What do you know about the food you eat?
What you eat matters to your health and the health of the planet and people. The more you know about the food, nutrition and how it affects people and the environment, the better choices you can make. Grow Purpose has researched common foods to get a comprehensive view of their nutrients, health benefits, and their environmental and social impacts.
- Apple Nutrition
An apple a day keeps the doctor away!? Yes, apples have a lot of nutrition, but how you eat the apple matters. There are a number of varieties of apples, many which are grown in the United States. There are also many misconceptions about apples and their environmental impacts. - Avocado Nutrition
Avocados are a great source of healthy fats and have many nutritious qualities. What will really surprise you is their impact on the environment and the people that grow them. Where you get your avocados from really matters! Take a closer look! - Banana Nutrition
Bananas are on of the most popular fruits in the world! The nutrition you get from them is greatly impacted by how ripe they are! The banana industry also has enormous social and environmental impacts. - Broccoli Nutrition
The more you learn about broccoli, the more you may like it! Broccoli has a lot of health benefits. It also may be less harmful than a lot of other superfoods. How you prepare the broccoli and how long you wait to eat it makes a different on how beneficial it may be to you. - Cucumber Nutrition
Cucumbers are a great source of hydration as well as nutrition! They also can be grown fairly easily year round with minimal harm to the environment. With an increased interest in maintaining soil quality, cucumber crops might be something you will want to learn more about! - Quinoa Nutrition
Quinoa has become super popular for people who are looking to add a healthy grain to their diets. It is packed with great nutrients that set it apart from other carbohydrates. The UN declared it a possible solution to food security and health equity around the world! It can be grown in arid land where many other crops cannot and requires minimal water resources. It was once considered a peasant food in Peru. Quinoa has come under fire by some because of the impact it may have had on the original farmers. When you look deeper into the story, you can get a better understanding if the criticism is warranted. - Rice Nutrition
Rice was once the cash crop of the Carolinas that helped build the British Empire and the original 13 colonies. It has been popular in dishes around the world. Rice has been criticized in recent years as many people have questioned it’s health benefits. It is true, the type of rice you eat makes a huge difference! The more you know about it, the more you can sort through the misconceptions. - Spinach Nutrition
There is nothing like some hearty spinach to green up your diet! Many people think of it as a great source of nutrients such as iron. What people don’t know, is that how you prepare your spinach and when you eat it makes a major difference on what your body absorbs! You may completely rethink how you eat your spinach once you learn more. - Sweet Potato Nutrition
How sweet it is! Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrition and health benefits! They were favorite food for victory gardens that could be easily grown during hard times. They waned in popularity and then made a major come back as people became more health conscience. Once you learn about about their social and environmental benefits, they may become even more popular! - Watermelon Nutrition
Nothing says “summertime” than some sweet, savory watermelon! This super fruit is an excellent source of hydration and nutrition. What you may not realize, is the stuff that turns the flesh red, has some fantastic health benefits as well! Still, some people should be cautious on how much watermelon they eat. We went deep into the science and verified with multiple sources. In the end, we found watermelon to be a tasty, local fruit one can feel happy about;)
Some of the sources used to research include:
The National Library of Medicine
Science Direct
Molecular Diversity Preservation International
The Agriculture Marketing Research Center
US Department of Agriculture
US Food and Drug Administration
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
World Atlas
and more…