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skye820, flickr
According to the February issue of the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, vegetables aren't as good for you as they were 50 years ago. After comparing the recorded history of vegetable harvesting with modern produce, researcher Donald R. Davis concluded that most modern vegetables contain 5% to 40% fewer nutritionally beneficial minerals than they did in the mid 20th century.
There are several reasons for this shift and most of them are easily resolvable with changes in farming practices. For decades, farmers have been selecting crops with a capacity to grow larger vegetables—and larger vegetables feed more people and contain more nutrients, right? It turns out, that larger vegetables actually have fewer nutrients than their smaller counterparts. Selecting a harvest for greater size, says Davis, dilutes the concentration of minerals in the vegetables and fills it with what's called "dry matter," a mostly-carbohydrate substance.
To add to the harvesting mix-up, chemical fertilizers speed up the farming process, leading to early harvesting. Davis says picking the crops too early deprives them of a higher concentration of nutrients that they'd absorb in the ground. This second problem, at least, doesn't exist with organic crops, which need more time in the ground and, thus, contain more nutrients. If you've never thought about organic produce before now (wow, seriously?) then this is the perfect time to start. Stick to veggies that are certified organic and remember that smaller is better. As a 5'6" guy, that's music to my ears.
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Great article. I recently started growing organic vegetables as a way to eat more nutritiously. I've been astonished by how much more flavor they have compared to the big, watery veggies found at the grocery store. Those vegetables have not only been selected for size, but shelf-life - without any consideration for the nutrient and flavor loss! Local and organic (from a farmer's market or your own backyard) is the best way to insure the quality.
just grow your own, if at all possible! we're doing our best and it's surprising what a small plot can provide a family. it all started with a small compost pile that grew and grew, and this became our garden, 5x5, and it has sustained us with leafy greens all winter. I hope more people try.
Steph - Great ideas! My kids and I are planning our new (teeny tiny) vegetable garden right now. It's intimidating to start, but you can't beat the taste of fresh veggies.
CSAs are another great way to get quality produce. But wherever you get your veggies (from farmers' markets, CSA, or your own backyard), look for heirloom varieties. The big hybrids have been bred for looks instead of nutrition. Heirlooms taste better and I'm betting have more oomph nutritionally as well.