 Ten most important organic foods to eat
Baby Food - According to the National Academy of Sciences, federal pesticide standards provide too little health protection.
Strawberries - A 1993 study by the Environmental Working Group found that supermarket strawberries were the most heavily contaminated fruit or vegetable in the US.
Rice - Water-soluble herbicides and insecticides have contaminated the groundwater near rice fields. Buy organic rice from Eagle Agricultural Products, Lundberg Family Farmers, or MacDougall's Wild Rice.
Oats - In 1994, the FDA found illegal residues in a year's worth of Cheerios from GM. Organic growers provide oats, millet, quinoa, barley, couscous, amaranth, and spelt as healthy options.
Milk - Dairy companies inject cows with recombinant bovine growth hormone. 79% of treated cows get clinical mastitis, a common udder infection. Treating them with antibiotics increases the change of residue in milk. Organic milk is widely available.
Bell Peppers - The FDA found that in 1993, 38% of the peppers from Mexico, which provides 98% of the US, had two or more toxic pesticides.
Bananas - Costa Rica uses 35% of the country's pesticide on banana crops.
Green Beans - 60 pesticides are used on green beans. 10% of Mexican green beans are contaminated with illegal pesticides.
Peaches - FDA cited peaches for above-average rates of illegal pesticide violations; 5% of the crop was contaminated.
Apples - 36 different pesticides have been detected by the FDA. The fungicide captan and the insecticide chlorpyrifos were among the 48 pesticides most frequently found in FDA testing between 1984 and 1991. After the Alar scare in the 80's, growers are leading the integrated-pest management movement, which only resorts to chemicals when mandatory.
 Guidebook to Whole Foods - Foods for Life
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