An article popped up recently and caught our eye. The title was "Organic Packaged Foods Outpace Conventional in Nutrition Quality." Interesting, right?
Well it wasn't very long nor did was it very detailed, and to be honest, it wasn't providing any mind blowing insights. However, it did reaffirm what we already know and provide another way of looking at things.
Based on the article, a study was done on 80,000 packaged food products to determine if organic packaged foods were more nutritious than conventional packaged foods. Here is where the article disappointed us: "items were scored on 'total ingredient count, ultra-processed ingredient count, cosmetic additive count, non-cosmetic additive count, calories, total sugar, added sugar, saturated fat, sodium, potassium and trans fat,' and then compared for overall nutritional profile." That basically just says that the research was based on the ingredients themselves, so, of course organic foods would be more nutritious! Organic certified foods don't contain many of the synthetic or processed compounds found in a lot of the conventional packaged foods out there.
Well, to be fair, just because the food is certified organic doesn't mean it's good for you. There could still be added sugars, salts, and other organic ingredients to degrade the overall health benefits. It's great that the study considered these factors. The additives are another interesting factor as many of them claim to have no direct impact on overall health.
In the end, it's a great reminder that organic certified packaged foods are typically better for you because they are usually made with whole foods instead of including manufactured or processed substances. Whole foods come with their own natural nutrients that your body needs. It's still always good to check the nutrition label just to be sure you're not getting too much sugar, salt, cholesterol, or bad fats. And with that said, enjoy your food, enjoy your life. Eat well for good health. =)
Here's that article we saw:
- https://www.foodbeverageinsider.com/market-trends-analysis/organic-packaged-foods-outpace-conventional-nutrition-quality