Tag Archives: fresh food

Organic Produce For Wellness: When to Splurge

Posted on by
Reply

Choosing healthy, fresh food can be a challenge, especially when it comes to selecting organic produce. More and more shoppers are becoming educated on the benefits of organic food, including more nutrient value, less pesticide contamination, and the overall ecological benefits of organic agriculture. However, organic produce is more expensive than conventional farming, and may be difficult to find in some areas.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled the “Dirty Dozen,” a list of the most pesticide-contaminated produce. The EWG says that while the benefits of organic food can be applied to all produce, it is most important to choose organic for these twelve foods:

  • Apples
  • Celery
  • Strawberries
  • Peaches
  • Spinach
  • Nectarines (imported)
  • Grapes (imported)
  • Sweet bell peppers
  • Potatos
  • Blueberries (domestic)
  • Lettuce
  • Kale/collard greens

These foods are the most likely to be contaminated by pesticides. If even twelve foods are too hard to buy organic, the three worst offenders are apples, celery, and strawberries. The EWG stresses that the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, even if conventionally farmed, outweigh the risks of pesticide contamination.

The Dirty Dozen are susceptible to contamination because their soft skin is more likely to absorb pesticides. On the other end of the spectrum of the Clean 15, the fifteen foods with the lowest pesticide counts:

  • Onions
  • Sweet corn
  • Pineapples
  • Avocado
  • Asparagus
  • Sweet peas
  • Mangoes
  • Eggplant
  • Cantaloupe (domestic)
  • Kiwi
  • Cabbage
  • Watermelon
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Grapefruit
  • Mushrooms

By using theses guides, consumers can make more-educated choices about the fruits and vegetables they serve their families, which will lead to more healthy meal planning.

Source:

  • “EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce”, Environmental Working Group

Ready to start smarter meal planning with Food On The Table? Start here.

Natural Foods Myth: Strict Regulations

Posted on by
Reply

In our food system inundated with artificial flavors and man-made chemicals, many shoppers are reassured when they see a “Natural” label on their favorite products. Unfortunately, this label can be misleading. While organic products must be regulated by the USDA, there are no standards for these so-called natural products.

Think of your own kitchen: when you are cooking from organic recipes, it is essential that each ingredient is organic in order to the integrity of the food. This same principle applies to products on the shelf. If a food is made with some all-natural foods, some organic fruits and vegetables, and then rounded out with processed, chemically enhanced ingredients, then the end result is neither truly natural nor organic. Using and advertising a few natural ingredients in a food is an easy way to mislead consumers.

What is a Natural Product?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have a go-to definition for a “natural” product. The agency makes the point that when a fresh food is prepared, packaged, then be sold at a grocery store, it is no longer solely a product of the earth. Therefore, it is hard to quantify a food’s degree of naturalness. The FDA says that while there is no working definition for “natural”, they do not object to a label using the term if the food lacks added color, artificial flavor, or other synthetic substances.

The Ad Game

Organic and natural foods are enjoying a recent surge in popularity. Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the unhealthy ingredients in food, and growing concerns over ailments like cancer and juvenile diabetes are causing families to take a closer look at what they are serving their families. This creates a huge opportunity for brands to attract customers. When food marketers identified this attractive concept and found ways to position their product, “natural” became just another misappropriation in a long list of buzzwords.

Paying close attention to labels and labeling practices is an important part of buying food.  It is easy to assume that a product with labeled “All-Natural” is an organic product. If choosing truly natural, non-chemically enhanced food for your daily meal plan is a priority, don’t rely on labeling practices. The easiest way to quickly know what is in your food is by checking the ingredients.

Sources:

  • “What is the meaning of ‘natural’ on the label of food?” FDA.gov
  • “Organic Certification”, USDA.gov

Better meals begin with better planning. We can help.