
The organic food trend has gained momentum with health conscious consumers. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.
The Environmental Working Group publishes a "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and vegetables with the highest concentration of pesticides. It's worth paying a bit extra for the organic versions of these foods.
Vitamins
A diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides vital vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. A variety of factors drives people to pay a premium for organic fruits and vegetables, including concerns about pesticides, desire for flavor and a belief that organic food is more nutritious than conventional produce.
But not all produce requires you to spend extra for the organic version. Each year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) releases a list of fruits and vegetables that are most contaminated with pesticides and suggests shoppers prioritize buying organic versions of these foods. For example, the EWG lists strawberries as one of the most contaminated foods and recommends you buy them organic whenever possible.
Minerals
A good source of minerals such as zinc and iron can be found in meats, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans and leafy vegetables. Try including these in your diet or consider adding them to homemade meals such as vegetable pizzas, fajitas and sandwiches made with lean cuts of meat. Blackhawk Bloomers is committed to helping to alleviate local food insecurity and has partnered with the Bounty Garden at Hap Magee Ranch Park. This non-profit program provides a space where community volunteers can learn about growing healthy organic produce and become part of the solution to hunger in Contra Costa and Solano counties. The garden is a project of Brigit's Bounty Community Resources, a ministry of St. Brigit's Episcopal Church in Firestone.
Fiber
Providing the body with adequate fiber can help you maintain a healthy weight and fight constipation. It is recommended that you eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily.
In addition to being a source of vitamins and minerals, many vegetables are rich in dietary fiber. These foods may also be beneficial in promoting weight loss and lowering blood sugar levels.
Many gardens are positively exploding with fresh fruits and veggies. Often gardeners find themselves with more produce than they can consume, and it can feel wasteful to see the products rot or be eaten by pests. This is where canning comes in!
Antioxidants
Many fruits and vegetables contain natural antioxidants that help prevent oxidation, the process of cell damage. These compounds give fruits and veggies their bright colors and help them fight free radicals, which are the culprits in some diseases, such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, aging and cancer.
Antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamins E and carotenoids such as lycopene and lutein, are thought to reduce the risk of heart disease by neutralizing free radicals and preventing oxidative stress. Antioxidants can also be found in whole grains, seeds and nuts. In fact, organic foods are higher in antioxidants than non-organic foods.
Heart Health
In addition to lowering heart disease risk, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers your risk for stroke. In fact, a number of large-scale studies show that people who regularly eat more than five servings of produce per day have a lower risk for both conditions.
While buying organic can be expensive, many consumers find it worth the extra cost to protect their family's health. They also cite taste preferences and environmental stewardship as motivations to spend more on certain foods. Regardless of your reasons for choosing organic, make sure to eat a variety of colorful fruits and veggies. This ensures you get a broad spectrum of beneficial plant chemicals.
Weight Loss
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits supports healthy weight loss, lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer and promotes eye health. Fruits and vegetables are also high in dietary fiber and contain powerful antioxidants.
Generally, you should always choose organic when possible. However, you don't need to make a complete overhaul of your grocery shopping list overnight to buy only organic produce. Refer to the Environmental Working Group's Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen lists of the most and least contaminated foods to guide your decisions. These lists will help you prioritize the produce you spend your money on and avoid unnecessary exposure to pesticides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the health benefits of organic farming
Organic farming gives farmers the opportunity to grow food without the use of chemical pesticides. Organic farming is a way for farmers to produce food without using harmful pesticides.
Organic farming can also use natural fertilizers. These fertilizers promote healthy plants and decrease the amount of chemicals used.
Organic farming is also environmentally friendly. To recycle nutrients back into soil, farmers often resort to composting. This reduces pollution and preserves valuable resources.
Organic farming can increase crop yields and help the environment. This is because organic agriculture uses less water in the growing season.
Organic production methods mean farmers can get higher prices. Consumers who are more informed about the dangers of pesticides or chemical fertilizers will demand healthier food.
This increases demand for organic food products. For these reasons, organic farming is becoming increasingly popular.
