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Today, we live in a world that’s incredibly health-focused. We’re constantly being told to lead healthier lives by eating better and exercising more. And yet, one area that is rarely touched on in regards to our health, and that’s the quality of the food we’re eating. Yes, a chicken salad is healthier than a burger and chips, but it’s not just about the lower fat choice, it’s also about the quality of the ingredients, or at least, it should be. 

When it comes to cooking healthy food, it’s important to understand that it’s not just about what you’re putting into the meal overall, but the quality of the produce that you are using. Can a piece of chicken with added water and goodness knows what else added to it really compare to a free-range, organic chicken breast that’s been corn fed? In terms of nutritional value, no it cannot. 

Want to learn more about the importance of choosing quality produce for your dishes? Yes - then keep reading as all is about to be revealed. 

Free range and organic foods tend to taste better than their commercially grown and reared counterparts. The reason for this is because plants grown organically tend to have richer soil because no pesticides are used on it, and so it has all the right organisms for growing strong, healthy plants. The reason that fresh fish fillets tend to taste better than the ones you will find on supermarket shelves is because they fish is healthier due to the fact it’s not been commercially reared in a tank of thousands of other fish. The same goes for meat, organic and free-range meat tends to taste better because of how it’s been reared. 

Did you know that a lot of commercially reared and grown foods are packed full of all sorts of chemicals? There are more than 600 chemicals registered for using on fruits and vegetables in the US. Research has shown that 90 percent of chemicals used on foods have not been tested to see what the impact could be on our health over an extended period of time. 

Foods that have been organically grown or reared tend to have a higher nutritional value. This is because the soil that organic fruits and vegetables is grown in is managed without the use of pesticides or other chemicals, giving it a higher nutritional value, leading to produce that is highly nutritious. An example of the difference in nutritional value or organic and non-organic fruit and vegetables is that five pieces of fruit or veg grown organically offers almost twice as much vitamin C as commercially grown produce. 

Last but not least, quality produce is free from hormones, drugs and other nasty additives. Each year, millions of dollars worth of antibiotics go into the meat industry, making sure that commercially reared meat is kept ‘healthy.' The use of antibiotics in meat and fish, as well as other additives, can be passed directly to us when we eat produce, so it’s much better to buy high-quality, organic produce that is free from chemicals and other nasty additives. 

So, there you have it, the importance of buying quality produce.