If you are worried about the kind of stuff (read insecticides and pesticides) which go into your stomach along with the food you eat, then perhaps, you may consider cooking a healthy meal using organic food. So what does organic food mean? And how is cooking with organic food more healthy for you?
When you go shopping for food, do you look for the green USDA label which says that the food you are buying is organic? Probably not. You are probably wondering if it matters all that much after all. Well, it does.
Typically, when you eat food, you are pretty much ingesting a whole lot of chemicals – and it doesn’t matter if you washed it. These chemicals are inside the food or the meat that you are going to eat. After you eat them, they are going to remain inside your body – and perhaps get passed down to the children you may have. Not a pretty picture, is it?
Organic food is the kind of food which is made without the use of chemicals like insecticides and pesticides. This is the kind of food which is naturally grown. It is often not genetically modified.
Organic farmers use natural fertilizers such as manure and compost to fertilize their plants. In order to prevent insects and pests, these organic farms prefer to use beneficial insects and birds, and techniques to prevent the mating of pests. They also use traps to catch pests. To make sure that the soil retains its nutrient content, these farmers practice crop rotation. They remove weeds by hand or use mulch to manage the weeds.
Organic animal farming is also used so that we can have organic meat and poultry. Animals at such farms are given organic feed and they are allowed to go outdoors.
Preventive measures like rotational grazing and clean housing are used to prevent disease. These animals are given a balanced diet which does not include chemicals to boost their growth.
The end result: food which is naturally grown and contains all the natural nutrients and vitamins. And best of all, this food is free of chemicals and genetically modified components which may harm you and your children. In the long run, organic food can even prevent diseases such as obesity, Alzheimer’s and Cancer. And these foods are tastier than you could ever imagine!
This is why, more than ever, nowadays people are looking for healthy cooking options. Organic food provides you with the most basic raw material which you require for cooking healthy. Also, cooking with organic foods means not having to use highly processed foods. Flavors are usually enhanced using sea salt or kosher salt in the place of iodized salt. Many organic cooks even avoid using microwaves to cook the food – preferring to use the stove instead. They also prefer to reduce the quantity of liquids like stocks, sauces and and tomatoes (a high water content food) to enhance the taste of a dish. They also prefer to use organic, unsalted butter for baking and cooking.
These and many such tips and tricks will help you cook healthy and eat healthy – helping you to live healthy.