When it comes to food, the latest trend is eating organic. Organic food is food that has not been stuffed with GMOs or other products. You are getting the product for what it is. If you do plan on switching towards organic food, however, there are a few things that you need to know. While there isn’t a major difference between organic food and regular food other than GMOs, there still are enough things to warrant you doing your research. Here are several things that you need to know about organic food.
It’s More Than Fruits and Vegetables
When people think of organic, their mind immediately goes to fruits and vegetables grown on a farm that is very meticulously handled and harvested. The reality of the situation though is that there is much more to organic food than fruits and vegetables. Things like seeds and even some alternatives can fit into the organic category.
The big surprise to many (although it shouldn’t be a shocker) is meat. For the most part, there are plenty of meats that are organic. Don’t get us wrong, there are some animals that are pumped with chemicals and supplements to beef them up, but there is plenty of meat out there that is raised without any additional chemicals and additives. In fact, if you are looking for organic meat, it isn’t even too difficult to find. The people at Grutto.com mention that there are plenty of meat delivery services online that can definitely accommodate you and get you the organic meat that you want. Not only that, but they can deliver it to your door as well.
No matter what you are looking for, you can definitely get it organically. You just have to know where to look and you also have to be ready to pay a little more money. The concept of thinking only fruits and veggies are organic is outdated and needs to stop.
You’re Helping the Environment
One of the biggest reasons why people have been switching towards organic food is that it helps out the environment. Because no GMOs, pesticides, or sulfites are used to help grow the plants or raise the animals, you are getting something that is completely natural. These chemicals and compounds do have some negative effects on the environment as not only can they affect the air, but they can also affect the ecosystem that is surrounding them. If you want to make more conscious decisions in your life surrounding the environment, then you might want to consider switching towards organics.
This is especially important in big cities because plants can help reduce air pollution which has become a big problem in urban areas. Make sure to do your research and read about urban farming when getting into it to see how to make the most of it. This approach can help you become more environmentally friendly and it will make you feel good too.
Organic Is Safer
The thing that attracts people to organic food the most is that you know what you are getting in it. Oftentimes with food that is modified, they aren’t required to list what modifications have been made to create the product. You might think to yourself, ‘this isn’t a big deal, I can just wash off any pesticides”. If you think that way, you are absolutely wrong. In most cases, you are unable to wash off any of the pesticides that are found on your fruits and veggies, no matter how much you scrub. While one piece of fruit or vegetable with a bit of pesticide won’t cause any serious damage, if you eat enough, especially if they aren’t regulated properly, and you might run into some issues in the future. It’s a simple thought of do you want to be sticking chemicals into your body that are supposed to kill and repel insects? We don’t blame you if that thought worries you a little.
Organic Food Is Regulated
The final thing that you need to know about organic food is that it is properly regulated by the government to ensure that you are not being lied to. With some foods, companies definitely get away with providing misinformation to trick the consumer into purchasing them. With organic food, however, there is a strict process that has to be followed. The general rule of thumb with organic foods is that 95% of the final product has to be organic if they want that classification. That means there might be some additives in them to help with harvesting and other things, but overall you are getting a natural product. This makes buying organic food a safe experience because you know you are getting what you pay for.
Organic Food Costs More
While there are a ton of benefits to switching to organic food, there is also one major downside, cost. Organic food costs a lot more in stores and you can find yourself paying double at times for the same products you would be getting. Why is this the case? When it comes to organic, it isn’t just because of the word, it’s all the money that goes into properly growing, harvesting, and collecting the food.
With fruits and vegetables, a lot more care has to be taken during the growing stages to ensure the plants are not damaged by any bugs or anything like that. Because they are not allowed to use pesticides, they have to use different methods, which in turn costs more money to manage. The same can be said about meat as well. Because they are not genetically modifying the animals, they are not getting as large of a cut of meat. All of this leads to fewer crops and meat being shipped to the stores while costing them more to create as well. It is because of this that you can expect to pay much more money for organic.
These are just a few of the things that you need to know if you are planning on buying organic food. If you have the money and want to support the environment, it is a great start.
Conventional farming methods will eventually slow down as bugs and other insects develop a resistance to the pesticides that are being used. When that happens, you can expect stronger pesticides to be used which can have a negative effect on us. Overall, making the switch to organic now is something that is encouraged and you might even feel better for making the switch. Why are you planning to go organic?