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Organic Junk Food


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So I just got back from a trip to Chicago where, among other things, I checked out the All Things Organic trade show. The thing that struck me most about the exhibits, and also that I notice whenever I visit the organic section at my local market (Fairway in New York City), was what a high percentage of the organic food industry's effort seems to be focused on creating junk food.

You name just about any junk food, and there's now an organic equivalent. Every kind of snack crisp, cookie, candy and frozen convenience food has been reproduced. Of course, the grains are organic and there are various artificial ingredients omitted.

I suppose organic junks foods can in many cases be a little more healthful than their conventional equivalents. Maybe evaporated cane juice is just a little less terrible for us than high fructose corn syrup -- or maybe not. But doesn't this emphasis on junk food cut against the whole organic philosophy, to the extent there is one anymore? Isn't the idea for foods to be natural and good for you?

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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But doesn't this emphasis on junk food cut against the whole organic philosophy, to the extent there is one anymore? Isn't the idea for foods to be natural and good for you?

That's the difference between an "idea" and an "ideal"? :rolleyes:

SB (obsessed with neither junk nor organic "ideals" :wink: )

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Diana and I were shopping at a local coop recently, and were blown away by the increase in the number of organic junk food options now available. Apparently, organic cheetos are a more appropriate snack than a sliced pear or carrot sticks? The product that we really scratched our heads over were the organic healthful poptarts -- which had an ingredient list about a mile long. But then again, we eat almost no junk food.

Susan Fahning aka "snowangel"
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It has a lot to do with definition.

Not all of what we call "junk food" is all that bad for you, especially in moderation, and a lot of "organic" products aren't so healthy to begin with.

Ice cream, for instance, could be organic, it could be junk food, and either healthy or unhealthy. depending on the circumstances.

I mean, technically dog poop is organic! :rolleyes:

SB (so is smallpox :shock: )

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"Evaporated cane juice" being good old sugar, I can't see how it couldn't be less bad for you than HFCS.

Score another one for the euphemizers.

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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I've often ranted about the amounts of sugar & sodium in many cereals as being contrary to what I thought the connotations of "organic" were.

Not to mention the sodium in many foods that are allowed the "Heart Healthy" designation, though I guess that's another thread.

Hype is hype no matter what words they're using.

Edited by ghostrider (log)

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea!

- Sydney Smith, English clergyman & essayist, 1771-1845

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I've eaten quite a few of these "organic" junk foods before. It's definitely a fallacy to think they're any better for you calories and fat wise then the chemical-laden stuff - they usually contain just as much, if not more. I guess the rationale is that if you're going to be eating fatty, salty food, you might as well avoid the chemicals and toss in a little whole grain. But you're right, it still doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense.

Far as taste goes, I really like Kettle's Organic potato chips, especially the chipotle barbeque flavor. They're greasy and will kill you but are very good. The organic/all natural/whatever white cheddar Cheetohs are pretty darn good too. And I love Late July's saltine crackers with a little bit of cheese for lunch. Oh, and Kashi's ranch TLC crackers. It's a natural ranch taste which is very different from Cool Ranch Doritos, but still pretty darn tasty....and hey, they're whole-wheat so you can trick yourself into thinking you're eating something good for you.

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I think the organic junk food thing seems to go hand to mouth with the trend of putting whole grains (or veggies) in things, presumably as a way of sneaking them past pickier eaters. Perhaps it works for kids? I have friends with a very picky 7-year old who loves the brightly colored soy & flaxseed tortilla chips she buys. Does he know they have soy & flaxseed in them? Of course not. Same goes for those veggie puffs - to me they look like packing peanuts and taste about the same. How much spinach could there really be in something like that?

I don't eat a lot of junk foods, personally, but I do find those soy/flaxseed chips mighty tasty!

"I just hate health food"--Julia Child

Jennifer Garner

buttercream pastries

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As judgemental as it may sound, most American consumers are so ill informed that they think that if they are eating something Organic it can't be bad for you. Of course the corporate food manufacturers are going to take advantage of this ignorance by making organic junk food.

I agree that if you are going to eat junk food it's probably better that it's organic junk food because it's made with higher quality ingredients and no arficial flavors, preservatives, and high fructose corn syrup - but it's still junk food.

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The organic/all natural/whatever white cheddar Cheetohs are pretty darn good too.

I'm under no illusions about the health-enhancing properties of white cheddar Cheetohs, but I like them for one particular reason - they don't turn your fingers orange. If I'm going to eat Cheetohs, those are the ones I get.

"There is nothing like a good tomato sandwich now and then."

