Organic Means Healthy, Right?

Mark Bittman, the mastermind behind The New York Times’ “The Minimalist” column, recently wrote an article entitled, “Eating Food That’s Better for You, Organic or Not.” Bittman notes how the organic food sector has been thriving ever since the government began certifying as “organic” a little over 6 years ago  but that many people mistakenly equate the designation “organic” with “healthy.”  Certainly eating organic products does promote healthfulness and environmental stewardship in some capacities,

“But the questions remain over how we eat in general. It may feel better to eat an organic Oreo than a conventional Oreo, but, says  Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University’s department of nutrition, food studies and public health, “Organic junk food is still junk food.”

Bittman encourages consumers to not reach for any product labeled organic and fool ourselves into thinking we are doing our bodies a favor but to be conscious eaters, “eating food that’s better for you, organic or not.”

Mark Bittman is also the author of several cookbooks, most recently Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating.