Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS March 22, 2016
Finding healthier produce just got easier.
I have described my 30-Day Reset Diet (which is basically a Paleo-type diet) as well as my composition of a nutrient-dense plate of food.
Every time you put food into your mouth, you should visualize what you are eating as a plate of food – be it a full meal of just a snack. At least half of that ideal plate of food should consist of non-starchy vegetables with healthy fats. Less than a quarter of that plate could account for deep-colored fruits or some nuts & seeds, or possibly a starchy tuber like a sweet potato. And, about one quarter or less should be a pastured or wild-caught protein source with all of its natural healthy fats.
When it comes to the fruits and vegetables, local and organic are the best choices. Sometimes it might be confusing: What produce is in season? How fresh is fresh? What if organic is not available? Where should I shop? How should I store the food? And on and on.
Now, there are some apps for your smartphone or iPad to help answer these and other questions. I’ve listed 3 apps that I have downloaded to my iPhone from the App Store that are helpful for me. I have downloaded many others in the past only to find that they were useless. Each of these 3 apps has different ways of giving you great stuff. Plug in your location, and you are off and running.
One is free; another is $0.99, and the third is $1.99. My favorite is actually the free one. Check these out:
Organic Diet Buddy
This is my favorite. For each food, there is a category of nutrition values, a proper preparation guide, and pesticide information. Also, there is information on the GMO risk for specific non-organic varieties. The Farmers’ Market Guide is extremely useful for your location. The nutritional calculator allows you to input your age, gender, and activity level and then suggests how many cups of fruits and veggies you should eat. I’m not sure how accurate this is, but it is interesting. You can flag your favorite produce for easy access. In addition, there are social media links to share your thoughts.
Price: Free (remove ads for $0.99)
Produce Picker – grocery shopping made easy
This app lists Fruits, Veggies, and Freggies (which are foods classified as both fruit and veggie). Each listed food has the following subsections: overview, what to look for, red flags, proper storage, time to spoilage, best season, nutritional benefits, and origin of the food.
Price: $0.99
Harvest – your guide to selecting and storing produce
The section on how to select fruits and vegetables is great. At the bottom of each food’s description there is a sliding scale that shows the pesticide level for non-organic options. There also is a separate category that recommends how to store each item. Unfortunately, the In Season section in not too helpful for me because it is far from complete.
Price: $1.99