Taste Organic Food With A Fruit Salad

Organic food has so much more flavor than conventional produce. Conventional peaches can be extremely mealy with little or no flavor. Caution: eating organic peaches can turn you into a peach snob! There are worlds of difference in flavor between organic and conventional peaches, not to mention other fruits.

Fruit is such a great dessert, because it curbs your sweet tooth and boosts your daily fresh fruit intake. We should eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily. Some doctors say eight.

Organic food not only has more flavor, but it is healthier for you and the planet. Organic fruits are cultivated using no pesticides, which decreases your risk of cancer and retains rich soil quality for generations to come.

Ingredients:

2 organic bananas

2 oz. organic strawberries

2 oz. organic blueberries

2 organic peaches

Slice bananas into medium-sized bowl. Rinse strawberries and blueberries, then pat them dry with a towel. Cut strawberries into quarters. Add strawberries and blueberries to bananas in bowl. Using a knife, carefully cut around the entire circumference of a peach. Twist the two halves in opposite directions until they come apart. Now use the knife in the same manner to slice each piece in half again. The peach pit may be easy to remove, or you may have to coax it out by cutting around it, depending on how ripe the peach is. Your mouth will water in direct proportion to how juicy the peach is! Cut each peach quarter into three chunks.

Add peaches to the mix and gently fold with a large spoon. This fruit salad serves two.

Blueberries are bursting with vitamin C, manganese and vitamin E. They are also packed with the antioxidant anthocyanidin, which neutralizes free radical damage to collagen cells and tissues, helping reduce your risk of cancer.

Bananas contain loads of potassium, which is very helpful in reducing blood pressure, heart attacks and leg cramps. Bananas are also chocked full of vitamin C, A1, B6, magnesium, iron and tryptophan. Vitamin B6 regulates blood glucose levels, and tryptophan is a natural mood-calming chemical. So bananas are terrific for dissipating PMS, depression and seasonal affective disorder!

And those little strawberries pack a lot of vitamins! They're brimming with 130 percent the daily requirement of vitamin C! And that's not to mention also containing vitamin K, potassium, folate, vitamin B2, vitamin B5, and even omega 3 fatty acids.

As for peaches, they not only drip with flavor, but they contain vitamin C, vitamin A, iron and even calcium. Vitamin A promotes healthy vision, skin and teeth--and even boosts the immune system.

With a mouth-watering fruit salad made from organic food ingredients that's just bursting with vitamins and flavor, who needs sugar?

The Delicious Organic Coffee Bean

An organic coffee bean means that only 100% natural flavorings (fruit & nut extracts) are used to produce flavored organic coffees. With the millions of coffee drinkers worldwide there is a rise in demand for not only organic coffee but also for organic flavored coffee. Many coffee growers have discovered alternative and safe ways to improve the growing process. They now use organic fertilizer and other earth friendly ideas to enhance and protect their plants.

Certified organic coffees must be grown, harvested, and processed without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Farms that grow the certified organic coffee bean are tested for chemicals by an independent certification agency for three consecutive years.

Natural and organic are not interchangeable. Other truthful claims, such as free-range, hormone-free, and natural, can still appear on food labels. However, don't confuse these terms with " organic " Only food labeled "organic" has been certified as meeting USDA organic standards.

Why buy organic flavored coffee that may be a little more expensive? By buying organic you are taking into consideration it's growth and production and how it has a great effect on the Earth's ecology. Coffee is one of the world's most heavily traded commodities, second only to oil. It is the world's largest agricultural commodity. A beverage enjoyed by people the world-round,

By using medium roasted beans this allows the coffees' distinct, delicate flavorings to blossom on the tongue. You will enjoy the perfect meld of rich organic coffee accentuated by the delicious whisper of soft flavors of Dutch chocolate, hazelnut, Macadamia nut and vanilla .

Organic coffee growers in other countries are free from the dangers associated with working and living in chemically polluted regions. In organic farming cooperatives, streams and underground water supplies are not polluted with chemical fertilizers. Coffee growers do not suffer from chemical poisoning - an all too real side effect of growing coffee the traditional way.

If you study the history of coffee production you will discover farming methods that were used before modern insecticides and chemical fertilizers. These methods are gentle to the Earth and its people. By purchasing the organic coffee bean you demonstrate your commitment to protecting the environment and the people who are dependent on the coffee industry: the growers and their families.

Most of organic coffee growers are registered as rain forest alliance coops. Most of organic coffee beans are also shade grown. It is important to read the label to insure that you are purchasing organic coffee beans that are grown and purchased under fair trade conditions which means the farmers receive more of the revenues for themselves; this makes growing more profitable for them and they're less likely to grow elicit crops.

A Mouthwatering Organic Food Recipe - Organic Navy Beans with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This is a quick, easy organic food recipe that’s great for any season.

The navy beans provide a big serving of protein, so this can serve as the entrée. The sun dried tomatoes pack a lot of flavor and satisfying, chewy texture.

