Welcome to LIME's brand new Organic Living blog, where organic lifestyle expert Eliza Sarasohn — author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organic Living — tackles your questions on the ins and outs of living la vida organica. This week, Sarasohn spotlights "The Pretty Clean Thirteen" — the 13 fruits and veggies with the lowest pesticide residues. 

Last week we took a look at the so-called Dirty Dozen, the 12 fruits and veggies with the highest pesticide residues. This week, as promised, we’re rounding up the “Pretty-Clean Thirteen,” the produce on the EWG’s least-contaminated list. The fruits and veggies on this list consistently test low to negative for pesticide residue, so if you can't find organic options or you're trying to save money by buying conventional produce, these choices are your best bets.

There are various reasons why these items made the cut. Some simply don’t need chemicals to grow well because they naturally repel pests or have thick shells or skins for protection. Others are protected by natural predators. Some are grown in parts of the world where pesticides are too expensive to use, so very little is applied.

From lowest to highest (based on EWG rankings) they are:

Onions. Onions and other members of the onion family, most notably garlic, have substances that naturally repel many insect pests. Their skins also offer some protection against invaders.

Avocados. Their thick, tough skins make them almost impervious to pesticides, ranking them the lowest fruits on the list.

Sweet Corn

Pineapples

Mangoes 

Asparagus

Sweet peas. Their pods protect them from insects.

Kiwi fruit

Bananas. The combination of growing high above the ground and tough skin to protect them makes bananas a low-risk choice.

Cabbage

Broccoli. Cooler growing conditions tend to protect them from insect pests.

Eggplant

Papayas

For EWG’s complete list of 43 fruits and vegetables, visit www.foodnews.org. The website's best feature is its handy downloadable wallet guide; print it out and pop it in your purse the next time you go to the market. 

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organic Living by Eliza Sarasohn with Sonia Weiss.