Food Awareness

 Seasonality of food refers to the times of year when a given type of food is at its peak, either in terms of harvest or its flavor.  This is usually the time when the item is the cheapest and the freshest on the market. The food's peak time in terms of harvest usually coincides with when its flavor is at its best. What Does it Mean to Eat Seasonal?

 By purchasing local foods in-season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles.  Your food dollar goes directly to the farmer.  You know where your food is coming from.  Its cheaper!!  You will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. And it simply tastes better! Benefits of Eating Seasonal and Local

    Seasonal and Local Foods of Wisconsin

 USDA Consumer Brochure: Organic Food Standards and Labels: The Facts  “What is organic food? Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; ionizing radiation or chemical ripening. Organic

 “100% organic” - single ingredient such as a fruit, vegetable, meat, milk and cheese (excludes water and salt).  “Organic” - multiple ingredient foods which are 95 to 100% organic.  “Made with organic ingredients” - 70% of the ingredients are organic. Can appear on the front of package, naming the specific ingredients.  “Contains organic ingredients” - contains less than 70% organic ingredients. USDA, 2010 Organic

 Organic produce contains fewer pesticides.  Organic food is often fresher.  Organic farming is better for the environment.  Organically raised animals are NOT given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal byproducts. Benefits To Buying Organic _pesticides_gmo.htm

The Dirty Dozen

 Organic foods can cost between 15-20% more than conventionally produced foods.  Organic markets also have inefficient systems for production, distribution, and sales, which can result in slower moving products. This means that organic products often have more time to age, causing them to be of lesser quality.  Organic foods may not be available during any given season Disadvantages of Buying Organic

 Moosewood’s Mac & Three Cheeses  390 cal, 8 gms sat fat  365 Organic (from Whole Foods) Cheese Lasagna has more than half a days’ worth of sat fat  Kellogg’s Organic Frosted Mini-Wheats  20% sugar by weight  Organic potato chips still has same amount of fat as regular chips Does Organic = Healthy??

 The FDA has no standards on what a “natural” product is although the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA requires ‘natural’ to be:  free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives and ingredients not naturally occurring in the food. Natural

 Certified Humane: The birds are un-caged inside barns or warehouses but may be kept indoors at all times. They must be able to perform natural behaviors such as nesting, perching and dust bathing  Animal Welfare Approved: The highest animal welfare standards of any third-party auditing program. However, there are no participating producers that sell to supermarkets.  Cage-Free: As the term implies, hens laying eggs labeled as "cage-free" are un-caged inside barns or warehouses, but they generally do not have access to the outdoors.  Free Range: denotes a method of farming where the animals for at least part of the day, can roam freely outdoors, rather than being confined in an enclosure for 24 hours each day. Free Range or Cage Free HSUS, 2009

 Grass (Forage) Fed – Grass and forage shall be the feed source consumed for the lifetime of the ruminant animal, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning*.  The diet shall be derived solely from forage consisting of grass, forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), browse, or cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain) state. Animals cannot be fed grain or grain byproducts and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season*.  Eatwild.com Grass Fed USDA, 2010

 Since the 1950s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a number of steroid hormone drugs for use in beef cattle, chicken, pig and sheep, including natural estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and their synthetic versions. These drugs increase the animals’ growth rate, the efficiency by which they convert the feed they eat into meat, and the leanness of their meat.  These steroid hormone drugs are formulated as pellets that are placed under the skin on the back side of the animal’s ear. Growth Hormones and Antibiotics ealth/productsafetyinformation/ucm htm

 Since the 1950s, it has become routine practice to add low levels of antibiotics to the feed or water of healthy poultry, cattle, and swine to promote faster growth and prevent infections that tend to occur when animals are housed in crowded, unsanitary, stressful conditions. Growth Hormones and Antibiotics

 Look for antibiotic and hormone-free meat and dairy products at your supermarket. If they don’t have it, ask them to carry it. Foods that carry the “USDA- certified organic” label cannot contain any artificial hormones. Can also buy organic meat products.  Buy directly from the farmer. This is the best way to be sure there are no hormones or antibiotics in your food. What to look for:

 Avg American consumes 150 pounds food additives/year (usually sugar and sweeteners) followed by salt, vitamins, flavors, colorings*  Avoid eating foods with additives you cannot pronounce Food Additives

 Added sugars, saturated and trans fats  Contributes to inflammation and disease  Sodium nitrate – used in lunch meat, bacon, etc  Linked to several cancers  BHA/BHT – used to extend shelf life and preserve freshness by retarding rancidity in oils  "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen." by US Dept of Health Food Additives

 Food Coloring  May promote tumor growth as well as hyperactivity in children  Monosodium Glutamate  May cause headaches and nausea  “fake” fat (olestra)  Can cause indigestion and intestinal distress due to malabsorbtion. May block absorption of fat soluble vitamins Food Additives

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