I got the mustard

So, I’m in the grocery store and I hear a husband tell his wife, “I got the mustard”. She asks, “Is it organic?”

I made sure she wasn’t joking and then I started laughing so hard I had to move to another aisle. Really, lady, what are you thinking? Or, are you thinking?

As we’ve covered in a previous Minute, the Stanford study from a few years ago conducted a “comprehensive meta-analysis” comparing conventionally grown and organically grown foods. Their published study did NOT find that organic foods were more nutritious. They did find fewer pesticides in organic fare but also increased costs. Most people believe more expensive food will be a more nutritious food, which is not the case.

Health risks or health benefits? No difference.

But the perception is real and if it makes one feel better to buy organic and you can afford it, feel free.

What I found so funny about the mustard conversation was, if the wife truly thought an organic mustard was going to make a difference to her health, in what quantity was she eating it? As one of my students mentioned, as we were discussing the encounter, “it’s just mustard”.

Sadly, I did spy them going back to the mustard shelf to find an organic mustard!

Know that the nutrient content of the food the mustard goes on is more important than the condiment. Be smart to be well,


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