Taste Matters

This appeared in the November 26, 2020 edition of The Fish Wrap

We miss the garden tomatoes of summer. Factory-grown tomatoes never come close to the taste of garden tomatoes. It’s the same with pasture-raised eggs and other foods. The growing conditions make a huge difference in taste that correlates to better plant health and greater nutrition. Our taste buds have evolved to prefer that taste of foods that provide us with better nutrition, immunity and energy to thrive!

Nutrient density reflects where the plant is in the 4 stages of health. In stage one, the plant is composed mostly of carbohydrates. With better support, the plant develops complexity, adding Lipids in stage 2 and Proteins in stage 3. Stage 4 is where the magic happens as the plant develops secondary metabolites. These compounds are not necessary for basic life, but they support immunity, heart health and all the food medicines that allow us to thrive! This 4th stage promotes better pest-resistance in the plant and greater taste and nutrition!

Dan Kittredge of the Bionutrient Food Association has a mission to measure the nutrient density of our food supply. His team has created a spectrometer that will measure the presence of these compounds in our food. In the near future, this instrument will just be another lens on your smartphone that you will use to make decisions while shopping. The device is ready and now they are building the dataset. To learn more, go to bionutrient.org.

A small change in the percentage of secondary metabolites makes a big difference in the nutrition of the food! The World’s Healthiest Foods website (whfoods.com) discusses why pasture-raised eggs are so much healthier. The wholegrainscouncil.org discusses a study that compares the ancient grain Kamut to modern wheat and finds lower instances of inflammation, cardiovascular disease and diabetes with ancient grains. Follow your taste!