Food Not Fear

Words like “natural,” “organic,” “non-GMO,” “ processed,” “clean,” and “free from” are often used on food packaging to tell consumers they are “healthy” and better for you. These words cause fear in consumers. People buy produce they can’t afford out of fear of ingesting pesticides. 

The labels

“The organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety. Nor is organic a value judgement  about nutrition or quality.” -Dan Glickman (Secretary of Agriculture).

Research supports that conventionally grown produce does not differ nutritionally than organic crops. Farmers of both organic and conventional produce rely on pesticide use. Also, both use natural and synthetic substances that are approved. Many natural pesticides have such low toxicity, they’re exempt from EPA requirements for tolerance limit on foods. More importantly, data on organic farming is very limited. All in all, organic and conventional both offer benefits for our health. So choose which one you would enjoy eating based on preference.

Unfamiliar territory

Unfamiliar names of vitamins and minerals can lead to people choosing less nutritious foods. For example, cereal is fortified with lots of vitamins and minerals and it’s easy to eat and affordable. Diet culture teaches the public to not consume “anything your grandmother wouldn’t eat back then” or staying away from ingredients you can’t pronounce. Just because you cannot pronounce an ingredient or don’t know what it is, doesn’t make it harmful. For example, a popular ingredient in food is “alpha-tocopherol” which is just a fancy chemistry name for vitamin E. Obviously most people didn’t take organic chemistry, so it’s our job as practitioners to teach the public about this! The more you know, the less scary food will be!

For more information, schedule a session with me to learn more on various nutrition topics.