Hello Francina, good that the course helped, and I would keep picking. White specks may not be whitefly and aphids just wash off leaves before you eat them. Keep picking until plants rise up to flower.
It has been good weather for aphids, a lot of dry, and watering may reduce their numbers. Compost-rich soil tends to have see less growing on plants but weather conditions are often key, I often see aphids, rarely worry about them.