VOLUME ONE                         September 2006                                    NUMBER 9
 

  
 

What Factors Influence Product Nutrition?
 

  
 
     There are many environmental and cultural factors that influence the nutrition's composition of produce, and these may ultimately play a greater role in food quality that simple organic versus conventional logic. Environmental conditions likely to affect food quality include geographical area, soil type, soil moisture, soil health (humus content fertility, microbial activity, etc.), weather and climatic conditions (temperature, rainfall flooding, drought), and pollution. Cultural practices likely to affect food quality include humus management techniques such as green manuring and composting, variety, seed source, length of growing season, irrigation, fertilization, cultivation, and post-harvest handling (especially temperature and relative humidity). The article by Sharon Homick:  "Factors Affecting the Nutritional Quality of Crops," provides a comprehensive review of these factors. This paper was published in a special issue of The American Journal of Alternative Agriculture containing the proceedings of a Conference on the Assessment and Monitoring of Soil Quality. On the other hand, there are actually quite a number of studies that "have" shown significant differences between the nutritional quality of organic and conventionally raised foods. It is not simply folklore as suggested in an earlier thread. Many of the studies favor organic, but of course there are others which show no differences. However, just because some farmer produces food according to certified organic guidelines does not mean that his food will be superior however, and the reasons are due to all the factors mentioned above. Ultimately, how people "feel" after eating food is what counts. Health conscious yoga practitioners who are in tune with their bodies self-select natural and organic foods and this fact has merit comparable to a dozen scientific studies. Food quality is defined more broadly by the Soil Association in England. They adopted standards developed at the University of Kassel and the Elm Farm Research Centre, two European research institutes actively conducting organic farming, systems research. Six criteria—Sensual, Authenticity, Functional, Nutritional, Biological, and Ethical—make up this new holistic approach.

NOTE: The above excerpted research comes to EGT courtesy of Rio Verde University soil science laboratory in Springville, Utah. You can read the entire research paper at rioverdeuniversitv.org. Go to alternative medicine on the left menu, look for Vitae-Myte research.

Home Gro'n is an exclusive trademark of the International Institute for Health & Wellness, Inc. ©2005

 		  
 
Kosher Kooking                             Turkey vol. 6                                       page 7


LIGHT COLORED STUFFED PEPPERS
 
 

Ingredients:
4 bell peppers, preferably a mix of yellow, green and red*
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion*
4 cloves garlic, minced*
1 pkg JENNIE-0 TURKEY™ Extra Lean Ground Breast
2 teaspoons dried basil*
3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
or seasoned diced tomatoes, drained
1-1/2 cups cooked white or brown rice
6 oz. imitation cheddar cheese, diced
3/4 cup fresh matzoh or challah crumbs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Paprika (optional)
Editor recommends fresh Vitae-Veggie®  vegetables

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut peppers lengthwise through stems keeping stem halves intact to hold stuffing. Discard seeds and veins. Cook in boiling salted water 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain well and place cut side up in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crumble turkey into skillet; add basil, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and rice; continue to cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Mound mixture into pepper halves. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over filled peppers. Coat with cooking spray; sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake about 30 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown, filling is hot and peppers are tender. Makes 4 servings.
Recipe courtesy of Jennie-0 Turkey Store
 
   
 
  Back to Newsletters