Reduce your exposure to pesticides

Even if I wanted to buy 100% organic, I wouldn't be able to...at least not from my local grocery store. Though they have an increasing variety of offerings, it's a toss-up every week what will be available. So, I try to buy organic when I can and try to scrub really hard when I can't. And I wait patiently for our CSA to start up in June.

Reducing exposure to pesticides is a concern people often have. If you're like me -- part of a family living on a budget -- then it can be tricky trying to figure out what to splurge on. Canadian Living has a few suggestions to help you manage your food dollar while reducing your risk at the same time. For instance, you can:

• Buy the fruits and vegetables you eat most often from the organic section.
• Eat a variety of produce.
• Grow your own or join a CSA.
• Peel before you eat -- though you'll lose a lot of nutrition that way and it isn't always effective.

The "dirty dozen" are the 12 fruits and vegetables most likely to contain pesticide residue. If you eat these regularly, you should probably buy organic: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, imported grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes.

On the other hand, onion, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapple, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant are the least likely to contain pesticide residue, so you can eat the conventionally-grown version with little concern.