The "Dirty Dozen"

healthyhappyeater.com

Have you ever heard of the "Dirty Dozen" or how about the "Clean Fifteen"?  Do you wonder about buying local or organic and if you should really waste the extra money to do so?  This information may help you when purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables!

The "Dirty Dozen" is a list of the top 12 fruits and vegetables which tend to have the most pesticides.  This is because they usually have no skin or a very thin layer of skin, making the pesticides more easily absorbed.  When possible, try to purchase these produce items locally grown or oragnic.  If they are locally grown, they don't have to be shipped as far so they are less likely to have needed pesticides for preservation.  Organic means that they have had little or no contact with pesticides during their growth and delivery.

Now you could probably guess, the "Clean Fifteen" is a list of the top 15 fruits and vegetables which tend to have the least pesticides.

According to the 2012 reports, the "Dirty Dozen" are:
Apples, Celery, Bell Peppers, Peaches, Strawberries, Nectarines, Grapes, Spinach, Lettuce, Cucumbers, Blueberries, Potatoes
* Close behind are green beans and kale/collard greens!

And the "Clean Fifteen" are: Onions, Sweet Corn, Pineapples, Avocado, Cabbage, Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Mangoes, Eggplant, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Sweet Potatoes, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Mushrooms

Eating local foods is better for you, for the environment, and for your taste buds!  Local foods:
- Are fresher
- Are seasonal
- Usually have less environmental impact
- Preserve green space and farmland
- Promote food safety through traceability
- Support your local economy
- Promote variety
- Create Community

Our CDS residential dining halls offer local kale, collard greens and sweet potatoes daily!

For the past two years, the CDS retail concept 1.5.0. has served the UNC campus community the best local, organic and sustainable foods.  1.5.0's seasonal menu items include organic produce and grains, cage-free eggs and poultry, grass-fed beef, sustainable seafood and house-made breads, dressings and sauces.  The brand name, 1.5.0., was selected by members of the CDS Student Dining Board and refers to our commitment to local food purchasing from within a 150-mile radius.  Come visit us today at Lenoir Hall!

For more information about 1.5.0. and other sustainability practices and initiatives, please visit http://www.dining.unc.edu/Sustainability or contact Caroline Gorham, CDS Sustainability Coordinator (cmgorham@aux-services.unc.edu).