I had been confused about all of the “Labeling” and wanted to know more, so I did some research and thought it would be great to put it into a post, so others may see what I found out.
There are so many terms used on labels it can be very confusing sorting out all of the meanings….
Natural, Organic, No Hormones, Caged, Rage Free…. etc… the list can go on and on!
When you head to the grocery store, shopping for products like eggs, meat, fish, milk, and produce, labels can be very tricky. Signs are posted everywhere labeling food as natural, organic, and so on….
Well…. What the heck is the difference? Learning what specific names mean and determining if it’s just a marketing ploy, to get you to buy and spend that extra money, can really help you.
Basic list of terms that stood out to me…I hope this helps to clear up some of the misconceptions. Also, I want to mention to make sure you read to the bottom, because if you are as passionate as me, about the food industry and want to team up with me and others, then you will definitely want to read to the bottom! Exciting stuff here!!!
- Natural is a term that is used as a marketing ploy. It is normally associated with a number of fruit and vegetable products. After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, which you want to avoid, the product is natural. What you might be looking for is organic.
- Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods.
*First, you are supporting the growers that do not use chemicals and helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature where these fruits and vegetables are grown.
*Secondly, by choiosing organic foods, you are not ingesting the chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which is MUCH better for your health.In most grocery stores, organic products are usually more expensive. If you can find a local farmers market, you can ask to see if their fruits and vegetables are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, if so you may be able to get a much better price.If you’re on a budget and have to opt to shop a grocery store, skip over organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. Opt for organic items like apples, where you eat the peel. Always make sure that you rinse off the fruits and vegatables when you get home.
- Another tricky label you will see is “No Hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products. That statement in general is false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are what helps an animal (even humans) regulate body organs, have young, and function. All meat products have hormones. What the label really means, is that no added hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production.
- Another common label is found on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged, penned, cage-free or free-range.
*Caged or penned normally means that the chicken are commercially raised, meaning they are couped up inside a chicken house. We also do not know the diets of these chickens. The commercial producers claim that their chicken eggs are just as healthy as free range, however some studies have shown different.
*Cage-free are eggs from chickens that are only indoors. Other terms are Barn, Barn-roaming or Aviary.
*Free-Range are eggs produced from birds that are permitted outdoors for at least part of the day. The term “free–range” may be used differently depending on the country and the relevant laws.
There are many other labels for Hens and their eggs. For more in depth information, the Humance Society has some great information here.
Unlike what the news will tell you, (and if you haven’t figured it out yet, don’t believe everything you hear on TV… that’s another subject I could go on and on about… well, that’s for another post…that was me rambling on about something else I am very passionate about… the sh** on the news, decided to leave it in though, sometimes it strikes a chord with others too.. love to hear about it if you feel the same way! Let me get back to what I was saying…LOL…) A good quality egg is very nutritious for you and especially if it’s a raw egg. Yep, I said it… raw egg. I was listening to an interview with a lady that was 115 years old and they asked her what her secret was to staying so healthy and she said, she ate raw eggs every day, because once a doctor told her that was a good way to stay healthy, have one or two raw eggs a day. So, yep, you know it, I started using a very good quality free-range egg in my smoothie every morning! Who doesn’t want a better complexion and better overall health?
You know how it works, just when I started searching for a simple way to live a healthier life I stumble upon a group of other like-minded people whose mission is to educate and raise awareness on how important it is to us, to have healthier food. I thought OMG! I want in on this, Yes! Tell me more, so if you feel like me and want to join me and other in this mission that is SO important to our future generations and to mother earth, Join us Here! Check out the Healthy Kitchen Here.
Well, I guess I have rambled on enough and I know we are all super busy gals, so I’m closing for now and I hope that this article on What Do Food Labels Tell Us has helped!
If you stumble across any info that you think is good to add or if I have forgotten something you feel is important to point out, just leave it in the comments!
See ya’ll next time!
HUGS!