Pick the Healthiest Produce

Those little stickers you find on your fruit and vegetables have a purpose beyond providing the correct item code for the cashier when ringing up your purchase. Look carefully at those stickers and you will find one of three types of numbers. If it is a 4-digit number, it indicates the produce was grown conventionally. If it is a 5-digit number beginning with a 9, it indicates that it is organically grown. If it is a 5-digit number beginning with an 8, it is a genetically modified food. That is very important information to have when you are trying to buy the best quality food for your family.

So what’s the difference between these three choices? According to recent research, not only don’t our fruits and vegetables taste as good as they used to, but conventionally grown produce you find in your supermarket actually contains 5-40% lower mineral content than it did 50 years ago. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is nutrient depleted soil and the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and additives.

Organic foods have been found to contain up to 40% more antioxidants as well as higher mineral content. They are grown using natural fertilizers and must meet the standards set by the certifying agency.

Genetically modified foods are those plants and animals into which scientists introduce genetic material in an attempt to “improve” them in some way. Their goal seems to be to produce certain qualities that God never intended them to have. Some of the reported dangers associated with GMO foods are immune system damage, allergic reactions, higher toxic level, decreased nutritional value and danger of serious side-effects.

According to the Global Healing Center website, these are the most common genetically modified food crops grown in the US today: sugar cane, sweet peppers, tomatoes, bananas, strawberries, soybeans, corn, potatoes, pineapples, cocoa beans, yellow squash and zucchini.

Here is a list of the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables that you might consider purchasing only organic: nectarines, peaches, apples, cherries, grapes, pears, strawberries, celery, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, lettuce and spinach.

The following foods have been shown to have the least contamination, so you can safely buy conventionally grown: onions, sweet corn and peas, cabbage, asparagus, eggplant, broccoli, avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi and bananas.

Take a Step:

First be aware of what you are purchasing! I realize organic produce is more expensive and for those with families, the cost can certainly be a factor. A suggestion for providing the best quality food for your family is to purchase the freshest, seasonal, organic produce from local farms and coops.

If you have no idea where you might find one of these farms, simply go to Local Harvest. You will see at the top right you can click on “farms” or “grocery coops,” etc. Simply choose what you want to find and just below that is a place to enter either your city and state or zip code and once you click on search, you will see a list of farms or coops where you can purchase locally grown, organic foods.

Until next time, I wish you vibrant health!

Ann