The classic line I get when people hear that I am going to be a dietitian is “Oh, I eat organic food. No pesticides. I’m doing it right.” No lie - it’s gotta be theeeee number one brag. Okay, maybe a close second brag to those who say they cut carbs.
First off - you do not need to impress me with your grocery shopping or what's on your plate. There is no such thing as the perfect one size fits all food.
However, I must say that the organic thing pisses me off a tad. The misinformation puts farmers and dietitians in the same corner: STOP LISTENING TO GOOGLE AND TALK TO AN EXPERT.
2% of the population are farmers.
Which means 98% are not.
What you probably think GMO means:
- Dirty, cancer-causing, unhealthy, dangerous, toxic, death, devil
What GMO really means:
- Genetically Modified Organism, meaning that the genome is changed using genetic engineering so that the DNA can contain at least one gene that may not normally be there on its own. Specific genes are incorporated to protect the crops by resisting plant disease.
What the hell does THAT mean?
More crops, less land. GMOs allow farmers to grow more crops without expanding their farms. Farmers know what crops they want and how to make sure that they grow successfully - voilà- GMOs allow them to do just that.
No, no, no, Brittney. They're not toxic. GMOs are used to PROTECT crops. Not only this, but using GMOs avoid excessive pesticide and herbicide use. Pesticides are needed. Why? To kill pests and weeds that easily destroy crops.
Seriously, they're safe. There is limited human based evidence that proves the consumption and usage of GMOs cause true harm to the population. And with this, the use of GMOs is seriously tested and regulated through crops across the world. And hello!!!! What makes you think grocery stores can sell toxic food that harm the public??? There’s no true health risk regarding pesticide use and farming (BOTH with organic and conventional farming). This meme won’t lie to you, seriously.
Organic foods also use pesticides & herbicides. Sorry folks, but pests and weeds don’t know which farms are organic and which aren’t. That to say, there is no super shield around the farm keeping them out. So, organic farmers still need to control and maintain pests and weeds when it comes to their crops. Whether it’s natural or synthetic, it is indeed still a pesticide. They are needed. Unless of course, you are into some insect crunch with your veggies.
Cash money. As you may have noticed, I’m all about a good sale - especially for the weekly grocery trip. Graduation just came ‘round and maybe you’re starting the long swim of student loans. Before drowning - don’t buy the $8 dollar pack of strawberries because of the cancer-causing myth. There’s little evidence on the nutrition composition. And as it usually goes... it’s not so black and white. Those conventional strawberries will still contain the same amount of vitamins as the shiny organic ones.
The farmer vs you and social media.
As stated earlier, 2% of the population are farmers. Which means 98% are not. And of those 2% - do you really think they have enough time to grow and maintain their crops? And while doing that, scroll through twitter? Probably not. They’re not like your average Instagram entrepreneur who is trying to persuade you to drink their supplemental shake. The voice of farmers are diminished by the misinformation on your newsfeeds, which explains the excessive amount of myth-building tactics.
Not only that… but 99% of those farms are run by families. The Farm Babe states a good point, “I would never put myself in jeopardy or my family… if I thought something was really bad… why would I feed that to myself?” This isn’t your typical scare tactic or business promotion.
Looking to gain more fiber, more vitamins, and overall more nutrients into your diet? Eat the damn fruits & vegetables. I promise you it truly truly truly does not matter if it’s organic or not.