Organic vs Natural & What They Really Mean!
For food retailers and marketers, there are 2 magic words that help move product and charge premium prices -- "Natural" and "Organic".
Some people, wishing to eat healthier, seek out foods that are organic/natural. Others, comparing several products, and all things being equal, prefer the ones labeled natural/organic.
Although the 2 terms - organic and natural - have come to mean "healthy", they are NOT interchangeable.
Here's what you need to know:
Organic - A food is considered organic, and may only be labeled so, if it adheres to strict regulation set by the USDA. An organic product must be composed of ingredients that are organic. An ingredient such as a grain or fruit is organic only if it has been grown following organic standards - avoidance of pesticides and no genetic modification.
Organic animal products must adhere to strict animal husbandry standards, for example not using antibiotics, providing better living conditions for the animals, and preserving the environment.
Natural - this is a term that is unregulated, and therefore heavily abused by food companies.
For example, products that contain GMOs, contain artificial ingredients, and highly processed ingredients, have all been labeled by their manufacturers as "all natural".
The FDA is contemplating whether it should regulate the meaning of this term, but it's a can of worms.
So, when you choose a product to buy or eat, know this:
👉Organic junk food is still junk food.
👉Organic junk food is still junk food. 👉Too much sugar, even if it's organic, is still bad for you.👉Foods labels such as Natural are absolutely meaningless. Read the ingredient list and nutrition label instead of the front of package.👉Always opt for the least processed products.👉Cook as much of your food from scratch, that's the best strategy for health.👉Eating 5 servings of non-organic veggies every day is much better than eating just 1 serving of organic veggies.
For more reasons why you should eat organic, check out my other blog post, "Reasons Why You Should Eat Organic!"
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