20 Organic Foods That Are Actually Worse for You
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
, Posted by Unknown at 9:41 AM
These foods are prepared or grown naturally but can actually be worse for you than traditional.
1. Incorrectly Labeled Apples : One a day of the wrong kind of apples can actually have you seeking out a doctor. Part of the “dirty dozen," apples top the list of foods that can contain the most pesticides, contaminants, etc. of all the fruits. Just because they say organic, doesn’t mean they truly are. Only the USDA Organic Seal certifies that a food has passed the organic test.
2. Organic Fish : Because there are currently no standards for fish, any labeled as organic have only met their own standards. Because they could be the same, better, or worse than the fish right next to it, a consumer never knows. And because many fish come from the wild, it is impossible to tell what the fish has eaten or the conditions it was living in.
3. Natural Food: Just because the label says natural does not mean organic. The standards for natural are far different and less stringent than USDA standards. For example, this article from Science Daily examined natural chickens to see what the standards were. Free range and grain fed were also looked at.
4. Eden’s Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Dry Roasted & Salted : If you think the sodium content of this food is too high, you’re right. It contains 100 mg worth but is only four percent of the daily allotment. What makes this organic food actually worse for you is the insane fat count. For what is supposed to be a snack, it contains one quarter of your total fat allowance. It’s a shame too because the fiber and potassium count is good.
5. Horizon Organic’s Cheese Sticks, Mozzarella String : Anyone eating healthy can have a piece of string cheese as a snack or as part of a light lunch. As long as it’s not this overly fat laden one, it’s still a good choice. With five grams of total fat and three of saturated fat, there are healthier options out there, organic or not.
6. Onions : For its natural ability to resist both industrial and chemical pesticides, onions are a fine food to purchase the non-organic way. In a study from the Environmental Working Group, onions ranked at the top of 47 others to contain the least.
7. Avocados : The non-organic variety of this fruit ranked just beneath the onion. It too also was naturally resistant to pesticides. The worse offender? The peach.
8. Bananas : Because this fruit has its very own armor, any pesticides it may contain are lost when the skin is peeled. If worried about coming into contact with contaminated skin, wash your hands after peeling. Not to say organic bananas are worse for you, they’re just worse for your wallet.
9. Citrus Fruits : These include but are not limited to oranges, grapefruits, limes, etc. For the same reason as the above, the pesticides go with the peels. However, if using the peels in your cooking, organic is the better choice.
'10. Pineapples : The most protected fruit of them all, pineapples are virtually invulnerable to both the pests and pesticides of traditional farming. In fact, they are so easy to grow, why not do it yourself?
Ten Packaged Organic Foods That Are Actually Worse for You
Think twice before purchasing the below organic foods that can actually be worse for you.
11. Quaker 100% Natural Granola, Oats, Honey & Raisins : Fewer healthy choices are worse ways to start the day. A quick read of the label shows a whopping 18% of saturated fat for just a half cup serving. The calorie breakdown is also disturbing in that it shows 67% coming from carbs, with another 24 from fat.
12. Organic Pop Tarts : The fruit inside may be made from organic sources, but that doesn’t excuse the shell around it. Also full of processed sugar, flour, and fat, these pop tarts can be every bit as bad for you as the regular kind. Alternatives are suggested at this site.
13. Chocolate Yogurt : Stonyfield may make an amazing array of organic products, but this isn’t one of them. With 35 grams of sugar per cup, it is one of the most over-sweetened yogurts you can find in the aisle. The 170 calories don’t help either.
14. Natural Peanut Butter Protein Bar : Organically grown whey protein, high energy herbal extracts, and others comprise this food. However, so do eleven grams of fat and seventeen grams of sugar. Also, $35.88 for a pack of twelve bars isn’t good for your wallet, either.
15. Macaroni & Cheese : Although Mac and Cheese can be a family favorite, how much are you really getting out of the organic kind? For roughly an extra 60 cents a box you can save 20 calories, one gram of fat, and 50 mgs of sodium. However, they also lose iron and may fool you into eating more than you should.
16. Vegetarian Lasagna : Without all the processed meat, what’s not to like? In this popular brand of organic vegan foods, that would be the low fat and carbs. One serving of Amy’s Organic Vegetable Lasagna contains twelve grams of fat, 35 carbs, and 20 mg of cholesterol.
17. Ben & Jerry’s Organic Ice Cream, Strawberry : The fruit may be free of pesticide, but the ice cream is full of saturated fat. For those who can limit themselves to the half cup serving size even though the normal two scoops is about four times that, they will get a whopping 40% days’ worth of saturated fat. It is also loaded with unsaturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar.
18. Organic Cookies : Organic or no, a cookie still contains butter, flour, sugar, and all sorts of ingredients that can be bad for you. In fact, if you are more likely to eat five organic cookies instead of four of the other kind, you are doing more damage than good. That doesn’t mean you should stop eating cookies entirely.
19. Sobe Life Water Pomegranate Cherry : While Sobe offers many sensible choices in drinking, this isn’t one of them. Although a good source of vitamin C, the high carb content – 42 grams – is enough to put this one back. The 24 grams of sugar and 55 mg of sodium don’t help either.
20. Organic Beer : According to this article, the rules for organic beer have actually been bent to include the following additives that may be otherwise banned: casings, frozen galangal, fructooligosaccharides, and many others. In addition, it is still beer and over indulgence is bad for you no matter what the label says.