-Harriet M. Welsch

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This bothers me too. I don't see how it isn't a contradiction on at least some level. The idea of organic is natural, sustainable. Nothing is less so than chemical additives and factories.

On another message board I frequent, there are tons of discussions about way to save money in the grocery budget. I groan every time someone says - "we eat only organic, so everything is more expensive." Well NOT WHOLE FOOD! GAH! :angry: But that's almost off topic.

"Nothing you could cook will ever be as good as the $2.99 all-you-can-eat pizza buffet." - my EX (wonder why he's an ex?)

My eGfoodblog: My corner of the Midwest

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Far as taste goes, I really like Kettle's Organic potato chips, especially the chipotle barbeque flavor. They're greasy and will kill you but are very good. The organic/all natural/whatever white cheddar Cheetohs are pretty darn good too. And I love Late July's saltine crackers with a little bit of cheese for lunch. Oh, and Kashi's ranch TLC crackers. It's a natural ranch taste which is very different from Cool Ranch Doritos, but still pretty darn tasty....and hey, they're whole-wheat so you can trick yourself into thinking you're eating something good for you.

Saltines? Is that what Late July calls those crackers that resemble Ritz in appearance and low-sodium Zestas in taste?

Since they were not advertised as "low sodium," I didn't expect them to taste like paperboard, but IMO they did. Now I will have to look at the nutrition label the next time I'm in Whole Foods to see if in fact they are.

Kettle seems to know how to make "good for you" stuff that tastes good. I sampled some of their new baked chips this weekend, and they weren't half bad, though you didn't quite get the same hearty, satisfying crunch out of these that you get from their regular fried chips.

The TLCs aren't bad, either, though I have yet to try the ranch variety.

What are the definitions:

Junk Food

Organic

Sustainable

????????????????

"Junk food" is probably the easiest of these to define. Junk food is anything that's tasty but of low nutritional value (or high in stuff that might hasten your demise if you eat lots of it). The term is usually applied to snacks but sometimes extended to encompass fast food such as burgers and fried chicken.

"Organic" products are anything that qualify for the USDA Organic label. It's easier to describe what you can't use in producing them or their ingredients than what you can: Chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides are forbidden, as are any synthetically produced substances (powdered natural cheese is OK, imitation cheese flavoring is not). Growing methods are supposed to replenish the soil, eliminate or minimize runoff, and not pollute either the ground or the water. Purists complain that the USDA Organic label allows large-scale production methods that run counter to the philosophy that originally underlay the organic movement, but given the USDA's purpose, how could it be otherwise?

"Sustainable" means whatever you want it to mean.

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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I guess my point is.

The lines seem to be blurred a bit. I notice the same trend as FG and others.

I am somewhat uncomfortable when food items are marketed or in some way touted as to some sort of altruistic claim or claims but this now translates into items that are presented as one thing and may, in fact, not be what they are sold as.

I do think that some things are , in fact, organic or healthy (ier) that "resemble" junk food items. This is a good thing if that's what it is.

Am I making any sense?

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Call me foolish if you want but "organic" doesn't inspire me to part with more cash. Organic Junk Food falls into the same catagory.

I've read diet and nutrition books off and on for most of my life and the one that finally made sense to this nutritional layman was Dr Agatston's South Beach Diet. It changed the way I look at food and how I choose to eat day in and day out. It finally caused me to start trying new things and specifically for me caused me to increase the quantity of veggies I eat which made me look more carefully at how I was preparing them. That has helped me start serving tastier veggies. It did not inspire me to start concerning myself with whether or not things were organic. For those who do care about selecting organic food items I have no quibble with them making that choice for themselves.

My general approach is to follow the South Beach Diet guidelines as best I can for most circumstances and not freak out when I choose to eat (for one given meal once in a while) any old way I feel like. My personal health has improved and I haven't shelled out a dime to avoid those pesky chemicals who's presence doesn't offend me.

Edited by Porthos (log)

Porthos Potwatcher
The Once and Future Cook

;

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"Organic" products are anything that qualify for the USDA Organic label. 

That defines "organic by law in the US," but not anywhere else and not necessarily in terms of common sense.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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This reminds me a bit of the whole macrobiotic diet wierdness. What really kind of boggles my mind is the raw foodists; that's another thing though.

Really, cane sugar is marginally better for you than high fructose corn syrup; it's pages ahead of artificial sweetners (Splenda for example--that product scares me).

I guess the companies are trying to capitalize on the fact that a large population in America jumps at two things: junk food and organic food. Combine the two and you've got a goldmine, right?

