Clean Eatin' Lingo
We’re gonna dive into #AllTheWords today. This is a zero-fluff, quick and dirty, no BS post. So here we go.
Organic = US standard mandating that the food product does not contain synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Why is this term great?
The USDA requires rigorous certification for a food to contain the “certified USDA organic” label on the packaging, and while it’s not the most ideal term, it does encompass some pretty good standards.
Why buy organic?
Organic foods still contain chemicals, they’re just made from plant and animal waste instead of synthesized in a lab -- more natural and way less processing. Organic animal products indicate that the animal consumed organic feed. Now, it may not have been grass-fed, but whatever the animal ate, was organically grown, so the animal you’re eating did not have synthetic chemical buildup in its tissues and organs. Buying organic is most important for animal fats and the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) "Dirty Dozen" food list; animal fats store pesticides, and the foods on the EWG’s list are the ones most heavily sprayed with synthetic chemicals. Give it a look and see what modifications you might want to make in your food choices.
GMOs = the DNA of this food product has been altered in some way to make it resilient to pests, strong against pesticides, and/or higher-yield.
Why avoid GMOs?
The long-term effects of consuming GMO food products is still unknown, and may not ever be confirmed, due to so many other confounding and uncontrollable health factors (stress, sleep, alcohol, age, gender, etc.). Regardless, if a plant was genetically engineered to withstand not only pests, but also the pounds and pounds of pesticides being sprayed on them, wouldn’t that be a red flag? As the EWG puts it, a large portion of the world’s population is still hungry on a regular basis (read: so we’re not solving the hunger issue with the creation of GMOs), and we’re now creating pesticide-resistant weeds (just like antibiotic-resistant bacteria), and killing off beneficial species in the process.
Local = the food product was grown or raised within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the place of purchase and/or consumption.
Why buy local?
The food travels less distance, saving fuel and reducing the carbon footprint. The food is also closer to ripeness, reaching its maximal nutrient content by the time you’re ready to eat it and it enters your body. People end up eating seasonally when buying from local farmers, due to the availability of crops, which is what our DNA has evolved to expect. And if none of those reasons were enough to convince you, local food supports small farms, fosters connection with both the origins of food and the people who grow or raise it, and requires less delicate handling or protection (due to not being on a shelf or needing to be kept fresh longer and avoid bacterial growth).
When referring to beef…
Grass-fed = the cow fed on its natural diet of grass for at least some of its life.
Grass-fed-and-finished or 100% grass-fed = the cow fed on its natural diet of grass for all of its life.
AKA, grass-fed refers to what the animal eats.
Why buy grass-fed or finished beef?
This is getting into the nitty-gritty, but basically the fatty acid profile of grass-fed beef is ENORMOUSLY superior to that of grain-fed beef. Yes, you need fatty acids to survive, and you want them to be from the healthiest animal possible who wasn’t force-fed an unnatural diet.
When referring to all livestock…
Pasture-raised = the animal spends most or all of its time outside/not in confinement.
AKA, pasture-raised refers to where the animal eats.
When referring to chickens and eggs…
Cage-free = the animal was not confined to a cage (but might still live in tight quarters in general, with little to no access to fresh air and sunshine -- and you can definitely be unsure of its diet).
Free-range = the animal has access to the outdoors (but the access might be two by two slab of concrete exposed to open air, in a tiny corner of a large confinement, where most animals can’t get to due to tight quarters -- and again, this term definitely doesn’t describe its diet).
Why buy anything but conventional eggs if there’s no guarantee, then?
Few reasons. First of all, peace of mind. Secondly, it might actually be a great situation, and we just have no way of knowing. Third… well, there are some viral videos out there about what conventional egg mills can be like, and it’s not pretty. Even a step remotely in the better direction is good enough for me, if that’s all I have access to or am able to afford.
What’s the best option? Pasture-raised. Hands down.
When referring to seafood…
Wild-caught = the fish was raised in its natural environment (typically from the Pacific ocean), eating its natural diet.
Farm-raised = the fish was bred on a farm in a smaller, more controlled environment, likely eating a predominantly grain diet.
Why buy wild-caught over farm-raised?
For the same exact reasons you’d want to choose grass-fed beef over conventional.
Natural = the food product is minimally processed and contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
Why is this term useless?
If the food is an animal product, the animal could still have been given antibiotics or hormones. If the food has any processing, MSG could still have been used. There are a lot of loopholes a food manufacturer can take and still slap this term on the packaging of their end product. It’s best to look for certified USDA organic, mentioned at the beginning of this post, if you want a good baseline set of standards.
What other food-quality terms are you interested in, that might not be mentioned here? Is there anything else related to food quality that you want clarification on? Drop a comment or get in touch with me via any of the platforms -- and don’t forget to subscribe! I’d love to hear from you, and I’d love to help clear the air on food quality myths!
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Email: elisedoppel@gmail.com
#RealFood #RealFoodMovement #WholeFood #Unprocessed #PGMW #AncestralHealth #Organic #OptOrganic #PastureRaised #GrassFed #GrassFinished #WildCaught #FreeRange #CageFree #FarmRaised #Local #FarmersMarket