While the results of eating traditional food versus organic are still unknown in the definite sense, those with the budget and mind set to go organic have plenty of reasons to.
1. Incorrectly Labeled Apples : One a day of the wrong kind of apples can actually have you seeking out a doctor. Part of the “dirty dozen," apples top the list of foods that can contain the most pesticides, contaminants, etc. of all the fruits. Just because they say organic, doesn’t mean they truly are. Only the USDA Organic Seal certifies that a food has passed the organic test.
2. Organic Fish : Because there are currently no standards for fish, any labeled as organic have only met their own standards. Because they could be the same, better, or worse than the fish right next to it, a consumer never knows. And because many fish come from the wild, it is impossible to tell what the fish has eaten or the conditions it was living in.
3. Natural Food: Just because the label says natural does not mean organic. The standards for natural are far different and less stringent than USDA standards. For example, this article from Science Daily examined natural chickens to see what the standards were. Free range and grain fed were also looked at.
4. Eden’s Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Dry Roasted & Salted : If you think the sodium content of this food is too high, you’re right. It contains 100 mg worth but is only four percent of the daily allotment. What makes this organic food actually worse for you is the insane fat count. For what is supposed to be a snack, it contains one quarter of your total fat allowance. It’s a shame too because the fiber and potassium count is good.
5. Horizon Organic’s Cheese Sticks, Mozzarella String : Anyone eating healthy can have a piece of string cheese as a snack or as part of a light lunch. As long as it’s not this overly fat laden one, it’s still a good choice. With five grams of total fat and three of saturated fat, there are healthier options out there, organic or not.
6. Onions : For its natural ability to resist both industrial and chemical pesticides, onions are a fine food to purchase the non-organic way. In a study from the Environmental Working Group, onions ranked at the top of 47 others to contain the least.
7. Avocados : The non-organic variety of this fruit ranked just beneath the onion. It too also was naturally resistant to pesticides. The worse offender? The peach.
8. Bananas : Because this fruit has its very own armor, any pesticides it may contain are lost when the skin is peeled. If worried about coming into contact with contaminated skin, wash your hands after peeling. Not to say organic bananas are worse for you, they’re just worse for your wallet.
9. Citrus Fruits : These include but are not limited to oranges, grapefruits, limes, etc. For the same reason as the above, the pesticides go with the peels. However, if using the peels in your cooking, organic is the better choice.
'10. Pineapples : The most protected fruit of them all, pineapples are virtually invulnerable to both the pests and pesticides of traditional farming. In fact, they are so easy to grow, why not do it yourself?
Ten Packaged Organic Foods That Are Actually Worse for You
Think twice before purchasing the below organic foods that can actually be worse for you.
11. Quaker 100% Natural Granola, Oats, Honey & Raisins : Fewer healthy choices are worse ways to start the day. A quick read of the label shows a whopping 18% of saturated fat for just a half cup serving. The calorie breakdown is also disturbing in that it shows 67% coming from carbs, with another 24 from fat.
12. Organic Pop Tarts : The fruit inside may be made from organic sources, but that doesn’t excuse the shell around it. Also full of processed sugar, flour, and fat, these pop tarts can be every bit as bad for you as the regular kind. Alternatives are suggested at this site.
13. Chocolate Yogurt : Stonyfield may make an amazing array of organic products, but this isn’t one of them. With 35 grams of sugar per cup, it is one of the most over-sweetened yogurts you can find in the aisle. The 170 calories don’t help either.
14. Natural Peanut Butter Protein Bar : Organically grown whey protein, high energy herbal extracts, and others comprise this food. However, so do eleven grams of fat and seventeen grams of sugar. Also, $35.88 for a pack of twelve bars isn’t good for your wallet, either.
15. Macaroni & Cheese : Although Mac and Cheese can be a family favorite, how much are you really getting out of the organic kind? For roughly an extra 60 cents a box you can save 20 calories, one gram of fat, and 50 mgs of sodium. However, they also lose iron and may fool you into eating more than you should.
16. Vegetarian Lasagna : Without all the processed meat, what’s not to like? In this popular brand of organic vegan foods, that would be the low fat and carbs. One serving of Amy’s Organic Vegetable Lasagna contains twelve grams of fat, 35 carbs, and 20 mg of cholesterol.
17. Ben & Jerry’s Organic Ice Cream, Strawberry : The fruit may be free of pesticide, but the ice cream is full of saturated fat. For those who can limit themselves to the half cup serving size even though the normal two scoops is about four times that, they will get a whopping 40% days’ worth of saturated fat. It is also loaded with unsaturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar.
18. Organic Cookies : Organic or no, a cookie still contains butter, flour, sugar, and all sorts of ingredients that can be bad for you. In fact, if you are more likely to eat five organic cookies instead of four of the other kind, you are doing more damage than good. That doesn’t mean you should stop eating cookies entirely.
19. Sobe Life Water Pomegranate Cherry : While Sobe offers many sensible choices in drinking, this isn’t one of them. Although a good source of vitamin C, the high carb content – 42 grams – is enough to put this one back. The 24 grams of sugar and 55 mg of sodium don’t help either.
20. Organic Beer : According to this article, the rules for organic beer have actually been bent to include the following additives that may be otherwise banned: casings, frozen galangal, fructooligosaccharides, and many others. In addition, it is still beer and over indulgence is bad for you no matter what the label says.
While the results of eating traditional food versus organic are still unknown in the definite sense, those with the budget and mind set to go organic have plenty of reasons to.
