Should you eat organic?

These days, finding organic food is easier than ever for you and busy professionals. The range of organic products available even in supermarkets is wide ranging. You can buy organic wholemeal flour, pasta, strawberries and asparagus, natural juices, organic meat, sausages, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy.

What are the benefits of organic food?

Health, sustainability, animal welfare, and the wish to support organic farming all come into the decision to buy organic.

Organic food and animal feed is grown without synthetic pesticides and herbicides, resulting in less chemical residue on the finished produce. Without pesticides, herbicides, greenhouses and synthetic fertilisers, organic produce must fend for itself, unlike conventional foods, which is mollycoddled from sprouting to harvest.

Rather than being grown in huge monocultures, organic fruit and vegetables are planted alongside other plants that help protect them. Plants contain phytonutrients that fight pests and other threats to the plant’s health and increase its resistance to varying weather conditions. These phytonutrients are good for us to. All plants contain them, but there are more of them in organic fruit and veg because they need them for their own defence.

Organically grown food is also more likely to be allowed to grow to full ripeness if it is destined for local shops. That way, it has more time to accumulate and develop nutrients – vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients – that contribute to the nutritional value of the end product.

Animals raised to produce organic meat, dairy or eggs, must be fed organic animal feed. Their welfare has a much higher priority than it does in conventional farming, resulting in more space for the animal to move around, more time spent outdoors and straw covered surfaces rather than bare concrete or wire mesh to stand or lie on. Unlike the grains or soya conventional cattle is fed on, grass and herbs have a higher omega-3 content, which, of course, affects the fatty acid composition of the resulting meat and dairy products.

Why is organic food more expensive?

Agricultural chemicals were introduced to increase yields – which they did. Consequently, organic farming does not result in the same amount of food for the same or even increased effort.

Natural pest control can be rather time-consuming. Ideally, you can group plants together in such a way that they protect each other, but sometimes organic farmers have to literally pluck pests off their plants or get down on the ground to pull weeds.

Obviously, allowing indoor and outdoor space for the animals also reduces the number of animals a farm can raise. Organic cheese, unlike mass-produced, cheap cheese, has been given time to ripen and develop flavour. Organic sourdough bread is allowed to ferment and rise naturally, rather than sped up with artificial rising agents.

So, all that effort, space and time put into the production of organic food and the reduced yield that goes with that, is, of course, reflected in the price – but also the flavour and nutritional value of the resulting food products.

If you can’t afford to buy organic only, would it help to pick and choose?

Yes, it absolutely would. Our conventional food is polluted to varying degrees. Some plants are hardy and/or have very effective self-defence, such as onions, carrots, beetroot, parsley, chicory and more. The phytonutrients they produce protect them from pests (and are also very beneficial for us). Consequently, such plants are left to their own devices and allowed to grow without chemical interference. However, many other types of fruit and vegetables are soft and delicate and easily fall prey to pests: potatoes, berries, apples and spinach are among the most sprayed foods and should be purchased organic if at all possible.

In the US, the Environmental Working Group publishes the “Dirty Dozen” (most polluted fruit and veg) and “Clean 15” (least polluted) to help customers prioritise. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean-fifteen.php

Another aspect to consider is surface area. The smaller the plant product the larger the surface area. Grains and seeds provide a larger area for pests, bacteria and moulds to settle on, making them more vulnerable. Therefore, seeds and grains receive more treatment, just like soft fruit does. So, if you need to prioritise your spending on organic foods, consider buying organic rice, pasta and flour.

What if there is no way that you can afford anything organic?

The unhealthiest foods on the planet right now are ultra-processed industrial products. They are high in sugar, unhealthy fats and salt while being completely devoid of nutrients. Only the most cheaply produced agricultural products go into them, and animal welfare or the protection of the environment are not on the agenda. If you shun junk foods for the benefit of home-cooked meals and snacks from conventionally produced ingredients, you have already made the biggest step towards good health.

Buying local and seasonal food also means that you will get fruit and vegetables that have been allowed to grow to full ripeness and are still fresh by the time they reach your table.

A diet of vegetables, low-sugar fruit, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, dairy and eggs provides everything we need. So, if you reduce your intake of bread, rice, pasta and baked goods, buying only organic – if any – your health would even benefit.

The best thing you can do is to cook from scratch. After that, prioritise and select your (organic) foods wisely.

If you would like to find out more about how I help busy professionals struggling with burnout click here https://www.bite-size-nutrtion.com and book your free 30-minute Strategy and Breakthrough session.