Saturday, January 8, 2011

food buying guide

Seafood
from Seafood Watch Pocket Guides

Best:
Arctic Char (farmed)
Barramundi (US farmed)
Catfish (US farmed)
Clams, Mussels, Oysters (farmed)
Clams: Softshell/Steamers (wild)
Cobia (US farmed)
Crab: Dungeness, Stone
Croaker: Atlantic*
Halibut: Pacific
Lobster: Spiny (US)
Salmon (Alaska wild)
Scallops (farmed off-bottom)
Squid: Longfin (US)
Striped Bass (farmed or wild*)
Swordfish (Canada and US, harpoon and handline)*
Tilapia (US farmed)
Trout: Rainbow (farmed)
Tuna: Albacore including canned white tuna (troll/pole, US and BC)
Tuna: Skipjack including canned light tuna (troll/pole)

Good:
Black Sea Bass (mid-Atlantic)
Bluefish*
Caviar, Sturgeon (US farmed)
Clams: Hard, Quahog, Surf (wild)
Crab: Blue*, Jonah, King (US), Snow Haddock (hook & line)
Hake: Offshore, Red and Silver
Herring: Atlantic
Lobster: American/Maine
Mahi Mahi/Dolphinfish (US)
Oysters (wild)
Pollock (Alaska wild)
Scallops: Sea
Scup/Porgy
Shrimp (US, Canada)
Squid (except Longfin US)
Swai, Basa (farmed)
Swordfish (US)*
Tilapia (Central America farmed)
Tilefish (mid-Atlantic)
Tuna: Bigeye, Yellowfin (troll/pole)
Tuna: Canned white/Albacore (troll/pole except US and BC)

Avoid:
Caviar, Sturgeon* (imported wild)
Chilean Seabass/Toothfish*
Cod: Atlantic
Crab: King (imported)
Flounders, Halibut, Soles (Atlantic)
Haddock (trawled)
Hake: White
Mahi Mahi/Dolphinfish (imported)
Marlin: Blue* , Striped*
Monkfish
Orange Roughy*
Salmon (farmed, including Atlantic)*
Sharks* and Skates
Shrimp (imported)
Snapper: Red
Swordfish (imported)*
Tilapia (Asia farmed)
Tilefish (Southeast)*
Tuna: Albacore, Bigeye, Yellowfin (longline)*
Tuna: Bluefin* and Tongol
Tuna: Canned (except troll/pole)*

Fruit and Vegetable
from Environmental Working Group

12 Most Contaminated:
  • Peaches
  • Apples
  • Sweet Bell Peppers
  • Celery
  • Nectarines
  • Strawberries
  • Cherries
  • Pears
  • Grapes (Imported)
  • Spinach
  • Lettuce
  • Potatoes
12 Least Contaminated:
  • Onions
  • Avocado
  • Sweet Corn (Frozen)
  • Pineapples
  • Mango
  • Asparagus
  • Sweet Peas (Frozen)
  • Kiwi Fruit
  • Bananas
  • Cabbage
  • Broccoli
  • Papaya