What's In a Label?

Reading food labels can be more than confusing, it can make your HEAD SPIN! So I'm going to make it really easy and break it down for you so the next time you hit the grocery store you can out smart those savvy marketing tricks!

Organic: 100% organic means the product is free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and hormones. So when you are shopping at a regular grocery store you'll see a label that says 'USDA certified organic' on all organic products. The only 'catch' with organic is when you go to a farmers market or CSA (community supported agriculture farm). It's VERY expensive for the small farmer to be 'certified organic' by the USDA, so get to know and trust your local farmers at theses farmers markets this summer, a lot of them grow their food using organic practices they just can't afford to use the official label, that doesn't mean the food isn't perfectly fine. Just be polite, most farmers love what they do and would be happy to tell you about how the grow what they are selling! Remember organic is healthy for you, but buying local is important to.

Natural: Unfortunately, this is the most over used label out there. At this point seeing 'natural' on the label means nothing by today's standards. It has been used and abused, so while some of the ingredients in a certain product that is labeled 'natural' may have started off that way, chemicals, pesticides and other yucky additives can be lurking in that product. So, bottom line, when something is marked 'natural' make sure you can pronounce and understand all of the ingredients be you assume it's healthy.

Free Range/Free Roaming: This applies to meat and dairy products. Eggs and chicken can be labeled 'free-range' or 'free-roaming' and while it is a step in the right direction, it's a bit of false advertising. It makes you think the animal was roaming in the fields it's whole life, but sometimes the animal can still be kept in crowded indoor spaces and only have a small access door to the outside, it doesn't mean they make it to the outside. So buy with caution, like I said it's a step in the right direction, but big corporations take advantage of this type of labeling.

Pasture-Raised: This means that the animal was raised where it should be, outdoors with access to fresh air and grass and bugs and suns. It was raised eating the food nature intended and had a decent quality of life. These animals are healthier for us to eat and tend to produce meat and dairy that are full of vitamins and products that are tastier. Please note, however, these meats and dairy products tend to be more expensive, so if you are on a budget every little bit counts. You can start by simply switching your milk to organic when it's on sale and go from there.

It's a crazy labeling world out there so shop smart!