Organic food is a common sight in supermarkets these days and it is a bit more expensive than the non-organic ranges. Nevertheless, what is organic health food exactly? Is organic boneless chicken better for you than conventional boneless chicken? Does it taste better?
What is Organic Health Food?
Organic produce is not grown or processed in the same way as conventional food. It is never exposed to artificial fertilizers, conventional pesticides, industrial waste, human waste, and ionizing radiation or food additives. Conventional chickens are sometimes given tiny quantities of arsenic in their feed to fight parasites. Arsenic has been linked to cancer in humans. Organic animals are not given anything like that and are raised in clean, parasite free environments.
Organic livestock is reared without being given antibiotics or growth hormones. It is given a healthy diet. Organic livestock, such as chickens, are not genetically modified. These chickens will have been fed organic grains only, which were grown on a chemical and pesticide free farm.
Organic chickens are raised humanely in an environment, which is free of stress. They are allowed to roam outdoors and have daily access to sunshine and fresh air. The bird has plenty of room to move and their outdoors area is safe and clean. Free-range chickens are also allowed to roam outside but the conditions might not be clean and they can be given drugs or antibiotics. They might have been fed genetically modified food too.
Do Many People Eat Organic Health Food?
Organic health food was once only available in farmer’s markets or small stores because organic farms have always been small, family run farms. Since the early 1990s however, organic food production has increased by about 20% a year in both developing and developed nations.
$9 billion worth of organic health food was sold in 2002 in the United States and in the same year, the Department of Agriculture released the National Organic Standards. This was a list of guidelines to follow in order for farmers to be able to put the “organic” label on their produce. Organic foods have accounted for between 1 and 2% of worldwide food sales since April 2008. The British are great lovers of organic health food and lots of their organic produce has to be imported because British farmers cannot keep up with the high demand.
Does Organic Food Taste Different?
The difference in flavor between an organic chicken and a free-range chicken is slight but the difference between an organic chicken and a battery chicken is very obvious.
Organic chickens have healthy muscles because they can roam. A battery chicken will have wasted muscles. Organic chickens grow at a natural rate, have a healthy life, and eat high quality food. Organic farming is more labor intensive and the livestock feed costs more. This is why organic food is more expensive.
What about making a juicy chicken recipe with rich, tasty organic boneless chicken, succulent organic vegetables and an organic tomato based sauce? Everybody should taste organic vegetables because they are so fragrant and rich in flavor. If you are concerned about the health of your family, why not try making a delicious recipe such as this one, full of natural goodness as well as flavor? Making your own recipes from scratch is more economical than using pre-packaged food, so if you save money on the ingredients, spending a few more cents on organic produce will not matter so much.
