Many consumers are dedicated to choosing organic foods, and believe that they are healthier options.

I bring this up because today, two retailers out West are launching the NuVal™ System, the system I work on every day in my job.  What’s intriguing about these launches at King Soopers in Colorado and Raleys in California, is that these markets have a very high interest in organic and natural products.  We’re already seeing many questions from their consumers on how the organic status of a product plays into the product’s overall nutrition, which is what is measured by the NuVal™ Score.

While there are many reasons to buy organic – lower pesticide and chemical use in the growing of organic foods, better conditions for the farmers – science doesn’t support that organic foods are necessarily more nutritious.  Take an apple, for example.  A medium apple has 5 grams of fiber no matter whether it is grown organically or conventionally.  When you move into processed foods it’s even trickier.  There is an example of an organic macaroni and cheese product that has 10 grams of saturated fat, half of what the average person can have in an entire day.  Yes, it’s organic, but is it necessarily a good nutrition choice?

When it comes to food, there are multiple elements that contribute to the overall health – portion size, nutrition quality, and organic status are just a few.  But you can’t assume that the USDA organic seal on the product label means the food is more nutritious.  If you’re an organic shopper, it’s important to also consider the overall nutrition of these foods as well – is the product lower in saturated fat, free of trans fat, higher in fiber and calcium, lower in sodium? Shoppers in Denver and California now have a way to find organic foods that also have the best overall nutrition quality.

Visit www.nuval.com to find a retailer near you that helps you find foods of higher overall nutrition quality.

As a part of my day-to-day job, a lot of questions have been popping up lately on foods with a natural claim, so I wanted to address it here.  Without a doubt, natural foods – as well as organic foods – are a hot trend these days. 

But the question is what are natural foods?  It seems intuitive and obvious, right?  When you hear the word natural, visions of wheat fields and fresh grown veggies at a farm down the street are in your mind.  But sometimes, you see a natural claim on foods that appear to be processed.  All foods are grown or raised, so where do you draw the line on what is or isn’t natural?

Both the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – the agencies that regulate food and food labels – have fairly loose definitions of this term, with FDA having guidelines but no official policy.  FDA doesn’t object to a natural claim on a food as long as there are no added colors, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.  USDA would add that a natural product can only be minimally processed (roasting, freezing, smoking, drying and fermenting of meats and poultry are allowed).  Because the definitions are loose, food companies interpret the definition of natural, and therefore the message isn’t necessarily consistent across all brands and foods. 

The interesting thing about the questions I’ve been getting is that they aren’t related to how natural foods are defined.  The point I’m hearing is that natural claims should be a primary decision factor in purchasing foods. 

As a health professional, I’m not opposed to people choosing foods with natural claims.  What I’m opposed to is the choosing of natural foods at the expense of all other nutritional contents of the food.  In reality, foods may carry a natural claim, but be high in saturated fat, sodium and/or sugar and lack positive nutrients like fiber, calcium, vitamin D and/or omega-3 fats. 

Natural is not necessarily synonymous with healthy or nutritious. Simply using the natural claim as a marker does not guarantee a shopping cart filled with vegetables and fruits, lean means, whole grains, low-fat dairy and vegetarian protein sources.  Choosing natural foods works, but only if combined with the nutrition quality of the food.

Visit www.nuval.com to see scores on natural, organic and conventional foods.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of farmers’ markets. I love the idea of knowing where my food comes from, buying seasonally when foods simply taste their best, and supporting local farmers. I love the sensory stimulation of the market, all the colors and textures, the vendors and the buyers.

This year, I’m thinking of stepping up my game by joining a CSA. If you’re not familiar with CSAs, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. At the beginning of the growing season, you buy a “share” or “half share.” Then each week, you get a box of fresh-picked produce – whatever is ripe and ready to go that week. Where I live, a season lasts about 18-20 weeks, and you get to enjoy the best of the season at its peak. Often times with CSAs, you’ll get recipes on how to use the produce. Some CSAs require that you volunteer at the farm.

