AVENTURIST Ivey Leidy whips up her whole roasted chicken.
LIVING WITH IVEY
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FOOD LABELS: What do they all mean? By Ivey Leidy Photography by Kent Anderson In the United States, the government regulates every food we eat to ensure its safety. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees meat, poultry, and eggs, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for dairy, seafood, produce, processed foods, and drugs. In the U.S., the government issues financial benefits in the form of subsidies to farmers, mainly those producing corn, wheat, soy, dairy, meat, and sugar. Essentially, our government pays farmers to grow what the government wants them to grow, in the manner in which the government wants them to grow it and at what efficiency. Unfortunately, as a means of making as much income as possible in the shortest amount of time, many farms use methods to expedite and capitalize upon this process. Antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, 24
and GMOs all help maximize output, while degrading our food quality. GMOs are genetically modified, living organisms, whose genetic makeup has been altered in a lab to make them resistant to disease, increasing crop yields. The end result? Our food has morphed into a distant relative of food, difficult for our bodies to recognize and harmful to our health. Here, I delve into what the labels mean, which ones to look for, and which to ignore.
MEAT AND DAIRY When it comes to beef, opt for cuts from local farms as opposed to factories, if you can find it. If not, the best choices are grassfed, AGA (American Grassfed Association) certified, or certified grass-fed by AWA (Animal Welfare Approved). Grass-fed means that the animals are only fed grass from the day they wean from their mother’s milk until the end of their life. They are also raised in open grass pastures, free to graze, and always antibiotic-free. The second-best choice is USDA-certified organic. This means the cattle are fed 100-percent organic feed consisting of corn, grain, and grass, and no antibiotics are administered. Avoid processed meats as these have chemicals, fillers, additives, and even high-fructose corn syrup.
FISH For fish, you have two options: wild or farmed. Farm-raised fish has higher fat, less protein, and fewer nutrients than wild. Farmed fish are often fed cornmeal, soy, and even canola oil. They’re also commonly given antibiotics due to their crowded conditions and risk of infection, as well as growth hormones. In addition to being lower in saturated fat and calories, wild fish is higher in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. The best label to look for is MSC (the Marine Stewardship Council).
PRODUCE For produce, there’s either organic or conventional. Organic produce is grown on soil that has not been treated with substances like pesticides and fertilizer. All organic produce is non-GMO. Conventional produce is often subsidized, and its farming practices involve pesticides, usually GMOs, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, and hormones. These have been shown to cause hormonal imbalances, chronic inflammation, and chronic disease.
POULTRY AND EGGS The best choice for poultry is certified humane (see definition in sidebar). The second-best choice is certified organic. This signifies that the animals were raised on a 100-percent organic, non-GMO diet that did not contain animal by-product or antibiotics.
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