Choosing healthy food is often a complicated process. One of the most confusing decisions to make is between regular and organic food. You may think that organic food is a healthier option, but that is not necessarily the case. Understanding what makes a food organic and healthy will help you make better choices.
Organic
Organic is a term applied to the methods of growing and preparing foods. Organic foods do not use pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, steroids or insecticides in the production or handling of the food. Organic foods supports sustainable agriculture by using crop rotation techniques instead of adding chemicals to the soil. Organic food also supports farming and animal raising techniques that limit pollution, either by reducing or eliminating chemical runoff from soil to water supplies or by implementing reduced pollution methods in processing facilities.
Regulation
Organic food is regulated and certified by the USDA. In order to be labeled organic, a produce must meet strict requirements that are issued by the USDA. There are two certifications for organic food, either "100% Organic" or simply "Organic." Foods that are only labeled Organic have met 95 percent of the criteria for organic production. Foods that are labeled natural, all-natural, free range or hormone-free are not organic and are not regulated.
Healthy Food
A food is healthy when it provides maximum benefits and minimum detriments. Your body requires a balanced diet that comes from grains, fruits, vegetables, proteins and dairy. Healthy food comes from each of these categories and provides your body with the calories, vitamins and nutrients it needs. Within each group there are healthy and unhealthy food choices. For example, ground beef with a high fat percentage is not a healthy protein when compared to lean meat, chicken or fish. Choose healthy food by avoiding options with high amounts of fats, sugars and processed or synthetic ingredients.
Considerations
There is no research that proves organic food is healthier than its nonorganic counterpart. In other words, a regular apple and an organic apple will provide you with equal amounts of vitamins and nutrients. However, many organic foods are aimed at offering healthier alternatives. For example, organic juices do not contain the high amounts of processed sugars that many regular juices contain. The best way to make healthy food choices is based on your need for a balanced diet and information on the food's nutrition label identifying any unhealthy ingredients.
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