Make

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers, Inc.

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers, Inc.

Serves 4

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers, Inc.

Courtesy of Stemilt Growers, Inc.

Serves 8

The local and organic food movement is spreading to an area not commonly associated with freshness, or even taste: hospital kitchens. Advocates say higher-quality produce, and smaller servings of meat, will help patients.

But the idea, which stems from a trial documented by a Johns Hopkins public health study, has its critics.

The Hopkins paper argues that sustainably raised meat has less cholesterol and more vitamins than traditionally produced meat.

In two of my previous blogs on organic foods I reviewed the published studies that have shown that organically-grown food has more vitamins, minerals and health-promoting 'phytonutrients', as well as far fewer pesticides than commercially grown foods. So, if one chooses what foods to eat, at least partly on the level of nutrients they provide, as well as their potential for toxicity (or lack thereof), then organic foods would already be a good choice. But, is there evidence that these foods really help us to be healthier?

1. Nothing's Missing

Everyone likes organic when you're talking about carrots and bean sprouts, but organic wine? That sounds like something fun was taken out, like diet soda or safe sex. Don't worry - all the alcohol is still there. It's made from the same grapes, in the same regions and in the same way wine has been made for thousands of years. All you might be missing are the chemical residues sometimes left over from conventional grape growing. You can live without those.

Courtesy of Earthbound Farm