Is organic produce healthy?
There are two types of foods; those we grow ourselves and those we buy from someone else. While there are exceptions, the general answer is yes to both. Organic food is healthier than conventional food because it doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, pesticides or herbicides. It also doesn’t contain preservatives or genetically modified organisms.
Organic food can be found in supermarkets throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Many grocery stores now stock organic food. This makes it easier to shop organic.
Organic food is better tasting and healthier because it contains more vitamins and minerals. In addition, organics are usually grown without applying synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which means they do not pollute our soil and water supply.
The USDA regulates organic farming practices. It requires that farmers follow strict guidelines in order to ensure organic produce is safe for consumption. There are currently more than 30,000,000 acres of US farmland which have been designated organic.
Organic food is often cheaper than traditional food. The same amount of nutrients, calories, and protein is being offered by organic food, but consumers are often paying less. Organic farms are able to charge lower prices for their crops because they don't have to purchase expensive chemical inputs like insecticides and fungicides.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), organic food actually costs 10% less per pound. Switching to organic food is a smart move if you care about your health and that of your family.
Organic food has become an increasingly popular alternative to American standard diets. Many people believe that organic food can only be found in specialty markets or gourmet restaurants. This is false. You can easily purchase organic food in regular grocery stores throughout the United States.
Recent years have seen a significant increase in organic food sales. The market value of organic food in the US was $43 billion in 2012, up from $21 billion in 2007.
What are organic fruits?
Organic food is free from pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and hormones. They contain more nutrients such vitamins A, C. E, and, in some cases, omega-3 oils. These ingredients are good for our bodies as well as the planet.
Organic foods are made using sustainable agricultural practices, which protect soil quality and promote biodiversity. They are produced without harmful chemicals, irradiation, or sewage sludge.
Most people associate organics with fruits, but organic products also include dairy, meat and poultry, as well as baked goods, personal care items, pet food and household cleaning supplies.
"Organic" is defined by the USDA as crops that have been grown following strict guidelines set forth in federal government standards. Non-organic methods cannot be used by farmers to grow these foods. However, they can use approved organic pest control methods like crop rotation and covering cropping or animal feed made with organic materials.
Additionally, the farmer must adhere to guidelines concerning the amount of fertilizer and pesticide that he uses during the growing seasons and how he rotates his fields among various crops. GMOs, artificial growthhormones, synthetic insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers cannot be used by farmers.
The requirements for organic fruits and vegetables are met if they are labeled 100 percent organic. But, not all farms label their produce as 100% organic. It would confuse consumers. Instead, they will label their product as "made with organic ingredients. "
Why should you buy organic?
Conventional agriculture has been linked with many health problems including asthma, allergies. You must make healthy choices when buying food.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) offers the following tips on how to pick "cleaner" food:
Always buy organic fruits & vegetables.
USDA organic labels can be found on meat, poultry (eggs, eggs), milk, cheese and yogurt as well.
Avoid processed foods labelled "natural"/ "no additives."
Be sure to read all ingredient labels. If an ingredient is not listed, it can be added during processing.
Fresh meats are better than canned or frozen. Many frozen and canned foods contain less nutrients, like high fructose Corn Syrup.
What are some things I should look out for when purchasing organic goods?
USDA-certified organic labels are desirable. This guarantee that the product has met specific standards set forth by USDA. On all packages, boxes and cartons, look for the USDA Organic seal.
When you shop for meat, ensure that it comes from cows who are fed organic feed. Cattle are ruminants which means that they chew the cud. Ruminant cattle have four stomach areas: rumen (reticulum), omasum (omasum), and abomasum. If the cow is to be labeled "100% organic", all of its parts must have been organically fed.
You should only purchase chicken that has been raised organically. It must not have ever been treated with antibiotics. Chickens are omnivores. This means they can eat both plant and animal food. The digestive tract of an omnivorous chicken is composed of a crop and proventriculus, gizzard as well as small intestine, large intestinale, and anus.
