Do you love food? I know I do! I love
it so much that I consider it to be a personal passion. While I'm always game
to try something new, I care a lot about what I put into my body.
Over the course of talking to others
about my own research and learning, I've noticed that there's quite a bit of
confusion surrounding organic food. While a lot of the people I've talked to
are interested in this topic, they're frustrated by not being able to find
straight answers to their questions. To help remedy this situation, I want to
provide clear answers to the questions I hear the most:
What Does Organic Actually Mean?
There are two main factors that
separate organic food from that produced by standard farming operations. The
first applies to crops. Instead of using chemical fertilizers, insecticides and
herbicides, organic farmers use sprays from natural sources. The second factor
applies to chicken, beef and other meat. Standard farmers use antibiotics to
maximize the growth of their animals. Organic farmers avoid those measures and
feed their animals natural food sources.
How Do You Know if Something is
Actually Organic?
If you walk through a grocery store,
it may seem like just about everything is organic. But if the supposed
widespread availability of the highest quality food strikes you as off, your
intuition is correct.
Because more consumers now care about
the quality of their food, many companies are trying to capitalize on the interest
through misleading marketing. Although "natural" sounds great, it has
absolutely no meaning on a food label.
Unlike the term "organic,"
there are no restrictions around using the word “natural. As a result, the
companies responsible for marketing food products can slap the term on just
about everything. The same is true for phrases like “hormone-free,” “free-range”
and “all natural.”
Can You Trust the Term
"Organic" on Labels?
Yes. However, there are a few
different ways it can be used. If an item has a USDA Organic seal, it's 95% or
more organic. If a label says 100% organic, it means exactly that. But in order
for a label to say "made with organic ingredients," the total item
can be as low as 70% organic. The easiest way to find true organic foods is to
keep an eye out for labels that have either of the first two designations.
What If You Don't Have Access to
Organic Items?
Depending on where you live, getting
access to the organic items you want may be a challenge. Whether it's the result
of cost or because you can't find exactly what you want, there's always the
option to grow your own. If that sounds like a lot to take on, start small.
Instead of growing an entire garden full of different foods, start with just
one. This will make it easier to learn, and to keep your total cost down.
One of the nice things about starting
with just one item is you won't need tons of supplies. With just some basics
like hydroponics organic, you'll be able to start
growing your own organic crop!
Michelle is an aspiring
writer with a passion for blogging. She enjoys writing about a vast variety of
topics and loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to publicly voice her
thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience.
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