Dude, What’s On My Food?!

As a parent, you’re probably concerned about pesticides on the foods your family eats. I know I am.

Since the Environmental Working Group came out with their list of the “Dirty Dozen“, I’m more selective about our produce purchases. We even grew a few rows of kale in our raised bed gardens because we eat copious amounts of greens.

But just because a favorite veggie didn’t end up on EWG’s list doesn’t mean that it’s free and clear. Certainly not organic, in most cases!

An average American child gets 5+ servings of pesticides in their food and water per day.

Yikes! That’s why this frightening educational new database is so helpful.

• » See also: Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 Activities to Teach Your Child How to Live Green
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What’s On My Food? is a project of the Pesticide Action Network.

Pesticides are the linchpin of industrialized agriculture.

On this site, not only can you find grown goods such as asparagus, cranberries, and watermelon, you can even get the chemical content of meat and grains! Bottled water? Check? Rice? Check. Pork muscle, poultry breast, and beef liver? Check, check, and check.

Of course, eating locally can help solve this problem for a few reasons. First off and unfortunately, if I pick up half a peck of peaches from up the road, they may have been sprayed, but we’re already exposed to those chemicals. The orchard is seriously right down the road.

But many local growers don’t spray if they’re selling to local markets. They may not be able to call themselves “organic” (because they are not certified, and the soil may not measure as organic), but they often are. Look a farmer in the eye and ask. You’ll have much more peace of mind.

But until then, use the What’s On My Food? database as you tiptoe through the aisles of your grocery store.

Image: rick on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

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