vegetables

Which Vegetables Are The Most Heavily Laden With Pesticides?

EWG’s 2013 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™

The Environmental Working Group has developed a very handy guide when it comes to purchasing produce.  In it you will find what they call the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.  The Dirty Dozen is a list of fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residues.  These are the ones that I make a concerted effort to buy organic.  Make sure to rinse any non organic fruits and vegetables in vinegar and water to eliminate as much residue as possible.

Budgetary Comparison of Organic VS Regular Store Bought Vegetables

Of course organic fruits and vegetables are the best and healthiest to eat.  Unfortunately they can sometimes be cost prohibitive.  It is better to eat regular fruit and veg instead of crap from a box or can, even if you can’t afford the expense of organic.  My budget is pretty tight right now, so until it improves and until the summer is upon us and my garden is back in full swing, it is the Freshco for me.  Here in Durham Region there is an excellent local resource for organic foods delivered right to your door. It is called Durham Organics.  They are fantastic.  Quick to email back if you have any questions and they strive to provide as many local foods as possible.  I have taken the liberty of doing a side by side price DSC_0042comparison.  Perhaps you will find the price differential not so insurmountable.  If so, that is fantastic!  I would also hope that someone who is fearful of changing to a whole foods diet because of the expense will see that it really isn’t that bad! Those box meals and ready made meals can really add up!

Durham Organics

Click here to view the bin selection!  There is plenty to choose from and you can set preferences and customize all of your orders!

Green With Envy Bin – 42.00 before tax  Add On Juicing Box – 25.00 before tax

This is based on my customized order.  I LOVE that you can pick and choose the items you want for a flat fee.  It is also pretty great to have it delivered right to your door in reusable bins!  FYI, I have absolutely no affiliation with this company, I just think they are great!

  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 LB of local onions
  • 1 bunch of parsnips
  • 2 bunches of beets
  • 2 bunches of kale
  • 3 bunches of spinach
  • 1 bunch of broccoli
  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 1 bunch of bananas
  • 1 container blueberries
  • 7 Fiji apples
  • 2 Navel Oranges
  • 5lb of clementines
  • 1 Grapefruit

Total:  67.00

Freschco

I love this grocery store.  It is budget friendly, has an excellent international selection of foods and the produce is always in great shape.  The staff is super friendly and always helpful at the store I frequent. They never just point to an aisle and say “It’s over there”.  In fact, today, I got there at the end of the day and the kale was pretty picked over.  The kid working in the produce section said “No problem” and ran to get a box of fresh Kale.  That is service!

  • 1 Avacado = 0.99
  • 1 Lemon = 0.50
  • bag of onions = 1.49
  • 1 bunch of parsnips = 1.99
  • 2 bunches of beets = 4.98
  • 3 bunches of spinach = 2. 97
  • 1 bunch broccoli = 1.49
  • 1 head of cauliflower = 1.99
  • 1 bunch of bananas = 0.93
  • 1 container blueberries = 3.49
  • 7 Fiji apples = 4.30
  • 2 pears = 1.40
  • 2 navel oranges = 2.58
  • .5lb clementines = 6.25
  • 1 grapefruit = 0.50

Total =  35.85

This is by no means all the vegetables I purchase for the week,  I also bought tangelos, blackberries, strawberries, plums, English cucumbers, a big container of baby spinach, and spaghetti squash. We have lots of happy eating to do!  I was fearful at first that we would not eat all the food and it would go to waste but by the end of week one the fridge was bare and ready to load up again.  It felt like quite an accomplishment.  Careful meal planning and making sure we ate all nine servings of fruits and vegetables made it work.

Beef Shank Stew

I apologize for the lack of pictures.  I was cooking for company and didn’t have time for a giant photo shoot.  I am also not a fabulous photographer.  This is the first meal I made after my inaugural Wahl Protocol grocery trip and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!  I love to cook and I love a new challenge.  This diet is certainly a challenge!  After a veritable shopping spree at my local Freshco, this is what I came up with for dinner.  I found some frozen sliced beef shanks in the freezer section and since the good doctor says that bone broth is excellent for healing a troubled gut, I thought this would be just the thing.

  • 2TBS of coconut oil
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 shallots chopped
  • 1/2  spanish onion chopped
  • three cloves
  • Package of sliced beef shanks (there were about 5 half inch thick slices)
  • 3 cups pinot noir wine (I know, I know cheating on the first recipe but we had this lovely wine and I didn’t want to waste it)
  • water (enough to cover the beef shanks)
  • tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Medium sweet potato chopped
  • 5 baby bok choy (chopped greens only)
  • Two large carrots chooped
  • Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

In a large pot, heat coconut oil.  Add first three ingredients and saute until soft.  Add clove, beef shanks, wine, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower and  let simmer for one hour. Pull out the bones, scoop any marrow out and put back in the stew and cut and edible meat bits off and put them back in the stew. Add vegetables, bring back up to a boil and then down to a simmer until carrots and sweet potatoes are fork tender.  You may want to wait to the end to put in your bok choy so it stays nice and green but I didn’t bother. Remove from heat and stir in balsamic vinegar.  VOILA!  Deeeeelicous and hearty.