In looking at CSAs in my area, there are a variety of options to choose from:

• A full share of half share. A full share is usually the right amount for a family of four and a half share is enough for 1-2 people. My niece Angi wants in, and my sister Vera lives nearby, so I may opt for the full share, and share.

• Veggies and/or fruit. Some CSAs in my area only offer vegetables while others also offer some fruits like strawberries and watermelon, which can be grown in Minnesota. Others offer a weekly flower share (I love the idea of having fresh flowers in the house every week) and some offer a locally-raised meat option as well.

• Delivery day. This is a tricky one. Do you want the delivery on Monday or Thursday or Friday. Most CSAs deliver to a particular area on a particular day, so the choice may not really be up to me.

• Location. This is a big consideration for me as I want the pick-up location to be fairly close to home. This may drive decisions for me in some of the other areas.
In my area, CSAs tend to fill up fast, so I need to get moving on this if I plan to get in on one this year. If you’re interested in checking out CSA options near you, visit http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.

At nuval.com, you’ll see that many of the great options offered through CSAs have high overall nutrition quality.

The big day this week is Thursday – Earth Day.  In every community, activities are planned to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of this day designed to build advocacy for a healthy planet.  In all ways big and small, there are opportunities to take better care of our natural resources, and Earth Day reminds us of our responsibility in this regard. 

What’s the food tie to Earth Day?

For many people, choosing organic foods is a tie to respecting the earth.  Organic foods are grown without the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, relying on sustainable farming methods like crop rotation and biological pest control.  It minimizes the chemicals that end up in ground water.  And as a part of what the great Cesar Chavez fought for, organic farming also minimizes the chemicals to which farm workers are exposed. 

But what has come to light over the past several years is that buying local may be just as important if not more important than choosing organic.  What the organic regulations don’t cover is where the food is produced, and we now have organic produce being shipped to the U.S. from countries around the world as well as from one end of the country to the other.  The gas used and the emissions created in shipping these products into and around the U.S. have a negative impact on our earth, and some question whether the benefit of organic production can outweigh the toll this takes on the earth. 

Of course, this is true of non-organic food as well.  It travels that same distance to arrive in a market near you.  So buying local can be a way to protect our natural resources.  In general, local foods use less packaging, traveling much less distance, are fresher, and give you a variety of foods specific to your geographic area and seasons.  Farmers’ Markets across the country offer locally grown produce.  Products sold at my local St. Paul Farmers’ Market, for example, must be produced within 50 miles of the market. The USDA has a site where you can find a farmers’ market near you.  Another option for buying locally grown is a Community Supported Agriculture share, otherwise known as a CSA. Through a CSA, you buy a “share”  for the season and each week receive a share of a farm’s production.  Many farmers’ markets and CSAs offer organic product as well, giving you the advantage of both.

Another option for eating more green is to cut back on meat, which is a resource intensive food.  Raising cattle, and chickens and hogs uses natural resources like water, land and grain and can add pollutants to air, water and land.  It takes a lot more water, for example, to raise a pound of beef than it does a pound of potatoes. 

The packaging used for food is a hot button these days in light of the waste it creates.  Component meals, bags within boxes, single serve cartons, bottled water bottles – they end up in landfills, impacting the health of our earth.  

Speaking of food waste, composting is another way food ties to Earth Day.  In backyards across the country (including mine), apple cores, stale bread and cantaloupe rinds are mixed with grass clippings and leaves in compost piles.  Not only does it minimize the waste going to landfills, but it can cut down on trash costs and create a nutritious supplement for plants and gardens. 

Sounds like how we eat every day factors into the health of our earth, doesn’t it?

No matter where you buy your food or how it’s produced, nutrition quality still matters.  Visit www.nuval.com for a system that scores organic and conventional, local and distant, meat and vegetarian products.