The specific organic food Ingredients

2 15 oz. cans organic navy beans

½ 4 oz. package organic sun dried tomatoes (already sliced, if possible)

6 cloves organic garlic

½ organic onion

3 tablespoons organic olive oil

2 pinches sage

Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

Place the sun-dried tomatoes in one cup of hot water and let them soak; this rehydrates the tomatoes to a small degree and coaxes out more flavor. Meanwhile, dice onion and crush garlic in garlic press.

Add olive oil to large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until they are translucent.

Meanwhile, remove sun-dried tomatoes and slice them into fourths, if they are not already sliced. Reserve the sun-dried tomato water; don’t pour it out!

Drain the beans.

Add sun-dried tomatoes and beans to aromatic garlic and onion mixture. If your family’s not hovering yet to see what fragrant dish you’re cooking up for dinner, they will be any minute!

Add all of sun-dried tomato water, two pinches of sage and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until water thickens and becomes gravy-like, stirring occasionally--at least 20 minutes.

This dish serves two. It’s very nice served with an organic food salad of romaine hearts, slivered almonds and shredded carrot with a tomato-based vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Your Guide to Organic Food

Organic food options have come a long way. Usually exclusively sold in backyards and stalls, they've gone commercial and has long been introduced to the bigger markets.

But what's the deal? Why pay more for the same products compared to the commercial brands that prevail in markets? What exactly can you eat?

Myth: Organic food has been closely associated to being "natural" or "grown" that its easy to assume that we're exclusively talking about food that grows from the ground.

Fact: Organic food not only includes fruits, vegetables, poultry and meat.

Benefits of going organic include: it being a legally defined standard, there are high standards before it gets stamped with approval as "true" organic food, it operates in the highest level of animal welfare, no fertilizers / pesticides for grown products and there are no drugs, growth hormones and additives fed to the animals.

But why is it so expensive? Industrial farming relies on crop monocultures, plantings of a single crop over a span of thousands of acres of land. Monocultures are vulnerable to pest and disease, requiring large quantities of fertilizers and pesticides on the land. While organic farms boast greater diversity when it comes to crops, they often go through a process of natural growth, lessening the input and output from the farmers, and the costs for maintaining organic farming outweighs the price of commercial industrial growth, meaning, to make their farming even remotely viable, they have to raise prices for the superiority of their organic products. When buying your organic food, remember to look for certification seals, as they have standards to keep you from eating bacteria-laden, unclean organic food.

Health Benefits from organic food consumption: (From The Atlas of Food)

* Soluble fiber content of oats - reduces LDL (harmful!) cholesterol.
* Lycopene in tomatoes - helps reduce the chances of caner.
* Cranberry juice - helps prevent UTI. (Urinary Tract Infection)
* Soy protein - Promotes heart health.
* Antioxidant vitamins - (A, C and E) help prevent heart disease.

So what exactly can you eat? If you're wondering about the taste, here's a couple of organic food samples, and the lowdown on 'em:

Apples - Everyone loves apples! (Remember Eve?) According to a 2001 Washington Apple study, they found that organic apples are sweeter, have a richer taste, and better over-all texture compared to the more commercial, conventionally-grown ones.

Tomatoes - Aside from the lycopene mentioned above, a 10-year study on tomato comparison has proven that organic tomatoes have higher levels of flavonoids, which protects against cardiovascular disease.

Organic Meat - Animals are fed 100-percent organic feed, without the ground-up animal parts - this safeguards from such threats as mad cow disease. Also, they aren't holed up in pens, and instead, are allowed to free-range and graze. Not only is this a more humane way to treat animals, but also, it allows them to eat up more grass and bugs and whatnot that they probably won't find in a cage - leading to healthier meat.

Beer! - Not only is beer probably the oldest alcoholic drink, it's also a remarkable testament to using only nature's ingredients. There are refineries that are dedicated to using only the purest, and finest, ingredients in their brew. Who says organic food means no fun?

Organic Food - The Healthy Alternative

Organic food production and consumption is to some way in its advocacy stage. The entire planet floats on significant amount of pollution, radiation and hazardous chemical compounds that produce different viral strains, fatal diseases, and unhealthy conditions. Going back to our natural state such as consuming organic food has now been a test of a person's will and level of economic status.

Millions of years ago, men and women lived harmoniously with nature which provided abundant food for them. Having no other goal but survival, they had no idea of manipulating an organism or enhancing the organic food into more tasty and palatable recipes. They learned how to find their food by hunting and then later through farming. When people crossed the boundary towards civilization, mass production became a big part of every national economy. Research and development were focused on creating high-yielding varieties (HYVs) and the unnatural method of propagating and producing these varieties.

The choice the human race made in the past is now revealing its lessons. However, these lessons are still veiled to majority of the people. To a few people, they have already decided to go back to organic farming or organic food consumption. To protect the interest of the consumers, organic food certification authorities have been set up in many countries. Many are also following suit.

