 1000 Chapel Street New Haven, CT (203) 562-3888 |
"A Vegetarian Restaurant Since 1975"
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Why I Choose Organic, by Chef Claire Criscuolo, RN
I have always considered my staff and customers an extension of my
family. This is not unusual for those of us "restaurant types." After
all, we spend so much time together, hard at work, interacting,
debating about what to cook, where to place the new table, how we can
best support our farmers and the environment, and other day to day
activities that take place both in a restaurant and in a home. So when I
make decisions about what's best for our "family" it's all the same. I
want the best. This is why I choose organic and sustainable foods when
I can and when it's most important.
Organically grown foods simply taste better, and are often higher in
nutrition than their conventionally grown counterparts. When you buy
organic foods, you help to promote biodiversity, cut down on the
pesticides that pollute our soil, air, and water, and you help to
support natural systems that will ensure the integrity of our farmlands
for future generations. That's the best inheritance we can ever offer
our children.
Biodiversity is crop diversity. Growing a variety of crops is one of
many ways to reduce the incidence of disease, and the need for
pesticides and fungicides. Many giant, corporate farms, will often take
the easier, cheaper route and plant one variety, often determined not by
flavor and disease resistance, but rather on ability to travel long
distances. This method often relies on higher pesticide use, and further
damage to our soil, our earth, and health risks for us.
FoodNews, a publication from Environmental Working Group, writes:
"There is growing concern in the scientific community regarding the
subtle ways in which small doses of pesticides affect people, especially
during critical periods of fetal development and childhood when they can
have long lasting adverse effects. Because the toxic effects of
pesticides are worrisome, not well understood or in some cases
completely unstudied, shoppers would be wise to minimize exposure to
pesticides whenever possible."
Just look at the "dead areas" in our waters, where fish no longer
thrive. It is in these waters that you will find high levels of nitrogen
and other pesticides that runoff from our farmlands and gardens to our
waterways. We must cut back on our dependance of pesticides by taking a
more natural, organic approach to farming and gardening.
Washing and peeling the produce will help reduce some of the
pesticides residues, but doesn't eliminate them, and removing the peel
also removes some of the nutrients.
The best advise is to eat a variety of produce, wash it well, and eat
organic whenever possible. And, when you don't have the option of eating
organic, try to select those foods that have lower pesticide levels.
Below, is a list of the 12 produce items with the highest pesticide
residues and the 12 lowest.
The good news is that organic foods are increasing in sales by around 20% a year, so we are hearing the message loud and clear. And, we are voting for organic through our purchases.
Right now, organic foods often cost more than conventionally grown. I
know this presents a burden for many, and I too, struggle with this,
particularly at our restaurants, where we must balance so many more
expenses than at home. But, as sales of organic foods increase, and
more farmers convert from conventional to organic practices, the prices
should become a little lower. But we cannot expect to ever buy "cheap
food" because the farmers have responsibilities to their land and to
their families too, and they deserve to be paid decent wages for their
hard work. And providing us with wholesome foods, grown in healthy soil
is important work.
We need to look at feeding our bodies and preserving our earth as
even more important and of greater status than that new cell phone, the
big name pair of sneakers, and ski gear.
I promise you that in the end, taking care of our earth and of our
bodies, will trump everything else.
12 most contaminated Listed in alpha order 12 least contaminated apples Asparagus bell peppers Avocados celery Bananas cherries Broccoli imported grapes Cauliflower nectarines Corn peaches Kiwi pears Mangos potatoes Onions red raspberries Papaya spinach Pineapples strawberries Peas
Sources that I refer to for information:
Organic Trade Association, of which I am a member http://www.ota.com http://www.foodnews.org http://www.ewg.org http://www.consumersunion.org |