Amanda Hilton

Each year the EWG (Environmental Working Group) releases their Dirty Dozen list. This is a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that have the highest concentration of synthetic chemicals due to conventional growing practices. Check out my previous post for the full list at www.amandahilton.ca

Numbers Four and Eight 

Number four on the Dirty Dozen list is nectarines and number eight is peaches. I’m going to combine these two tasty fruits into one blog post because they are very closely related and can often be used interchangeably. Nectarines are fuzzless peaches, or peaches are fuzzy nectarines, they are the same species and occasionally, peach trees may produce nectarines and vice versa. 

Conventionally Grown

Both nectarines and peaches have a sweet flavour and scent. This makes them irresistible to insects. Conventionally grown, these fruits are heavily sprayed with pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. They are also often sprayed after being packed into boxes for shipping. Some peaches are picked before they are even ripe and are placed in shipping fridges to make them last longer. This is why you can find still-hard peaches at the grocery store that may never ripen. These fruits have a delicate skin which bruises easily and is very absorptive, so they tend to retain the synthetic chemicals used during conventional growing. 

Nutritional Highlights 

Peaches and nectarines are both good sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. They are delicious fresh or cooked and are best when purchased tree-ripened in the summer months. 

Local Peaches

Each year, where we live, we have a local peach festival and one of the main attractions is the peach sundae. This is vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream and sliced local peaches. It is divine! Due to food intolerances, we can no longer enjoy this once-a-year treat, so we purchase some local organic peaches and make our own dairy free version with coconut or cashew ice cream. It is just as good, if not better since I know we aren’t going to have upset digestive systems afterwards or be bogged down with synthetic chemicals. 

Recipe

Peaches-n-cream oatmeal

⅓ cup gluten free steel cut oats 

1 medium ripe banana, mashed

½ cup dairy-free milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)

1 organic peach, diced

Coconut yogurt

In a small saucepan, combine the oats, mashed banana and milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk has been absorbed and the oats are soft (about 10-12 min). Spoon into a bowl and top with diced peaches and a dollop of coconut yogurt. 

Counting Down the Dirty Dozen

So far I’ve reviewed the first four items plus number eight of the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list. Check out my previous posts if you missed numbers one to three www.amandahilton.ca. Continue following along as I go through the remaining seven fruits and vegetables and hopefully you get some insight as to why these 12 chemical laden conventionally grown fruits and veggies might be better for you when bought organic. Send me a message at services@amandahilton.ca if you would like to learn more ways to add organic produce to your diet. I would love to set up a consultation to discuss your health goals!