Imagine this scenario: You head to the grocery store full of good intentions for a wholesome weeks-worth of food. Of course, buying organic is what you’d prefer to do…but why does it have to be SO expensive! So you compromise here and there and do your best. Organic milk, organic eggs, organic carrots, organic corn, organic asparagus. Non-organic strawberries, celery, potatoes.

In my household, most of those organic/non-organic decisions are based on gut-emotions–”ooh, I’ve already gone over my budget this week” or “I am NOT paying 4.99 for a bunch of organic lemons! Who do they think I am!”

Luckily, there is way that you can choose wisely and save some money. The Environmental Working Group compiles a list each year of the 15 cleanest fruits and veggies at the supermarket and those that are most pesticide-laden. The good news is that eating your veggies and fruits outweighs the risk of ingesting contaminants, but EWG gives us a leg-up on reducing exposure where possible. The 2011 list has just been released. Happy Shopping!