It's sort of like those "healthier" frozen meals. They're still packed full of sodium! It seems like companies are trying more and more to jump on the "healthier" band wagon, while preserving their costs.

Ahhh, capitalism.

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I am an original wheat germ mama! I have been seriously shopping in "Health food" stores from the time I was 12 ...currently am 49... so that is a lot of years!!!

as a kid I used to catch the bus downtown ...while walking around I always had to go to this wonderful .. very dusty...patchouli smelling hippy run health food store that sold sunflower seeds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, dried fruits, wheat germ, carob chips...all in packages that could fit in the pocket of this city dwellers farmer jeans..(Trail mix for my urban hiking!) . .besides this "healthy" stuff they had a significant amt of crapfood wrapped up as "healthy" even way back then!...Tiger Bars for one thing were never anything but a candy bar with a vitamin tossed in! ..halvah was sold wrapped up like a nutritious bar .sesame candy..carob bars ..chips ..granted they were all made and marketed even then to make you think something loaded with sugar, salt or fat..and made with "whole" ingredients along with a vitamin pill ...somehow are ever so much better for you than a Snickers! ...Snickers have nuts btw!

honestly the only thing I see that is different in the healthfood stores of then and now ...is then they were small mostly people run shops ..now they are a huge flashy industry of giant grocery/vitamin stores

how come if we have bigger flashier "health" food stores were are not a healthier bunch of people after all this time?

Edited by hummingbirdkiss (log)
why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

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When I was a kid my parents belonged to the Red Dragon Food Co-op on Amsterdam Avenue in New York City. For those of you who have a certain impression of the lovely, families-and-professionals-oriented neighborhood that the Upper West Side of Manhattan is today, rest assured it was nothing like that 30 years ago. Think West Side Story, not Lincoln Center.

Anyway, the Red Dragon was exactly as hummingbirdkiss describes the old-school health-food places, except I'd also add that all the produce was wilted, bug-eaten and otherwise scary, the nitrate-free products were all gray, etc. But yes, there were a lot of attempts, even back then, to create health-food facsimiles of mainstream candy bars and snack foods.

Still, I don't think the ratio was anywhere near what it is today. It seems to me that the overwhelming majority of foods at a typical organic/natural foods store today are of the processed/prepared/snack-food/candy variety -- in other words most of the foods sold at Whole Foods are not whole foods. At the Red Dragon, certainly most of the foods were whole or one step removed from whole. But there wasn't the domination by junk food that you see today.

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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Really, cane sugar is marginally better for you than high fructose corn syrup; it's pages ahead of artificial sweetners (Splenda for example--that product scares me).

This is straying away from the topic, but I wish you'd expand on exactly what you mean by that. Start another thread or something.

I'm pre-diabetic & Splenda has made a huge difference in my life recently. It also seems to be the least harmful of the artifical sweeteners. What's the downside?

Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea!

- Sydney Smith, English clergyman & essayist, 1771-1845

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I agree with John that the term "junk food" doesn't actually survive basic scrutiny. You look at an example like potato chips. Potato chips are emblematic of junk food, yet they're really more along the lines of a whole food. Most of the time potato chips are made simply from potatoes, oil and salt. Even the ones from the mega producers tend to have just those three ingredients. Then there are the flavored chips, which tend to depart into more of a gray area. Hamburgers? French fries? It really isn't clear what junk food is. (I should add, the distinction between organic and not-organic, natural and artificial, is similarly specious.)

Still, the trend away from whole foods and towards foods that are exactly the same as the crap in a regular supermarket, but with organic ingredients lists, is clearly happening. It almost seems as though the organic designation has been sufficiently coopted that there needs to be another term to describe foods that are actually healthful and wholesome. Although, the distinction between healthful and un-healthful is similarly problematic, and probably depends more on quantity than composition . . .

Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)

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I agree with John that the term "junk food" doesn't actually survive basic scrutiny. You look at an example like potato chips. Potato chips are emblematic of junk food, yet they're really more along the lines of a whole food.

I'd agree, but you don't think that

anything that's tasty but of low nutritional value (or high in stuff that might hasten your demise if you eat lots of it)

is a fairly reasonable description of the foods that get labeled "junk"?

IME, just about everything that's been called "junk food" has one or more of the following attributes:

--sugary

--(relatively) high fat content

--low in essential nutrients

Plain potato chips are about as natural a snack as you can find, and they're not sweet (unless we're talking about sweet potato chips), but they do get a high percentage of their calories from fat and have only modest amounts of vitamins A and C.

Sandy Smith, Exile on Oxford Circle, Philadelphia

"95% of success in life is showing up." --Woody Allen

My foodblogs: 1 | 2 | 3

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