Health

The expert: Betsy Opyt, registered and licensed dietitian, diabetes coordinator with Physicians Regional Medical Center.

Is organic food better than conventionally grown food? You do notice a quality difference when you eat organic. The fruit seems so much better. Organic means the food is free of pesticides or the hormones given to [animals]. No chemicals are added.

Is organic food nutritionally superior? A lot of our [conventional] fruits and vegetables are harvested before they ripen. And they actually aren’t as nutritious because they’ve been picked before they’re ripe.

Organic food can be so much more expensive—if you have a limited budget, where does it make the biggest difference in your diet? Some fruits typically have higher levels of [pesticide] residue—apples, grapes, berries. Vegetables like celery. If you eat a lot of those, you may want to buy them organic.

Is there a catch? Everyone assumes because it says organic it’s healthier. That does not mean it’s lower in fat or sugar. I have to tell people that just because it’s an organic chocolate chip cookie, doesn’t mean it’s better for you.

The bottom line: Try your hardest to eat organic. It doesn’t hurt to watch what types of produce and milk you eat so you’re not ingesting those hormones. If there’s a food you eat frequently, you may want to do that organic.

The expert: Brooke Wagenheim, chef of Ada’s Natural & Organic Supermarket & Deli in Fort Myers, culinary instructor, co-founder of Cozmos Café in Tokyo.

What’s the difference between natural and organic? Natural is basically just that. There are no synthetic ingredients. Organic is natural ingredients, but also, none of the ingredients have been sprayed with pesticides. If it’s livestock, it’s been fed organic food. It’s been raised on land that’s organic.

Is organic really better? The taste of organic is definitely superior. A lot of [conventional] produce, I’ve noticed, is more aesthetic looking. They’ve put some type of chemical on it to make it greener or redder so it’s appealing to the eye, but sometimes it doesn’t have quite the pungent taste. Like a pear—if you taste an organic pear it’s just like a pop in your mouth.

But is it healthier? The way the chicken or apple has been grown or raised has something to do in the long run with your health. You’re not going to be able to wash away the pesticides because they’ve been in the soil. …You can wash away bacteria or the dirt from people’s hands that have picked it, but you can’t wash away where it’s been grown.

When you teach cooking classes at Ada’s, do you find there are common misconceptions people have about organic food? You can’t walk into this store and think that everything is healthy. I’ve put 10 pounds of chocolate into my Mexican brownies. They’re delicious and they’re organic, but they’re not going to make you lose weight. They’re not going to make your cholesterol go down. They just haven’t been sprayed with pesticides, and they’re cooked with a lot of love.

The bottom line: Natural is better than conventional, but organic is definitely the best. It’s the same concept as everything else; moderation is the key.

The expert:  Mary McCormack, registered and licensed dietician, certified diabetes educator, foodservice and nutritional consultant.

Is organic food more nutritious than conventional food? The nutrition difference starts with the soil content. As an organic farmer, you have to know what organic compounds you can include. It’s a whole science in itself. Just like with the body, you’re growing something from what you put in [the soil].

Are there other benefits of organically produced foods? The positive thing organic farmers do is use lower [amounts of] pesticides. They are going to have less yield, but you’re paying for that value.

Why wouldn’t all farmers go organic? You have to be a mega-farmer because it becomes very costly.

If organic food lacks pesticides, does that mean conventional food is dangerous? I feel that my food supply is safe. We could not supply the food we have if we didn’t use pesticides.

Do we need the maximum amount of pesticides we’re using? Is there a better way?  Well, we’ve got to find that balance. And I think organic has helped bring that balance.

What else makes for healthy food sources? We need to take care of the farm workers, and we want them healthy when they’re picking our crops. We need to make sure their healthcare is taken care of.

What do you make of recent debates about the benefits of eating locally grown foods? I used to consult to a clinic in Immokalee. At lunchtime, I loved to go into the farmers’ market and get that produce coming right out of the farm. When it comes from the field to your table, that, in my mind, is the best. It’s the freshest.

The bottom line: I think organic does taste better. But nutrition is based on soil, the soil content and [harvesting] time.