Organic Vegetables: Taste and Health
Have you ever compared the taste of organic and inorganic vegetables? Using the extra time available during this year’s lockdown and the trend towards working from home because of Covid-19, I grew my own vegetables – lettuce, German turnips, tomatoes, and peas using only organic manure. Last week, I harvested these peas and incorporated them into a delicious vegetarian curry. The taste was fantastic and incomparable with the ingredients bought from my local veggie market. To top it off, it also felt good to feed my body something clean and pesticide-free.
Aside from the taste, organic vegetables also have numerous health benefits. These vegetables not only give you beneficial elements like antioxidants but they contain no traces of harmful chemicals like pesticides and hormones residue that come with inorganic vegetables.
Vegetables are healing foods for the present-day style of living in which people spend more time sitting in front of computers or other digital gadgets than ever. This has led to what we call ‘lifestyle health problems’, which include mainly high blood pressure and other heart diseases, diabetes and digestion problems. A study conducted by Harvard Public Health School[1] reveals that a diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart diseases and strokes, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect on blood sugar levels, which can help keep appetite in check.
Managing body weight is a big issue these days. People spend a large amount of money and time simply to reduce their weight. They rack up on gym membership fees and over-exercise, but a diet rich in green leafy vegetables can also help in reducing the bodyweight. If you are using organic green vegetables, you retain more beneficial nutrients and avoid pesticide residues.
Women in particular require more vitamins and minerals during pregnancy – for themselves as well as to meet the requirements of a healthy baby in the womb. Eating organic food reduces chemical intake and also tends to lower the likelihood of a baby having allergies. Breastfeeding women also need to be wary about what they eat because diet determines the nutrients present in the milk. A healthy diet rich in vegetables along with other essential foods in the early years leads to a physically and mentally strong child in future. Such children will have better cognitive capacity and disease resistance ability.
Just knowing the beneficial impacts of organic vegetables is not enough. It needs to be converted into habit or practice. We humans have some difficulty in translating good information into real practice, which could be because of some element of irrationality in our decision-making practice. Some discipline is thus required when buying things, storing food at home, and choosing the right combination of food for eating. This is also true when it comes to eating organic vegetables.
In order to make a habit of consuming organic vegetables, we need to pay attention right from the moment we step into the store. Try to select not only a variety of vegetables but also different colors. So, try to get at least some from different groups like ‘dark green leafy vegetables’, ‘yellow or orange vegetables’, ‘red vegetables’, and ‘legumes and peas.
While buying vegetables, shiny and well-shaped vegetables do not always mean good quality and better nutrition. As of matter of fact, naturally or organically grown vegetables may not look shiny or straight in shape or big in size. They could have insect holes or be a different shade of color here and there. This actually indicates that pesticides, hormones and other harmful chemicals were not used for growing vegetables.
Once you’ve brought home fresh organic vegetables, the next challenge is to actually make a habit of regularly eat them. So often, food goes to waste because we forget that we even bought them. Keeping things in visible places helps remind us about those things. If you store these vegetables in visible place at your refrigerator or pantry, you remember that you need to put them in your diet. Always keep your vegetables refrigerated for extra freshness.
How you cook and prepare meals from vegetables is an equally important aspect of the organic diet. Cooking r makes it easy for the body to absorb nutrients from the vegetables. We must make sure that we cook for the right amount of time because overcooking destroys the nutrients present in vegetables. Moreover, for the taste, it is a good practice to prepare a variety of meals using different recipes. Based on your taste preference, you can prepare salads, soups, stir-fries, and curry from single or mixed vegetables. This variety of vegetable meals is good for both taste and nutrition.
If you have some land or space, you may also think of growing some vegetables using organic production techniques. Growing vegetables, especially of different colors is a fun hobby and is indeed a joy to see the vegetables grow. A combination of colorful vegetables in your garden or in different pots can also add aesthetic value to your residence. Many research findings also support that working in a garden helps reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, eventually improving both physical and mental health.
[1] https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-and-fruits/#:~:text=A%20diet%20rich%20in%20vegetables,help%20keep%20appetite%20in%20check.
Disclaimer
The information written here is for general advice only. Where possible, we have used reliable sources to present helpful information for you. However, this is for recreational reading and not based on medical advice. We do not take any medical or legal responsibilities to the consequences that arise from the use of this information.
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