You hear a lot about the benefits of eating organic foods, but who knows if the extra expense is worth it? Answer: nutritionist Andrea Davis knows, and she shared her wisdom with Urban Girl Squad members at a recent event at NY Vintners wine shop in Tribeca.
Here are some of her rules of thumb:
1. Organic or not, pump up the fruits and vegetables in your diet. Andrea strongly recommends eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables each day, especially leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, and produce in a range of colors. Of course she'd prefer all of it to be organic, but she understands you have to balance what's best for your body and realistic for your budget. Finding ways to eat more fruits and vegetables -even frozen options--is the priority.
2. Let me count the ways organic foods are better. By definition, organic produce is free of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. And if you're talking about organic meat or dairy, you'll find they're free of growth hormones and antibiotics. When you think about eating these chemicals on a routine basis, the health benefits of organic seem fairly obvious. Studies have linked the build-up of these chemicals in the body to everything from asthma to cancer. Andrea adds that organic food is proven to be more nutritious, and tastier, too. A final reason to eat organic (if you need one!) is the impact conventional farming practices can have on the Earth, including water pollution, soil erosion, and the pollution that results from flying and trucking produce all around the world.
3. Local and organic are not the same thing. Greenmarkets might give you warm fuzzies, but the farmers are not necessarily selling organic food. Buying local helps reduce your carbon footprint and is generally fresher, but without the organic label, you don't have much insight into how the food was grown. The best way to understand what you're buying is to engage with the representative at the greenmarket about their farming or growing practices. Sometimes local farmers with small operations practice organic farming but haven't invested in the USDA certification. A quick conversation will give you all the insight you need to make a better decision.
4. Budget conscious shoppers can buy organic, too. Organic foods tend to be more expensive, but it doesn't have to be prohibitive. Andrea estimates that organic beef generally costs $1-$2 more per pound, which is not as crazy expensive as you might expect. Since free-range organic chicken is pretty expensive, consider eating less of it, and finding creative ways to use your organic vegetables.
If you wanted to know when buying organic produce really counts, Andrea advises you follow this cheat sheet: peaches, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, cherries, lettuce, carrots, apples, celery, strawberries, kale, grapes (imported), and pears. For more on this topic, and to download an iPhone app providing an on-the-go shoppers guide, visit: http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php
5. If you know you're not going to buy organic produce, do this instead. There are sprays available at Whole Foods (and other health food stores) that you should use to wash your fruits and vegetables. Andrea recommends this brand: http://www.vegiwash.com. This is a $5 quick-fix that's worth investing in if you know you're not ready to change your shopping habits.
Andrea also shared some helpful resources:
To find farmers markets and locally grown food near you: http://www.localharvest.org or http://www.sustainabletable.org.
For sustainable restaurants, stores, markets, etc.: http://www.slowfoodnyc.org
If you want fresh organic fruits and vegetables delivered right to your door, consider: http://www.urbanorganic.com
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the UGS organic investigation when we turn our attention to organic wines with Gerard Quirk of NY Vintners.
Here are some of her rules of thumb:
1. Organic or not, pump up the fruits and vegetables in your diet. Andrea strongly recommends eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables each day, especially leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, and produce in a range of colors. Of course she'd prefer all of it to be organic, but she understands you have to balance what's best for your body and realistic for your budget. Finding ways to eat more fruits and vegetables -even frozen options--is the priority.
2. Let me count the ways organic foods are better. By definition, organic produce is free of pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides. And if you're talking about organic meat or dairy, you'll find they're free of growth hormones and antibiotics. When you think about eating these chemicals on a routine basis, the health benefits of organic seem fairly obvious. Studies have linked the build-up of these chemicals in the body to everything from asthma to cancer. Andrea adds that organic food is proven to be more nutritious, and tastier, too. A final reason to eat organic (if you need one!) is the impact conventional farming practices can have on the Earth, including water pollution, soil erosion, and the pollution that results from flying and trucking produce all around the world.
3. Local and organic are not the same thing. Greenmarkets might give you warm fuzzies, but the farmers are not necessarily selling organic food. Buying local helps reduce your carbon footprint and is generally fresher, but without the organic label, you don't have much insight into how the food was grown. The best way to understand what you're buying is to engage with the representative at the greenmarket about their farming or growing practices. Sometimes local farmers with small operations practice organic farming but haven't invested in the USDA certification. A quick conversation will give you all the insight you need to make a better decision.
4. Budget conscious shoppers can buy organic, too. Organic foods tend to be more expensive, but it doesn't have to be prohibitive. Andrea estimates that organic beef generally costs $1-$2 more per pound, which is not as crazy expensive as you might expect. Since free-range organic chicken is pretty expensive, consider eating less of it, and finding creative ways to use your organic vegetables.
If you wanted to know when buying organic produce really counts, Andrea advises you follow this cheat sheet: peaches, sweet bell peppers, nectarines, cherries, lettuce, carrots, apples, celery, strawberries, kale, grapes (imported), and pears. For more on this topic, and to download an iPhone app providing an on-the-go shoppers guide, visit: http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php
5. If you know you're not going to buy organic produce, do this instead. There are sprays available at Whole Foods (and other health food stores) that you should use to wash your fruits and vegetables. Andrea recommends this brand: http://www.vegiwash.com. This is a $5 quick-fix that's worth investing in if you know you're not ready to change your shopping habits.
Andrea also shared some helpful resources:
To find farmers markets and locally grown food near you: http://www.localharvest.org or http://www.sustainabletable.org.
For sustainable restaurants, stores, markets, etc.: http://www.slowfoodnyc.org
If you want fresh organic fruits and vegetables delivered right to your door, consider: http://www.urbanorganic.com
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the UGS organic investigation when we turn our attention to organic wines with Gerard Quirk of NY Vintners.
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