As a mother of two young girls, ages 4 and 6, I have been very concerned with the kinds of food I feed them. They were both breast-fed as babies and they eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily. We usually purchase whole wheat and whole grain foods and they are only allowed to drink milk and water. On special occasions – birthdays and parties – they have juice.

We have not given them soda pop and as far as we know they have not tasted it yet. As parents, we did not allow our girls any candy until they were nearly 4-years-old. When I told one of my friends this, I remember being called a “pretty mean mother.” Our neighbor who knew we had not introduced candy to our girls would prepare a special bag for Halloween for the girls with goldfish and pretzels.

One of the main reasons my husband and I made a conscious decision to offer healthy food alternatives for our daughters - as well as involve them in physical activities like soccer, baseball, swimming and biking - is our fear that they may grow up to be obese as adults. We wanted to introduce healthy eating and healthy ways of life early on in the hope that they continue these habits into adulthood.

However, I was shocked a few days ago to find out that some of the ‘healthy’ non-organic food I’ve been offering our daughters may not be good for them.

The pesticide issue in the United States is a major problem that contributes to everything from obesity to cancer. Most of our exposure to these pesticides is through eating the most nutritious foods – fruits and vegetables. The Environmental Working Group recently released the ‘Dirty Dozen’ list of fruit and vegetables that contain the highest pesticide counts. It includes (in order):

1. celery
2. peaches
3. strawberries
4. apples
5. domestic blueberries
6. nectarines
7. sweet bell peppers
8. greens (spinach, kale and collard)
9. cherries
10. potatoes
11. imported grapes
12. lettuce.

The assumption that spraying pesticides on the outside of fruits and vegetables has no effect on the inside or that somehow we could wash it off has always seemed somewhat naive to me. Now, the Environmental Working Group has given us proof that soft-skinned produce absorbs these dangerous chemicals and transfers those neurotoxins to us.

There is no better way to get your vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than by consuming fresh produce. However it is incumbent on us as parents to ensure our families eat as organically as possible to avoid unnecessary pesticide exposure.