The greater availability of healthy, organic food products started out as (and still are) a great idea. But big business will always be big business, and growing public consciousness about the dangers of pesticides, herbicides, and other downright dangerous chemicals in our food products has led to a big trend in the junk food aisle.
Potato chips, pretzels, snack cakes, cookies, and much more masquerade as supposedly healthy now that they bear the “organic” label. However, while its true that these foods have eliminated a small part of what makes the big food industry so problematic, there are still plenty of other problems with these foods that the health-conscious individual can’t ignore.
Read Your Food Labels Carefully. Seriously.
At the end of the day, slapping an “organic” label on a product doesn’t make it healthy, especially if it has been overly processed and filled with sodium, fats, sugars, and everything else that makes junk food … well, junk. All the organic label means is that certain ingredients in the product – usually ingredients such as sugar, wheat, and vegetables (for use in vegetable oil) – were produced using organic methods.
However, when you get down to the basic building blocks of the product that’s organic (and supposedly healthier) and its counterpart, they’re essentially the same.
Don’t Fall For The “Organic Junk Food” Trap!
When you’re eating processed organic products you’re still potentially putting harmful, usually refined ingredients into your body. Of course, there are healthier snack food alternatives that are also organic, and these can be a good option for you.
It’s just important that you know what to look out for so you don’t end up falling into the trap of thinking that just because it’s organic, it’ll automatically be healthier and better for you.
Choose Unprocessed Organic Whole Foods
At the end of the day, the best option possible will always be to purchase unprocessed organic foods – something that can be done even if you’re shopping on a budget. That includes fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, beans, dairy, and meat products.
If you do feel the need to indulge yourself in some snacking, choose an option such as popcorn (preferably organic, so you can avoid GMO corn). And if you do decide to allow yourself a few options from the junk food aisle every so often, there are a few tips that you can keep in mind to ensure that every food you purchase is as healthy as possible, even if it isn’t necessarily healthy.
Still Want To Buy ‘Organic Snacks’? Follow These Tips…
First, shopping organic is still a good way to cut out what you absolutely don’t want in your diet, even if organic isn’t automatically healthy. Second, be sure you’re checking out the ingredients labels of all processed foods so you can consciously avoid the worst of the worst when it comes to the dangerous stuff you can find in junk food.
Remember that the shorter the ingredients label is, the better the food will be for you in general. Not only that, but keep in mind that if you don’t recognize something on the ingredients label, you probably don’t want to put it into your body.
Just keeping these tips in mind can help you ensure you’re shopping healthier. Remember, don’t trust the company to tell you what’s healthy. Their goal is ultimately to sell you their product. Trust your own knowledge and your own instincts when it comes to determining what’s best for you and your family.
