Organic Foods - To buy or not to buy

WASHINGTON — If you're concerned about food safety, you probably already look for organic produce at the supermarket. But if you can't always buy organic, you can still dramatically lower your family's exposure to chemical pesticides by choosing the least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables with the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

The Shopper's Guide is a handy, wallet-size card that lists the "Dirty Dozen" most contaminated fruits and vegetables, as well as the 12 most "Consistently Clean" items. It's available for free download at www.foodnews.org. The newest edition of the Guide comes in both English and Spanish versions for the first time.

The Shopper's Guide was developed by Environmental Working Group (EWG), based on the results of nearly 43,000 tests for pesticides on produce by the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration between 2000 and 2004. EWG's computer analysis found that consumers could cut their pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated instead.

Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to about 15 pesticides a day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will expose a person to fewer than two pesticides a day.

So, without further to do, here are the  least contaminated and the most contaminated fruits and veggies:

Least Contaminated (OK to eat non-organic varieties)

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

Most Contaminated (Better off eating organic varieties)

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (imported)

Stay healthy people!

Greek Pasta Primavera

This Greek pasta dish features zucchini, bell pepper, peas, spinach, feta, cherry tomatoes and Kalamata olives…yummy!

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (For 6-8 servings)

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 reserved tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 bell pepper (color of choice), sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sea salt
• 1 13oz box, whole-grain penne pasta (or favorite pasta)
• 1 1/2 cups baby peas, (if frozen, rinse under warm water and drain)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes 
• 2 cups Kalamata olives
• Handful of fresh spinach
• 4oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 Tablespoons Herbs de Provence (a blend of  savory, fennel, basil, thyme, and lavender flowers) Yeh, I know it's not Greek...but it's good :)

Preparation

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add bell pepper and sauté until beginning to tender…3-4 minutes.
4. Add onion, garlic and sauté until the onion is beginning to brown, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add zucchini and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables are semi-tender, 3 minutes.
6. Stir in wine and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated, 3-4 minutes.
7. Add salt and pepper.
8. Meanwhile, cook pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions, until al dente.
9. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in the pot. Return the pasta to the pot.
10. Stir the vegetables into the pasta along with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, peas, tomatoes, olives, spinach, feta and Herbs de Provence.

Serve immediately or chill for a delicious cold pasta salad.

Nutrition

Per serving: 305 calories; 6 g fat ( 3 g sat , 3 g mono ); 13 mg cholesterol; 51 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 8 g fiber; 326 mg sodium; 236 mg potassium.