Why Do Vegetables Have to Taste so Bad?

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

 

Taste, the driving force of the food industry, or is it?

Personally, it is the force that drives me. If it doesn’t taste good, I am not going to eat it, no matter how healthy it is. For some reason, there are a select few who believe that healthy food must taste awful. I suppose they imagine a green protein shake or goat cheese pizza and think – yuk! And I would have to agree about the green protein shake (even though there are some tasty ones out there), but goat cheese pizza – yum, yum! And hey, if goat cheese is not your “thing,” don’t eat it! There are plenty of healthy options that taste great, and maybe you have noticed that does not include the items found in the produce section of most grocery stores.

Prior to switching to organic produce, I used to wonder how the food industry could get away with selling tasteless fruit and vegetables. Those of you with gardens know what I am talking about. Why does a garden tomato taste like candy and a store bought tomato taste like cardboard? And more importantly, why do consumers pay money for shiny red cardboard tomatoes? Is it because they look good? Is it because they are supposed be good for you? Or simply because no self-respecting chef would serve a salad without one?

More Than Appearance

Granted, conventional store bought tomatoes can look pretty good, but they are not healthy for you – your tongue often can discern that. God intended produce to be a delight to the mouth. He loves us, and what He calls good shouldn’t taste bad (or have no taste at all). God would not have created a variety of colors, smells, shapes, and textures and then made it all taste the same.

Unfortunately, organic produce purchased in the grocery store can provide the same taste disappointment. Why? Because it may not have been picked ripe, may have travelled days before arriving at your table, and may have been irradiated. The best way to eat a vegetable is to eat it fresh from the garden, or from a nearby garden. Fresh organically grown produce can be purchased through subscription services such as Abundant Harvest Organics, another CSA (Consumer-Supported Agriculture), or at local farms and farmers markets.

Conventional Versus Organic

However, if you have to choose between grocery store conventional produce and grocery store organic produce, you are better off with the organic. At least, you will not be eating the extra pesticides. According to USDA Pesticide Data Program as reported on WhatsOnMyFood.org, there are 35 residual pesticides found on conventional tomatoes, including:

    • 5   – Known or Probable Carcinogens
    • 14 – Suspected Hormone Disruptors
    • 6   – Neurotoxins
    • 3   – Developmental or Reproductive Toxins
    • 14 – Honeybee Toxins

And due to soil conditions, organic produce will have more nutrition. Dr. Mercola, a leading web-based nutritional advocate, reports that organic produce has 40 percent more antioxidants than their conventional counterparts, as well as higher levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc. See his article here.  This however is only a partial list of the nutritional benefits of organic produce, as well as only a sampling of the residual pesticides found on conventional produce.

There is certainly much more to be said on this topic, and in the future, I am sure that it will come up again. Please consider this as an introduction, and in my next post, I will introduce the topic of the cost of eating healthy!

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What’s for Dinner!

Main Dish: Organic Grass Fed New York Strip Steak

Side #1: Sliced Organic Sweet Potatoes baked in Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and seasoned with Mediterranean Sea Salt and Organic (non-irradiated) Cinnamon

Salad: Organic Tomato, Cucumber, and Red Onion Salad seasoned with Organic Balsamic Vinegar, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Med. Sea Salt, Organic Pepper, and Organic Garlic Salt

Side #2: Farm Fresh, Non-GMO, Organic Corn on the Cob smothered with Organic Grass Fed Butter

For Great Healthy Organic Recipes, Check Out Sally Fallon’s Book:


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Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.


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