When to Prioritize Organic, The Power of Two, and Chicken and Chickpea Stew with Tomatoes and Feta
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When to Prioritize Organic
Research shows that prioritizing organic foods, both plant and animal, can greatly benefit your health although it’s not necessary all the time. So where do you start then?
I followed the research and this is what I found…
Before I get into the details of organic vs. conventional foods, let’s review organic farming practices. Organic farming, for both plant and animals, according to U.S. law, cannot include synthetic fertilizers, sewage (totally serious!), most synthetic pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics, growth hormones, or irradiation. In case you need to hear it another way to fully understand… conventional foods can and often do contain these especially highly processed food commodities.
I’ve separated each food group below into lists of Green, Yellow, Red based on research.
Green - Conventional Ok
Yellow- Organic or Conventional (Circumstantial)
Red - Organic Only
Green: Fruits and veggies on EWG’s Clean Fifteen list only, beans and legumes (but not soy beans), whole nuts with shells intact, seeds with shells/hulls intact, whole grains (not listed in red below).
Yellow: Fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains.
Red: Fruits and vegetables on EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, soy beans, eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, shelled nuts, shelled/hulled seeds, whole grains: barley, corn, sorghum, oats, rice, rye, wheat.
PS: Fish/seafood is a whole other can of worms (can of fish? tuna can?) that you can read more about here. Basically, in a nut shell, you can’t use organic labeling standards for fish or seafood because you can only control what farmed fish eat and not wild fish like salmon that eat other fish that cannot be labeled organic. Make sense?
For a deeper dive into the research behind each food group, you can read more in my cookbook The Nutritionist’s Kitchen.
Make sure you look for the USDA organic label when buying organic foods to ensure the ingredients used, or at least some/most used, are in fact organic. It’s tricky though… even within the USDA organic labeling certification, there are four categories of organic labeling and each have their own requirements/standards and not all require completely organic ingredients. For example, foods labeled “100 percent organic” AND include the USDA organic label are the only ones with 100% organic ingredients. The word “organic” on its own alongside the label actually means the product contains a minimum of 95% organic ingredients (and not 100%). You can read more about the complexities and details of organic labeling here.
The Power of Two
As a dietitian, I am often asked what “nutrient-dense” really means. “Like, it means ‘healthy’ food, right?” Sure! But what does “healthy” mean...? So, I made up a tool to help my patients more easily and confidently recognize “nutrient-dense” foods and I want to share it with you.
If a food item or recipe contains at least two macronutrients (lean protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates) or micronutrients (vitamins, minerals), you’re eating a nutrient-dense food. It’s that simple.
For example, salmon is loaded with lean protein, healthy fats, vitamins B6, B12, D, potassium, selenium, etc. Butternut squash contains lean protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, etc., so you can say confidently that these are both nutrient-dense foods. A fried donut, for example, although delicious and perfect for a cold autumn day at the pumpkin patch(!), doesn’t contain much more than (simple) carbohydrates, saturated fat, and sugar. See the difference?
Give it a try! Use this tool and let me know how it goes. Did it help you? Leave a comment and let me know if I should keep sharing these kind of tips and tricks and which topics interest you.
Chicken and Chickpea Stew with Tomatoes and Feta
This stew really hits the spot! It’s warming, nourishing, and ultra-flavorful. The chicken is tasty, but you can easily make this recipe vegetarian by substituting the chicken for more chickpeas.
This recipe contains ample amounts of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins A, C, folate, iron, and manganese.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 boneless skinless breasts, halved crosswise
1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
2 carrots (peel left on if organic), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried ok)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried ok)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried ok)
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Fresh chopped basil (optional garnish)
Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil. Brown both sides of the chicken, cooking in two batches if necessary, about 5 minutes. Remove all chicken and set aside.
In the same Dutch oven, add the onions and carrots to the residual olive oil and pan drippings and sauté until soft and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and chopped (or dried) herbs and sauté for an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Next, add the two types of tomatoes, breaking up the whole peeled tomatoes into small bitesize chunks with a clean pair of hands or the back of a wooden spoon. Add the chickpeas and stir to combine. Add the browned chicken back to the pan and immerse completely in the tomato mixture and cover and let simmer on low for at least 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from the heat and top with feta and fresh basil and serve with crusty bread and a simple side salad. Instead of a side salad, and for a little veggie/phytonutrient boost, you can add a large handful of fresh spinach to the stew right before serving or into each serving bowl before ladling hot stew on top.
Copyright 2021, Carly Knowles, Original recipe.
References
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044437?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed
https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/44406/9397_eib55_1_.pdf?v=6175.5
https://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(16)30784-5/fulltext
www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/organic-labeling-standards.
www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/organic-production-handling-standards.
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-D
When to Prioritize Organic, The Power of Two, and Chicken and Chickpea Stew with Tomatoes and Feta
This soup looks so good!