Nutrients in veggies? Or not?
The HuffPo post links to this news service item, which does note that the researcher who recently discovered this decline does not think this means we should stop eating veggies
On the one hand, it makes me glad I’ve started buying more organic. Alas, some reports suggest that it’s not clear (yet) that organic is necessarily healthier, while other reports are much more positive:
What this does say to me is that it’s imperative to get lots and lots of fruits and veggies, maybe many more than the recommended USDA servings. And organic may be a start, but apparently it’s pretty easy for stuff to be marked organic that may well be industrially produced with fewer nutrients, so even that’s not a sure bet.
But this also highlights, again, the potential conflict between the consumer and the corporation that are covered by books like Food Politics and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It also raises the issue of class; not everyone can afford to buy all their groceries at places like Whole Foods.
And here’s why I am mad at myself: I have a big-ass backyard, and I could be growing a ton of vegetables, as organically and slow-growthly as I want, and I’ve never done it. I know, there’s only so many hours in the day, but I wish I would make time for it. “Maybe next year…”
The Omnivore’s Dilemma is on my “to read” list for after finals. I heard the author a bit on the radio the other day talking about how eating organic can still be industrial eating, which I thought was interesting.
This summer I’m thinking about volunteering at a local organic farm. For every two hours you volunteer, you can get a discount on the produce. I think it’s important for us to be more connected to our food and not hold it at arm’s length as a consumer item.