KTK-Nutrition

So many options for buying organic food.   Everyone knows you pay more for organic food.   Why?   Is buying organic really better for your health?   Consumer Reports has some interesting information in their article, Organic Food on a Budget . With food prices increasing many people who bought organic food before are now cutting back.   How can you enjoy organic food on a budget?    What does organic mean?   The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency that regulates organic food.   To be labeled “organic” food must be grown and processed according to federal guidelines.   Or, animals must be raised according to federal guidelines.   These guidelines cover soil quality, pest and weed control, and how additives are used. Produce – organic produce is grown free of synthetic fertilizers, free of pesticide use. In grocery stores, the organic produce is kept separate from regular produce.   I had a student ...

Ever try to go “organic” and buy some organic fruit, vegetables or milk?   Then you look at the price and say, “Oh, my” and wonder why organic costs so much more?   So what gives, why do you have to pay more for the healthier organic option?   Chemicals, pesticides – one reason people buy organic foods is that they aren’t sprayed with all the pesticides and chemicals.   And organic farmers do raise their produce and products without the use of pesticides that are harmful to your health and harmful to the environment.   But this means farmers can lose more of their crop to insects, fungus and other plant diseases.   Also, without the chemical preservatives some foods won’t last as long on the shelf.      Hormones – many farmers use growth hormones or enhancers to make the animals grow faster and can go to market sooner.    Organic farmers don’t use these hormones but then spend the extra money as the animals like chickens take ...

Are organic foods healthier?   Should you spend the extra money and purchase organic foods?    People you know may buy no organic, buy some organic or all organic which can be quite pricey.      So what are organic foods and what are the advantages of going organic? Organic – The main advantage of organic is that these foods don’t have the pesticides, herbicides, hormones or drugs that can be found in non-organically grown food.             Plants – may use natural pesticides like soaps, plant oils or bugs but not chemical pesticides.                     Only natural fertilizers used like manure or compost.            Animals – are not fed hormones or given antibiotics, and the animals are fed only organic feed         ...

Wow!   Who is responsible for the latest rumor that bananas are toxic?   A relative was at work eating a banana and her boss told her “bananas are toxic, why are you eating it?”   Then   a co-worker came in and said the same thing, and he had stopped eating bananas.   A woman was in a health food store and overheard a customer saying they had stopped eating bananas because they have toxins in them.   Yes, the banana peel may have some pesticide residue, but since you peel bananas they are noted as a very low pesticide food.   A group called the Environmental Working Group lists the foods most likely to be covered with pesticides ( EWG's 2014 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce ).    Bananas aren’t on the list because when you peel a banana you peel away the pesticides.   The World Health Organization (WHO) calls bananas one of “the world’s healthiest foods”.   ( The World's Healthiest Foods ).    Why?   P...