Category: food labels

October 3, 2016

GMO free vs Organic: What’s the Difference and Why Should You Care?

GMO free vs Organic

The issues behind food labels, particularly GMO-free food labels and organic food labels, are incredibly alarming and fraught with politics. Add in a dose of marketing hype and very little consensus about their dangers, and you can’t help but feel confused and overwhelmed.

Cripes! You just want to know what to feed your family!

Let’s break this down so you can make healthier food choices and avoid meaningless non-GMO claims and misleading organic labels.

Ok, so what exactly are GMO’s?

GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. What that means is, scientists literally alter the DNA in food so that crops are more tolerant, produce their own toxic insecticides, and/or exhibit more desirable traits.

Well then, what does organic mean?

To be considered organic, the USDA mandates that crops are grown without the use of chemical or synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Livestock must have outdoor access and have been given no antibiotics or growth hormones. In order to merit that label, crops must also be GMO-free. So an organic label is an umbrella that covers GMOs too.

How do you tell if something is truly organic or GMO-free?

The quickest way to tell is to look for the USDA organic label and the Non-GMO Project butterfly label. These are the two most trusted government and third-party regulation agencies, respectively. While the government has strict regulations about organic claims, GMOs are still largely unregulated, so it’s important to be leary. And the butterfly label is one of the only GMO-free food labels that require growers to maintain rigid standards, but there are plenty of other labels out there making the same claims. Non-GMO claims and organic food labels misleading consumers is a problem you can avoid with just a quick glance.

So, the big question is, should you be worried about them?

The short answer is, we don’t know yet. GMOs are a rather modern development, so no long-term studies have been done to show their effects. At this time, the government considers them “safe.” The effects to the environment, however, are much clearer. We know that GMOs have led to the development of superweeds and that they disrupt natural biospheres.

Similarly, even the amount of conventional pesticide residue left on non-organic food is considered “safe.” While that may leave you with a raised eyebrow, the positive effects of fruits and vegetables, organic or not, in your diet are unmistakable. And thankfully the presence of pesticides has declined since 1996 when the Food Quality Protection Act was passed.

Most of the data about the effects of pesticides on humans has come from studying farmers who have had first-hand chemical exposure on a regular basis. Certain pesticide chemicals are known to be carcinogenic or endocrine-disruptive.

Ok so, given this knowledge, what should you do?

Although your food choices are ultimately yours to make, and the jury is still out about long-term health effects, we have some tips to help you avoid GMOs and pesticides.

Opt for organic whenever possible: especially the Dirty Dozen, with foods bearing the USDA government label. Since GMOs are prohibited in organic food, choosing organic should cover both.
If you don’t see the organic or GMO project label, then check to make sure no derivatives of corn, soy, canola, sugar (except cane), or cottonseed oil are in the product. Those crops are the most likely to contain GMOs.
Check the PLU labels: the little stickers on your fruit? They are actually code for organic, GMOs, and conventionally grown produce. If the code starts with an 8, the food contains GMOs and if it starts with a 9, it’s organic.
Eat foods in their most natural state possible: avoiding packaged and processed foods is a guiding principle for any healthy diet, especially to avoid GMOs and other dangerous ingredients. I think we can all agree that real, whole foods will always offer the best nutritional value.
Shop at your local farmer’s market: Many small local farms are already using the principles of organic farming without the official label, so they are great places to shop. Don’t be afraid to ask stall owners questions and look for the USDA label. Shopping at the farmer’s market will also keep the cost factor of buying organic down.
Grow your own produce: gardening in the backyard can become both a meaningful family project and a way to ensure your food isn’t exposed to chemicals. Food from your own garden is the number one way to be certain about your food.
Join a CSA: even if you don’t have time to tend to your own garden, you can buy from someone else’s. Just do your research beforehand to make sure they use organic gardening methods.

Here’s a handy little infograph reference for you to pin that gives you a quick overview of GMO-free versus organic:

Sources:

USDA.gov
Non-GMO Project: http://www.nongmoproject.org/
Environmental Working Group: http://www.ewg.org/

March 18, 2012

My Healthy Plate Lately

Here’s a look at a few healthy dinners I had this week, courtesy of Hubster. He made this wonderful, easy crockpot pork roast (seriously, just a pork roast and reduced fat cream of mushroom soup) that just fell apart at the touch of a fork. I roasted up some Brussels sprouts in olive oil and soy sauce, because I’ve had a huuuuge craving for them lately. Sprinkle a light dusting of Parmesan and sea salt over the top–Hea-ven! And fresh plain radishes, because I just like them.

Try not to worry too much about my whole grain intake (because I know you are…ha!) because I had plennn-ty much for breakfast and lunch.