Buy dairy products that are 100% organically produced. Just like ruminants have four stomachs, dairy cows have four. The fourth stomach compartment, the udder, is where milk comes from.
Check the label when purchasing livestock of any other type to find out what percentage was used in the animal's diet. Pork may be labeled "95% Organic" which means that 95 percent of its feed was organic.
What are the top organic products?
Today organic food is the fastest-growing sector. But even though we've come a long way from our roots, there is still much room for growth.
Organic products are the future. They are safer, healthier for the environment, and easier to afford for consumers.
However, they are also more expensive. We created the Organic Food Index. We wanted the ability to identify which foods are currently most popular and whether these trends have changed.
The results of the study show that organic food has become more popular. Between 2011 and 2012, the number of Americans who shop for organic food increased by almost 50%.
According to the USDA, organic production increased by 10% last year alone. Organic food now makes up 9% U.S. agriculture output.
Organic food is definitely on the rise, but it still seems expensive for consumers. The Organic Trade Association (OTA) reports that organic food retail prices average almost double the price of conventional foods.
The organic food sector is growing faster than other segments of the food supply. If you look closely at the data, it will be apparent that organic food consumption has steadily increased since 2009.
In fact, according to OTA, the volume of organic products sold in supermarkets grew by 14% between 2010 and 2011.
This increase reflects consumer demand for healthier foods, which explains why organic food sales are increasing across all age groups.
However, younger generations are leading the charge when choosing organic food. Millennials are twice as likely than baby boomers to buy organic foods. The 25% of organic food purchase made by younger adults below 35 are made up of young adults.
What is organic food?
Organic produce can be grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. No growth hormones are used, and there is no animal testing. These crops are allowed to grow naturally, so farmers do not use chemicals to prevent weeds or pests.
Organic farming practices preserve soil quality and help conserve water resources. In addition, organics are better for our health because they contain more nutrients than conventional food. Organic foods are often higher in fiber, lower in fat, and less calories than those produced conventionally.
Statistics
- To provide the highest quality products and services to every customer, with a dedicated workforce that puts the customer first and takes the extra step to achieve 100% customer satisfaction and loyalty. (hollinsorganic.com)
- According to a study performed by consumerreports.org, organic products, compared to non-organic products, ranged anywhere from 13 percent cheaper to 303 percent more expensive. (en.wikipedia.org)
- As for organic meat, regulations require that animals be raised in living conditions that accommodate their natural behaviours (like the ability to graze on pasture), fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not administered antibiotics or hormones. (usda.gov)
- Nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids were up to 50 percent higher in organic meats and milk than in conventionally raised products.[3] (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
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- The health effects of organic foods and their impact on the human body: A review of the status quo and future prospects of research – ScienceDirect
- Technical note: Simultaneous Vitamin and Carotenoid Analysis of Milk from Total Mixed Ratio-Fed Cows - ScienceDirect
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How To
Are there any downsides to organic products?
The benefits of organic food are well known. However, organic foods have their drawbacks. These include higher consumer costs, lower quality standards and fewer options.
There's nothing wrong with wanting more variety when it comes to groceries. But we've been programmed to expect cheap food that tastes terrible. This is why most grocery stores stock identical prepackaged products.
But today, organic food is becoming increasingly popular because it offers better nutrition and tastes great. How do you convince people that it is worth the extra effort?
You could also tell them organic food is more expensive. However, this doesn't mean that organic food tastes better. They might be suspicious of your motives.
It is better to emphasize its positive aspects. Organic food is healthier and contains less pesticides, antibiotics, and it has higher nutritional content. Organic food is healthier for you and your environment because it doesn't contain synthetic fertilizers or herbicides.
Many people turn down organic food simply because it is too costly. But if they think about the health benefits, it may be worth spending a few bucks per week.
The reason why organic food tastes better is that it's produced under strict guidelines that prevent contamination. Organic food is more likely to contain vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants.
Organic food is also tastier because it's picked later in the season. This makes the food more fresh and easier to digest.
Organic food is generally more affordable because the farmers grow it organically. This requires less labour as well as fertilizer.
Resources:
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