Maximizing Your Nutrition Dollar

Because of consumer demand, the food industry focus is on producing fruits and vegetables that ship well, not nutrient content. How food is stored and processed has an impact on nutrition. The best defense against nutritionally depleted foods is careful supplementation followed by purchasing fresh foods as close to the source and organically grown whenever feasible.

Getting the most nutrition for every dollar spent is of great concern for those interested in maintaining good health. Yet for the average consumer, the nutrition derived from fresh food dollars has substantially decreased over the past three decades. Why is this happening and what can be done about it?

Everyone wants good nutrition from the foods we eat and we are encouraged to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Yet in light of the methods used to bring food to our tables, getting even minimal levels of nutrients from the foods we eat can be a challenge. Why is it such a challenge to get good nutrition from our most basic foods?

The answer lies in many of the habits of our modern lifestyle. We no longer live on farms, so our foods often must travel great distances from field to table. Because consumers demand produce with an attractive (read 'perfect') appearance, the food industry focus is on producing fruits and vegetables that ship well, not nutrient content. Picked green in the field and shipped in cold storage, many types of produce that look great in the store fail to produce optimal nutrients that develop only in the ripe state, or lose much of their nutrients in cold dark conditions. Examples of this are tomatoes and lettuce. Vine ripened tomatoes are proven to contain higher levels of beta-carotene, lycopene and soluble fiber than green picked fruit. Lettuce loses up to 46% of certain nutrients within 7 days of cold, dark storage.

Another reason for nutrient poor produce is the very soils they are grown in. Soils throughout North America have been depleted since the 'dust bowl' years of the 1930's. Soil depletion is a problem worldwide, because of poor farming methods that take from the soil without returning the minerals vital to good health. Modern methods replace only the minerals necessary for good plant growth, not trace minerals essential for human health. Although this trend is beginning to be reversed by today's organic farmer's careful cultivation of the soil, depletion continues to be a problem throughout the world with little attention paid to the contribution of trace minerals to good health.

How food is stored on the grocery shelf also has an impact on nutrition. Tomato juice retains vitamin C better in cans than in glass containers, whereas orange juice retains its vitamin C better in glass than plastic or glass containers. Vitamin K as well as some B vitamins is depleted by exposure to light, including fluorescent light present in grocery stores. For example, enriched pastas can lose up to 80% riboflavin content if stored in lighted conditions for just 12 weeks.

Other factors that influence nutritional quality of fresh fruits and vegetables include washing, preparation (chopping, slicing, etc.), and cooking and storage methods in the home. There are too many known variables in preserving food nutritional quality to list in this brief article. Yet, very little research has been done to fully determine nutrient losses in our modern food system.

There is a very good source available which summarizes much of what is known. Written by Jane Ramberg, MS and Bill McAnalley, PhD and titled, "From Farm to the Kitchen Table: A Review of the Nutrient Losses in Foods", published in the Glycoscience & Nutrition journal, September 1, 2002 issue, volume 3, number 5, this informative summary is the basis for information provided in this article. Anyone who desires a free copy of the entire summary may obtain one by contacting the author at the source listed in the author's bio.

The best defense against nutritionally depleted foods is careful supplementation followed by purchasing fresh foods as close to the source and organically grown whenever feasible. Maximizing your nutrition dollar by getting optimal nutrition from all sources is your best offensive move for maintaining good health.

Karen Walker is a home business consultant specializing in the health and wellness industry.

http://www.newamericanfamily.com

eMail to: karen@newamericanfamily.com

---

Heart Friendly Foods

Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial... Read More

Essential Fatty Acids -The Good Fats

Fats (triacylglycerols) ...Some basic terminology ...fat or fatty acid ...In... Read More

Discover Which Fruit and Vegetables Help Relieve Arthritic Pain

If you or someone you know suffers from rheumatoid arthritis,... Read More

Is Organic Really Better for You?

I had finally come to a place in my life... Read More

Glutamates

Approximately 30 years ago, food manufacturers were competing against the... Read More

What is the Cause?

The question most people think they need an answer to... Read More

Nutrition - Its Whats Eating You That Counts

"It's not what you eat, it's what's eating you that... Read More

The Minefield Of Eating Out On A Gluten Free Diet

Eating out when you are on a restricted diet always... Read More

10 Flaxseed Facts to Improve Your Nutrition

Flaxseeds may be the smallest seeds you will find in... Read More

Anti oxidants ? Why Its a Must in Your Diet

While oxygen is the key to human survival, it is... Read More

Reading Labels:Understanding Fiber, Fat, Carbohydrates, Etc

Since 1994, food manufacturers have required the Food and Drug... Read More

Essential Tips For Proper Food Combining:

As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and... Read More

A Home Water Filter - Do We Need To Filter Our Drinking Water?

Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we... Read More

The History of Ambrotose� Complex

Ambrotose� - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More

Enjoy The Holidays Healthfully

How To Have A Healthy ThanksgivingEnd of the year holidays... Read More

Poor Dental Hygiene May Account for Poor Health

Bright white teeth and fresh breath does not necessarily... Read More

Blueberry Picking Techniques

First of all you have to have a bucket. You... Read More

The Tibetan and Chinese health Secret: If you read one health report a year, this should be it!

It seems as if the health of America is failing.... Read More

The Dangers of Honey

Before we get to honey we have a question from... Read More

The Fountain of Youth - Right in Front of Us All This Time!

Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down,... Read More

What Really Happens To The Food You Eat

After we have eaten a meal -- and often we... Read More

Confessions of a Personal Fitness Trainer

Last year I had a number of clients who started... Read More

Children Get Constipated, Too

Do you notice your child putting off going to the... Read More

Lingzhi A Miracle Herb For Peak Health

The secret of success is knowing how to deal with... Read More

Snack Attack - How to Keep Your Hunger Between Meals from Getting the Best of You

The Benefits of SnackingYou may feel regretful about snacking, but... Read More

The Worse Mistakes People Make with Food

There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More

Discover How to Grow Your Own Source of Vitamins, Fiber, Proteins, and More

Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More

The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered Americas Food Supply

Factory FarmingThe big names in American agriculture would like you... Read More

Eating Outside Your Box

One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies... Read More

Beauty Foods That Will Keep You Young and Healthy

You've heard that old saying: True beauty comes from within.... Read More

The Truth About Omega 3

Since Dr Basant Puri, a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer... Read More

Constipation Cures Exposed!

If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking... Read More

Why Many Fat Free Diets Do Not Work

Most people understand that it is wise to limit the... Read More