Is organic tastier? Better?

In You Are What You Eat, the author Paul Chek removes the slightest doubt about organic food, that is, if you’ve ever had any.

Organic, sounds like a social fad meant for free-spirited hippies doesn’t it? Well, if you think you’re too busy, too good, too smart or too-whatever for organic produce, then it’s time to think again.

 

What does Organic mean?

Organic foods are foods that have been grown and produced without any modern artificial inputs like pesticides, chemical fertilizers, additives and GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

A lot of large- and small-scale farms are naturally organic primarily due to lack of funds for man-made inputs, and as a result the farmers resort to more primitive methods.

For that reason, many farms in Africa are already organic.   However, with the international market demand for organic-anything growing, authenticity has become an issue.

Organic certification is an important stamp of approval to have on your produce because the certification shows an establishment’s commitment to uphold to strict regulations that maintain all of the produce is 100% organic.

In Kenya there are several farms that have proactively sought organic certification.

 

Is organic safer?

If synthetic pesticides is what worries you, then the evidence is pretty conclusive. With organic produce, the chances of your food being contaminated with pesticides are far less.

Regardless, the best way to safeguard yourself and your family is to wash all produce under running water – organic or not.

 

Does more nutrients mean more taste?

Organic produce is arguably tastier than conventionally-farmed fruits and vegetables. When you break it down, there’s not much of an argument.

Common sense should tell you that fruits and vegetables grown in depleted soil with lower nutrient levels due to man-made additives, such as in conventional farming, will result into crops with lower amounts of nutrients.

Organic farming, though may seem primitive, uses crop rotation and other practices that ensures the soil will be replenished with nutrients naturally, and as a result allowing crops to grow in an optimal environment.

Look on the bright side, organic food cannot be gassed to ripen, irradiated, sprayed or waxed to make it look prettier. You won’t be tasting the pesticides or smelling the additives that conventionally-farmed produce will have.

However, with that being said, I personally don’t think I would be able to taste the difference in a blind tasting.

Personally, I think the key to tastier fruits and vegetables depends on whether the produce has been harvested at its peak. And, with organic produce, usually the produce is harvested only when Mother Nature has deemed it ready – when it’s ripe.

 

Misconception: Organic is always more expensive and a hassle

In North America and Europe, organic foods are almost always more expensive. More labour is required, and as a result higher prices for the consumer.

However, in Nairobi, organically-certified farms offer sometimes even a cheaper option for shoppers.

Kalimoni Greens, located in Karen, offers organic shoppers over 200 items from fruits to vegetables to herbs – all grown from their three organic farms. With comparable prices to Nairobi supermarkets, switching to organic has become a very easy choice. Not to mention, Kalimoni Greens delivers your cute hand-woven basket full of organic deliciousness to your door!

 

The Verdict

You are definitely what you eat. Making good choices when it comes to eating is just the beginning. Put that together with a consistent exercise regime, and I promise you, you’ll feel like a new person!

 

PHOTOBLOG at Kalimoni Greens: Photo Credits Susan Wong © All rights reserved.

Rows upon rows of tomatoes!  Look out for Kalimoni Greens’ organic tomato sauce, coming soon!

The prettiest fennel I’ve ever seen. The aromas will stop you in your tracks, literally.

Some eye-catching chili.  The chili is also used as a natural pesticide.

Lillian Kanari, Founder and Managing Director of Kalimoni Greens, stops and takes in the aromas of some fresh basil.

Rinsing a fresh strawberry just picked from the patch.

Have you ever seen such a strawberry saturated in red tones as this one? All I can say is it was incredibly sweet and delicious!

Organically-farmed mudfish coming soon!

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