“If ‘organic’ produce looks tired, it
clearly is not a better buy for health than
is fresh produce of high quality that is not
‘organic’.”
Organic Natural
What’s the difference?
Organic: Fruits and vegetables that
are produced without using growth
hormones, antibiotic, or petroleum
based or sewage sludge-based
fertilizers
Natural: produced or existing in
nature; not artificial. Fruits and
vegetables labeled natural mean
that they were produced naturally.
This does not guarantee that no
chemicals were added to it.
Tips for selecting
fruits and
vegetables
 Fruits and vegetables come
in varieties according to
purpose. Choose the one
that best fits your needs!
(ex. Golden Delicious apple
for eating vs McIntosh for
baking)
Understanding Juice  Consider the condition the
Labels product is in. Is it bruised,
molded, or not fresh?
 Quality over quantity! Only
 Fruit juice: the beverage is 100% buy what you need to
juice ensure freshness.
 Juice drink: the beverage contains  Is it climacteric or
at least 50% juice nonclimacteric? (does it
 Fruit nectar: the beverage contains ripen after being picked?)
at least 30% juice  Consider the options of
 Juice ade: the beverage must be at frozen/canned versus fresh.
least 25% juice
 Fruit drink: beverage contains no
less than 10% juice
 Resources
López-Alt J. Kenji. The Food Lab: Better Home
Cooking through Science. W. W. Norton &
Company, 2015. Buying Fruits and
It is recommended that you consume
at least 5 servings of fruits and McWilliams, Margaret. Fundamentals of Meal
Vegetables
vegetables daily. Doing so will not Management. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
only promote a healthier lifestyle, but
reduce the risk of:
“Natural vs Organic—Is There a Difference?”
 Cancer
 Heart disease Definition of Organic—The Whats, Wheres, &
 Stroke Whos. www.live-the-organic-life.com/natural-vs-
 Obesity
 Type 2 diabetes organic.html.
 Diverticulosis
 Hypertension
“Nutrients and Health Benefits.” Choose MyPlate,
12 June 2015, www.choosemyplate.gov/fruits Stephanie Nekoba
nutrients-health. FCS 364
June 18, 2018
“Selecting Fruits and Vegetables.” Healthy Ventura
County. http://healthyventuracounty.org/healthy-
eating/selecting-fruits-and-vegetables/