Organic Food...Latino Style!

Surfing the supermarket for a healthier diet this summer? Latina.com breaks down the natural foods aisle.



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With so many new diet and health terms being thrown around, things can get a little tricky. Here’s a handy guide to make your compras a little easier:

Organic

Organic produce is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or bioengineering. Organic meat refers to animals that haven't been exposed to growth hormones or antibiotics. If you’re trying to stick to an organic diet, school yourself on the different labels because they can get a little tricky. The USDA currently has three categories of "organic":

100% Organic: Made with 100% Organic ingredients

Organic: Made with 95% Organic ingredients

Made with Organic Ingredients: Made with a minimum of 70% organic ingredients with strict restrictions on the remaining 30% including no GMO's (genetically modified organisms)

Click here to see our slideshow of quick & easy Latino organic foods!

Vegetarian/Vegan

A Vegetarian doesn’t eat any meat at all (including poultry, fish and seafood) but will eat eggs and dairy. Vegans are stricter—they don’t eat meat and don’t eat eggs or dairy, either. If you’re going either of these routes, make sure you get Protein from other sources, like beans or tofu.

Raw Food

Raw Food diet proponents believe that cooking and processing food diminishes its nutritional value. There are plenty of Raw Food creations like cakes and nutrition bars made of only raw vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.

Macrobiotic

This diet has its roots in ancient Incan and Chinese culture. Similar to Raw Food diets in the minimal amount of cooking and processing involved, a macrobiotic diet also emphasizes locally-grown and seasonal produce and fruits. The belief is that fruits, vegetables and plants in general adapt to our environment, so we should be eating whatever is around, when it’s around. There are tons of hip Macrobiotic restaurants popping up in big cities all around the country.

Superfoods

These are foods like pomegranate and acai and goji berries that have a complex and intense concentration of quality nutrients. You can’t go wrong with these Super Heroes of the supermarket!

By Gabriela Garcia

Latina.com. Used with permission. All rights reserved.