We keep saying that healthy eating can and be budget friendly. Late last month, the folks that brought you the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) unveiled their newest consumer-friendly tool – the Good Food on a Tight Budget Guide, so there’s more help than ever for consumers who are trying to eat right but not spend more.

The List
This guide sets out to identify the most nutritious, economical and pollutant-free foods available. Looking at ingredient quality, price, nutrients, pesticide load and other factors helped to create a list of top 100 go-to foods.

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The Environmental Working Group constantly scrutinizes the amounts of pesticide residues found on popular produce. We want to keep you updated on which fruits and veggies you should buy organic – here’s a review of the 2012 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticide Residues.

The Dirty Dozen PLUS
The top 12 most contaminated had remained relatively consistent other than a few items shifting positions. But in 2012 a “PLUS” category was added to the original dozen. Conventionally-grown green beans, kale and collard greens have been given special consideration because of an especially dangerous toxin they are treated with. Organophosphate insecticides are toxic to the neurological system and are found in even higher amounts on bell peppers and nectarines (numbers 3 and 6 on the Dirty Dozen list).

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