The next night, Hubster made pancakes, from scratch, and blueberry syrup, from scratch. From scratch! He tried, he really did, to make the healthiest syrup he could find. He did some Internet scouring to try and find something especially diet-friendly for me. He ended up using real sugar instead of Splenda, because I refused the $8 price tag. But still, the recipe is pretty dang healthy anyhow. Look at all those antioxidants dripping over those perfectly-round, fluffy pancakes. He’s really the king of pancakes, didn’t you know?

Now, how come no one told me about the healthy-ness of sweet potato fries? Oh wait… I think someone probably did. But the fact that Hubster does the grocery shopping means that I don’t remember to remember them. We’re definitely skipping the crap-in-a-bag regular fries for these orange beauties. They were a nice accompaniment to our roast beef, Swiss, and piled-high spinach sandwiches, that’s for sure.

Just check out the stats on these puppies:

Funny story, I got up to photograph this last handful of crisp orange fries and Hubster actually tried to race me into the kitchen for them. Like I was threatening his food supply or something. Haha! I didn’t want any more, I just wanted to blog about them. Woah, my bad! But you realize what this means, don’t you? Hubster really really liked them! And what he really really likes, he will buy again. Victory!!!

He’s a keeper, isn’t he?

January 21, 2011

Michael Polan Rules

If I were to recommend one book in this entire world for healthy eating, it would be Michael Polan’s Food Rules. This is the best non-diet diet book I’ve ever come across. When you establish a healthy eating plan, you should pick something you can stick with for…well, for your entire life. Diets that are only temporary are usually inefficient and sometimes unhealthy. Changing your diet for the better should be something you can establish for a lifetime. That sounds daunting, but it’s really not. Consider the three easiest diet rules you’ve ever seen:

Rule Number One: What should I eat? Eat food.
Rule Number Two: What kind of food should I eat? Mostly plants.
Rule Number Three: How much should I eat? Not too much.

1. For the most part, try to eat real food, not processed food. The more “pure” a food is, the better. It’s not adulterated, altered, tainted with additives or ground into an unidentified substance. It still provides optimal levels of vitamins and antioxidants.

2. According to the pyramid, the things you should be eating the most servings of are fruits and vegetables. Whole grains are also high on the list. Sprinkle produce all throughout your day and you can hardly go wrong.

3. Pare down your serving sizes. Everything should be eaten in moderation. Pay attention to serving sizes. Don’t eat the whole pie, but certainly don’t forget to savor your sliver!

I would add Rule Number Four: Never lose an entire food group! Sure, eat food and eat mostly plants, but never do this to the exclusion of carbs, fats or any other portion of the pyramid. You’ll miss out on essential nutrients, among so many other things.

January 26, 2010

Learning the Licorice Ropes

I can proudly say that I have established a workout habit that has taken a firm root in my calendar. I am very good about the exercise thing. On the other hand, there’s the healthy diet thing. I have heard from a lot of people that they’re good at either one or the other. It’s rare, in my experience, to come across someone who does well with both, with the exception of health professionals. Many even say that one is better or more important than the other for them, which is untrue. Both are equally vital.

Well, I’m the type who does well with exercise and not as well with nutrition. I have improved though in the last year or so with my eating habits.

My best piece of advice would be to learn something about diet/nutrition every day. I like to keep my eye on studies and health news. My favorites are Medline Plus (daily published results from health studies) and Yahoo Health. I don’t necessarily remember or apply everything that I read, I just like to pick up little tips here and there to try. And once you hear the same thing repeated several times, it tends to stick.

The second piece of advice would be to temporarily (or habitually if you can manage it) track your food intake. And I don’t mean estimating. I mean getting out the measuring cups, food scale and restaurant guides to track every morsel. This may sound a little bit obsessive, but once you do it for a few days, you’ll receive some eye-opening information, I guarantee it! I recommend Sparkpeople for a free, comprehensive food tracker. The best I’ve ever found. Just being aware is enough to give you a quick kick. Going back and doing this every once in awhile also helps you bust through plateaus and steer you towards more healthful choices. I, for one, go overboard almost every day on my fat intake and could use a few more vegetables in my diet. I wouldn’t really know or admit that if I didn’t see it on paper.

The final piece of advice would be to use a search engine to look up healthy snacks, and maybe even healthy meals. I keep a list of healthy snacks (such as sliced cucumber with salsa or apples with peanut butter) that I can reference when I head to the grocery store for weekly provisions or the fridge for a nibble. I also have a stack of healthy go-to recipes so I’m never at a loss for what to eat.

I always thought that dieting meant being constantly hungry, deciphering every scientific percentage on the food labels, creating some elaborate menu that would break my budget, or giving up my reason for living (chocolate). But these ideas are so far-fetched it isn’t funny. By making a little headway every day towards something I was not that good at brought me to a place where I feel quite comfortable about what I’m eating.