms without an organic certification to support their business.

GET MY FREE SOURCE COURSE DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Conventional vs. Organic

Conventionally raised produce requires the use of toxic pesticides to kill off bugs and prevent illness. These chemicals remain on our food after it is harvest and are absorbed into our bloodstream when eaten. Toxic pesticides are linked to causing cancer, brain damage, obesity and increase onset of neurological diseases like Parkinson's.

Certified organic produce is grown in soil that has been tested and retested for toxic contents like heavy metals and pesticide residue. Organic produce is grown without pesticide sprays or toxic fertilizers

Farms must pay a free and keep up with compliance regulations to receive an organic certification which prevents many small farms from even beginning the process. The consumer then must absorb that cost leaving organic produce at a much higher price point. Buying organic vegetables, especially out of season, can break the bank for many shoppers, but luckily there are other options!

By differentiating between the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15, you can save a significant portion of your grocery bill without sacrificing nutrients or flavor. My favorite part about the Clean 15 is that is allows me to buy locally.

I try my best to buy items on the Clean 15 seasonally from local farmers and street vendors. Because I do not need to buy organic, it is more feasible for me to get the majority of my produce for the week outside of the traditional grocery store. Buying onions, broccoli and cauliflower from the market allows me to support local farmers without breaking my budget. The Clean 15 allows me to buy cut up pineapple or mango from street vendors in Oakland and not worry about pesticides.

Sign up for my source course below to learn how I source high quality ingredients while saving money at the same time.