Posted by Tula Karras on Wed, Jan 20, 2010
I'm an organic-holic. I shell out the extra dough for food that doesn't contain pesticides and antibiotics, and I go out of my way to shop at stores that carry organic food. I do it mostly for health reasons—some pesticides may be carcinogenic in large amounts, and chemical and drug runoff from farms pollutes the soil, the water and the planet. Plus, some studies have found slightly higher levels of nutrients in organic produce. I've also always assumed that my organic soups, salads and stir-fries taste better than their non-organic counterparts simply because they're all-natural (have you ever heard anyone say "this pasta needs flavor, please pass the pesticide?"). But do they really?
I wouldn't know because I rarely buy conventional food. The argument could go both ways, really: Because organic food doesn’t contain chemical preservatives, it could wilt and go bad more quickly; on the flip side, conventional produce may absorb some of the taste of the pesticides.
So I decided to find out. Using the Best Life recipe, Spicy Red Lentil Stew (see below), I pitted Team Organic against Team Conventional. Aside from not finding non-organic red lentils (that's right…NON-organic red lentils are on the endangered list) and organic curry powder, ingredients for both categories were easy to track down. (FYI, I spent about $5 more for the organic stew ingredients—not a lot, but significant when added up over the weeks.)
As I sliced and stirred, I went to extra lengths to make sure there was no visible difference between the two stews—I chopped both sets carrots and potatoes in exactly ½-inch chunks and then poured them into identical bowls, ID’d only by Post-Its on the underside of the bowls. I switched the bowls around several times until I was convinced I had no idea which was which. (Side note: In true rookie form, I DID know which of my hands had handled the jalapeños: The left one, because it felt like someone was holding a lighter under each finger. Seriously, always wear gloves when chopping any hot pepper.)
The moment of truth had arrived. I sat down with a glass of water (palate cleanser) and dug into the bowl on my right. Mmmm…good, tasty, spicy. Sip of water. Left bowl: Mmmm…good, tasty, spicy. Sip of water. Confusion. Right bowl again. Left bowl again. Right. Left. After about 10 bites of each, I had a winner, but not by much: The bowl on the right had a bit more flavor and punch, particularly the peas and carrots. I looked at the Post It on the bottom of the bowl and…(drum roll)…it was the organic stew.
The lesson? For all of you spending extra money on organics, you may very well be getting a slightly more flavorful meal. And for those of you who don't buy into organics (whether it's a budgetary concern, lack of availability or otherwise), you're not doing yourself a huge disservice, as the difference was minor.
I'm going to attempt this experiment again in the summer, when produce is at its peak. But in the meantime, the healthiest produce is the produce you actually buy, take home, prepare and eat— whether it’s organic or not.
Let me know if anyone else out there has tried this experiment themselves, or if you've found taste or availability to be an issue with either organics or conventional.
Spicy Red Lentil Stew
Makes 5 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (wear gloves when chopping to protect hands from heat of pepper)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 ounces) no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and chopped
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch piecs (about 2 cups)
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS
1. In a 1-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook jalapenos and cumin seeds, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a 4-quart saucepan, bring broth, lentils and tomatoes with juice, carrots, potatoes, curry powder and lemon juice to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in jalapeno mixture and peas. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
4. Season, if desired, with salt and ground black pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve, if desired, with hot cooked rice.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 203
Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
Carbohydrate: 38 g
Fiber: 9 g
Sugar: 11 g
Calcium: 107 mg
Sodium: 129 mg