the what & why of eating ORGANIC
Organic foods are more nutritious than their non-organic counterparts. They contain no chemicals/hormones/pesticides/antibiotics, and are often better, fresher and more flavorful tasting.
In the rush to produce more and more crops to satisfy growing demand for food, farmers and food producers started using pesticides, chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics to increase growth of crops and animals and to ward off insects and disease that damage the produce and animals.
Quick Facts:
- When you consume an average non-organic apple you are ingesting over 30 pesticides, even after you have washed it
- the levels of vitamin C in today's fruit bear no resemblance to the levels found in fruit produced pre-World War II, before the dramatic increase in the use of pesticides
- Organic food is known to contain 50% more nutrients, minerals and vitamins than produce that has been non-organically farmed
Not only is produce (fruits and vegetables) affected by chemicals used to increase production, non-organic meats (beef, poultry, pork) are also filled with antibiotics and hormones. These antibiotics and hormones are stored in the animals’ meat and fat and when we eat these non-organic meats, these antibiotics and hormones enter our bodies.
There are many misconceptions regarding organic food including that it is very expensive, hard to find, and that does not taste good. All of these misconceptions are myths. Organic food is not significantly more expensive than non-organic food; and because you are getting a higher quality, more nutritious food, any minor cost increase is worth it.
Organic Food is NOT difficult to find. Many traditional grocery stores are now carrying a fair selection of organic produce. Organic produce is also easily available at natural foods markets, such as Whole Foods. Furthermore, your local farmers’ market most likely offers locally grown, organic produce.
If cost is a major consideration for you, and you want to buy only certain foods organic, the following list will help you determine which foods are most important to purchase organic:
Always Buy Organic - Highest Residual Pesticide Levels |
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apples |
squash |
nectarines |
cantaloupe |
bell peppers |
pears |
celery |
strawberries |
raspberries |
cherries |
peaches |
potatoes |
tomatoes |
beans |
spinach |
imported grapes |
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|
|
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Buy Organic when you can (Rarely tainted with pesticides) |
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asparagus |
mangoes |
avocados |
onions |
|
bananas |
broccoli |
cauliflower |
corn |
|
kiwi |
papayas |
pineapple |
sweet peas |
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Meats & FIsh
Meat |
Buy Organic, Grass-fed |
Poultry |
Buy Organic, Free-Range |
Fish |
Buy Wild |
Eggs |
Buy Organic |
Milk |
Buy Organic |
The USDA & ORGANIC
If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards and that at least 95 percent of the food's ingredients are organically produced. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it.
Products that are completely organic — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single-ingredient foods — are labeled 100 percent organic and can carry a small USDA seal. The PLU code on fruits and vegetables that are organic will be a 5-digit number beginning with the number “9” (as opposed to non-organic fruits and vegetables, which have 4-digit PLU numbers). Foods that have more than one ingredient, such as breakfast cereal, can use the USDA organic seal or the following wording on their package labels, depending on the number of organic ingredients:
100 percent organic. Products that are completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
Organic. Products that are at least 95 percent organic.
Made with organic ingredients. These are products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients. The organic seal can't be used on these packages.
Foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients can't use the organic seal or the word "organic" on their product label. They can include the organic items in their ingredient list, however.
For more specifics on what to eat and why, as well as some great recipes...
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