Since many of us don’t own a dairy farm or have access to a garden with fresh, clean, nutrient-rich soil for fruits and vegetables, we must depend on other reliable food supplies. For the past 100 years or so, this meant your local grocery store. But now, with better education about food distribution and the harsh reality of processed foods, pesticides and mass production, sometimes the grocery store seems more like an unreliable enemy. And don’t even get me started on fast-food chains! So, what are the healthiest foods on the planet and where can we find them? Below are our picks for best food sources. And our unsolicited advice? Try to buy the bulk of your food from first- and second-place winners. Your body, mind and spirit will thank you!
First Place
What: Organic raw, locally grown foods
Where to find: Your own garden, farmers markets, food co-ops, fruit stands, the “local” section of any grocery store
Let’s face it, nothing compares to the health benefits of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and other raw foods that are locally and immediately plucked off the vine, dug from the earth or picked off the branch. The closer foods are to life (the smallest and shortest distance they need to travel around the world to get to you), the more they retain their nutrients and the more antioxidant power they have for your health. If local farmers don’t offer an organic option, local is still far better for you, for the planet and for the food system. If you have the choice, this is it. Buy local.
Second Place
What: Organic produce, organic, unprocessed meats and cheeses, organic dairy, etc.
Where to find: Around the perimeter of your local grocery store and/or in the organic section of grocery stores or at places like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Buying organic means supporting ethical principles like opposition to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and promoting environmentally friendly farming and vegetables that are not genetically altered. How much poison we ingest when we eat conventional produce is a mystery! That’s why organic tends to be safer. At least we are guaranteed a degree of safety. I mean, unless you like eating sewage-sludge-covered strawberries or ionizing-radiation-drenched pears… in that case, stick to conventional. But make sure you wash your fruits and veggies first before eating them!
Third Place
What: Frozen fruits and veggies, frozen baked or grilled meats
Where to find: Grocery store
The argument goes: “Fresh vegetables can lose 10 to 15 percent of their nutrients during shipping from the grower to the market and then to your table.” Frozen veggies, therefore, especially ones with no added salt or blanching, tend to retain more of their nutrients because they are packaged and frozen right away. Livestrong has a great article on frozen veggies, which has inspired me to have a little more faith in frozen. However, that freezer-burnt, over-processed Swedish-meatball dinner entrée? Something to avoid! Stick to real frozen foods—fruits and veggies with no additives, and meats that were previously baked or grilled, not deep fried in trans-fats. Just because it’s frozen doesn’t mean it’s better for you. The process by which it was prepared and packaged is still an essential consideration.
Fourth Place
What: Canned, packaged (i.e., food items that have an extended shelf life)
Where to find: Grocery store, online, convenience stores
As much as soup and prepackaged food companies want you to believe that their products are just as healthy as fresh, they’re not. Sure, canned tomatoes may provide as much lycopene as fresh tomatoes, and sure, both frozen and canned carrots provide beta carotene (vitamin A). But at the bare minimum, canned foods contain sodium. Packaged foods often contain things such as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, trans-fats and so on. These are processed chemicals used to maintain the lifespan of foods that would normally perish within a few days. If your entire diet is based on mac and cheese from a box, canned, processed string beans, and prepackaged frozen foods like fish sticks or chicken fingers, you’re doing something wrong. It’s time for a wake-up call: this stuff is not healthy. Add it to your diet occasionally. But let’s be honest, it’s not the kind of stuff you want to eat on a daily basis, especially if your goal is to live healthy.
Last Place
What: Fast food, candy, snacks, chips, etc.
Where to find: Fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores
Fast food has been touted as the “poor man’s” diet and yet fast-food restaurants earn billions of dollars each year. I have nothing good to say about fast food, except avoid it at all costs. Don’t consider it an option. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s a website replete with cold, hard facts that may change your mind about heading out for a burger and fries.
References:
Nutritional comparison of fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables II. Vitamin A and carotenoids, vitamin E, minerals and fiber. Society of Chemical Industry, 2007, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious? Mayo Clinic, December 2010
National Organic Program, United States Department of Agriculture
Why Organic Foods Are the Best Option, Chris Dinesen Rogers, December 2010
Top 12 Fruits and Vegetables You Should Buy Organic, Brett Moore, About.com
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