Have you decided to pursue a healthier diet that comprises mostly of organic food? Then you are on the path to promising yourself a better quality of life.
Organic food, including the packaged ones, are vastly superior to processed food products. They do not contain artificial colors, added sugar, flavors or ingredients. These are components that are of no use to our body and certainly do not provide us with any well-known health benefits.
Deepak Chopra said it best when he stated:
“Don’t eat processed or refined food but rather organic food from the earth – nothing with genetically modified ingredients.”
Organic food is enriched with excessive vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial to our health in the long term. This includes improved memory and eyesight.
But, if you’re just starting to embrace the organic food movement, you may need guidance.
Here are some tips to help you find the ideal organic foods to stock up your kitchen shelves.
Know Your Food Labels
This should be your first priority when buying any organic food product. Packaged organic food is usually marked with a certified organic food label. The point of the labelling is to help you recognize authentic and verified organic food.
Fruits and vegetables usually have stickers numbered with Product Look Up (PLU) codes to identify how the product was manufactured. Organic food products are recognized through 5-digit codes while conventional food products through 4-digit codes.
It is best to ask the supermarket or farm stall for further information.
Watch out for Contamination
One similarity that both organic and conventional food products share is how they are exposed to pesticides. This means that they may have been seriously contaminated with chemicals linked to numerous health risks like cancer or brain toxicity.
This is where the phrase “knowledge is power” is relevant.
It is important for you to know which food have been rendered safe enough to be consumed.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the food products that indicate strong levels of pesticide include:
| Grapes | Strawberries | Sweet Bell Peppers | Apples |
| Celery | Peaches | Spinach | Imported Nectarines |
| Cherry Tomatoes | Imported Snap Peas | Cucumbers | Potatoes |
These have been termed as the “dirty dozen” by EWG.
As far as those that have shown the least amount of pesticide or the clean fifteen as they are termed include:
| Sweetcorn | Cantaloupe | Pineapple | Papaya | Cabbage |
| Frozen Sweet Peas | Mangoes | Kiwi | Eggplant | Avocados |
| Grapefruit | Onions | Asparagus | Sweet Potatoes | Cauliflower |
Always Purchase According To Your Budget
Organic food does not come cheap.
It is common sense that you buy within your budget. Buying products that are less expensive is the best strategy to follow if you want to eat organic food in the long term.
Maintain Access
It’s understandable if you cannot purchase organic food products in your nearby stores. Most individuals do not have access to organic markets or major supermarkets depending on their location.
Do not let this be a hindrance to your healthier prospects. Considering the era we are living in, you can easily buy food products online as well. Simply connect with a website that can deliver you fresh organic food.
You can also seek membership with a market that can make your deliveries.
You can find out about such supermarkets through the Local Harvest guide.
Final Tip
Ditching all the processed food in your life might prove to be a challenge initially. But once you get the hang of it, you can adapt to your new dietary schedule with ease.
Here’s to your long and healthy life!