With the way internet has changed the world, the internet now offers organic food online. Consumers can simply connect to the web, look for organic food online and process the order of organic food online, right at the comfort of their home. The availability of information over the net makes it also possible for consumers to check the authenticity of products claiming to be organic food. Organic certification authority has a list of organic food certified products, suppliers and manufacturers.

Organic food has more vitamins and minerals than ordinary food which contains harmful chemicals as a result of pesticide and herbicide application. A high-yielding variety of carrot, for example, is bigger than organic carrot. However, organic carrot contains more nutrients because it was grown on fertile soil with organic fertilizers.

Organic food, much more organic food online, are usually more expensive than ordinary food. One of the unveiled reasons is that the government subsidizes the more pervasive inorganic agriculture while organic food producers have yet to receive support from government. Since production of organic crops necessitates the use of natural fertilizers and forbids harmful chemicals in pesticides and herbicides, the labor cost is higher. This means controlling the weeds and pests manually instead of simply spraying. The yield is also low as compared to HYVs.

If computed, however, it would always turn out to be more expensive for consumers of inorganic food because part of the people's taxes go to agricultural subsidies and consumers pay more for their health when they get sick. Organic food consumers are feeding the body with clean elements, therefore, they also have a cleaner and healthy body. Since they have more energy, they have more time to work, less stress and more income opportunities.

Why Organic Foods?

Why choose organic food? If you compare prices at the store, you'll probably notice that organic foods generally cost more than non-organic. With a slow economy, why would you even consider changing your diet and increasing your budget?

Organic foods are grown free of pesticides and chemical sprays. When chemical and pesticide sprays are present in non-organic foods, you will wind up eating them with your dinner. Would ever consider topping your green salad with a spray of chemicals? Of course not!

When you eat non-organic foods, your body must deal with these toxins. Often, our bodies aren't equipped to flush these foreign substances. As a result, they are stored or circulate our immune system. After awhile, our body begins to feel sick, breaks out in hives, has allergic reactions to foods, etc. One of the most common reactions is a chemical overload. Your body stores these chemicals until it can't stand it anymore. Then, one day your body tries to flush the toxins and you'll just feel nasty.

What Can You Do?

Organic foods not only are toxin-free, but are generally more nutritious. The natural coloring of the food isn't faked; the sun provides real coloring and nutrients. All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of phyto nutrients. The more proper sunlight the plants have prior to picking the more nutrients present. To maintain most of the phyto nutrients in the food after harvest, it must be consumed or stabilized with 24 to 48 hours.

If you buy your fruits and vegetables at the store, this proves impractical. So, what can you do? Of course you could grow your own food, but most people just don't have the time. The most practical thing to do is find a local source.

Depending on where you live, organic foods just may not be available. If this is the case, don't give up. Just buy non-organic foods from local growers like at a city's farmers' market. Although these foods aren't organic, they are still way more nutritious than grocery store food. Local farmers don't need to preserver their foods after harvest with chemicals; they sell them promptly. Also, local farmers don't tend to use as many or as harmful chemicals during the growing season.

Organic Food - Organic Coffee Beans, Are They Worth It?

Is it worth it to buy organic coffee beans as organic food? There are lots of things to be said for buying organic products, and coffee is just like any other organically grown product. If you ask me, organic farmers and harvesters are paving the way for the future. Farming practices that are feasible and sound without using chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and other harmful agents are quickly becoming very popular, and for good reason. We all need to be conscious of the health risks that chemical farming poses to our own bodies, to wildlife, and to the environment. Whenever we can, it's the responsible choice to grow organic.
U.S. organically grown coffee beans have to go through a detailed certification process by an agency under the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture.) Organic coffee has to meet a number of criteria before it can get certification. For example, to get certification a crop must grow for at least 3 years without synthetic and chemical pesticides or fertilizers. The field also has to follow a crop rotation program that is sustainable in the long-run to avoid soil depletion and erosion, as well as deterring pests from eating crops.
Anybody can vouch for the fact that seeing organic products-especially food products-in the grocery aisles is more and more common. Any truly healthy diet should contain as much organic food as possible. This includes organic meat, eggs, dairy, and produce. Take any steps you can to reduce your ingestion of potentially harmful chemical additives. If you are a coffee drinker, the coffee that you drink is no exception.
Your first thought is probably how expensive you think organic coffee is going to be, but think again. Browse the Internet for "organic coffee" and you'll see that many online retailers sell organic coffee for about the same price as traditional coffee full of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. And some organic growers even grow their beans under rainforest-preserving shade trees that promote the vast array of bird life in the skies.
Even if the idea of saving the rainforest and endangered bird species doesn't matter to you, it's still important for your own health to go organic. Organic food is natural and good for you. And it taste great too. We can play a part in acting responsibly toward Mother Earth and drink our coffee in a more healthful way by buying organic coffee beans. Just make sure that your coffee is certified organic by an independent organization.