Going organic: is it really worth it?
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A trip to the store for the weekly shop has now become a daunting task. It seems that no matter what you want to buy, be it eggs, meat, fish, milk or vegetables, you are bombarded with labels telling you that the food is natural, or organic, or countless other things. Confused? You’re not alone. Understanding what each of these labels actually means will help you decide whether you should spend that extra money, or whether its just a clever marketing ploy.
Natural and organic produce
Fruit and vegetables are often labeled ‘natural’; given that’s what you’d expect for something that is grown rather than manufactured you can probably pass this over as a marketing ploy.
What you probably want in this case is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Organic foods have two main benefits. Firstly, they are environmentally friendly, as you are not using unnecessary chemicals. Secondly, they are healthier, as you are not putting any chemicals into your body.
The downside of organic produce is that it’s usually more expensive. If you are on a budget then skip the fruit and vegetables that you have to peel, such as onions and bananas. Once you’re discarded the peel you will have discarded the chemicals. Instead opt for produce such as apples where you will eat the peel. No matter what you choose always rinse the food before you eat it.
No hormones
You will usually find the ‘no hormones’ label on milk and meat. Of course since all animals need hormones to regulate their body organs this isn’t quite true. What the label actually means is that no artificial hormones were given to the animal; this is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, the meat and milk is safe for human consumption and doesn’t violate the animal’s rights.
Free range
If you are buying eggs or meat you will often see a ‘free range’ label; this indicates that the animal was not caged or penned. It doesn’t actually make a difference to the nutritional value or quality of the eggs or meat, but is a matter of animal rights. These products are usually more expensive but if you want to make humane choices about your food then free range is the way to go.
Reading the label and making humane and healthy decisions can often be confusing, but learning how to do it can help you make the best choices for you and your diet.
