This post is all about a common confusion of natural food vs organic food and how it affects your health. I will also introduce 7 essential snacks to help you discover more healthy whole foods you can easily incorporate into your day-to-day.
Have you ever found yourself wandering around a grocery store, only to spot one item labeled as “natural” and another as “organic”? What does the distinction between these two stickers truly mean? I’d be lying if I said I’ve never asked myself this simple question myself, but now I am here to help you understand the key difference you should keep in mind when comparing natural food vs organic food.
You are going to learn the meaning behind “natural” foods, “organic” foods, and how you can stroll through the grocery store confident in your ability to distinguish between these two concepts. To conclude I will give my 7 favorite snacks and explain why they are my go-to foods!
This post is all about the key differences all shoppers MUST keep in mind when comparing natural food vs organic food.
Natural Food vs Organic Food Key Difference and Go-To Snacks
1. Natural Food vs Organic Food Key Difference
A key difference between organic and natural foods lies within the environmental sustainability issues resulting from their cultivation. The FDA allows all “natural” products to be genetically modified and grown with pesticides. Additionally, the FDA permits all “natural” products to contain chemically processed ingredients, such as corn syrup, alkalized cola, partially hydrogenated oils, vanillin, maltodextrin, and many more.
Organic products, on the other hand, have different requirements. The FDA mandates that all animals must have access to pastures and cannot be raised with antibiotics or other growth hormones. Additionally, other organic foods must be grown or raised without the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms.
2. Lara Bars
If you are anything like I am, you are constantly on the run going from place to place. Something that it took me a while to realize was that I needed to have a consistent on the go snack that filled me up, kept me going, and satisfied my sweet tooth.
Lara bars are a great snack because they are non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and taste AMAZING! I was very skeptical about getting them, but I was not disappointed AT ALL when I tried them for the first time. The chocolate chip cookie dough and peanut butter chocolate chip are my current favorites that I would recommend to anyone and everyone.
3. That’s It Bar
Coming off of the Lara bars I thought it would only be appropriate to include these gems as well. That’s it bars are AMAZING and are just like Lara bars BUT they also have ZERO added sugars! Because they are made from fruits, they have a natural sweetness and are almost like a dessert that you don’t have to feel bad about eating.
I personally am a huge fan of the That’s it bar because they are super transparent about their ingredients. I love eating whole foods and being able to pronounce all of the ingredient’s list. The catchy slogan of “1 apple + 12 strawberries… That’s it” completely appeals to me and I know it is appealing to others as well. If you are looking for a sweeter and lighter bar for the go definitely consider these bars.
4. Chomps
Okay I know that I hyped up the healthy bars to start which was easy, but Chomps is the REAL MVP when it comes to healthy portable snacks. I absolutely LOVE them for multiple reasons. For starters, they have all of the appealing characteristics from the bars such as being gluten free and non-GMO, but on top of that, they also have ZERO added sugar (if you don’t understand why I love this, check any beef jerky bag in any store and look for the added sugar section), and are a great source of protein.
I’m not here to tell you why protein is important or how much protein you need to be eating, BUT I am here to tell you that these bars are ALWAYS in my cabinet because of how transparent they are. In terms of minimally processed meats which are easy to take with you on the go, these have to by my number ones.
5. GoGo Squeez
I know you see these in the grocery stores and imagine all of the little kids eating these at lunch, but I am here to tell you that these things are MAGICAL. Not only do they remind me of eating lunch in the cafeteria, but they are organic, non-GMO, made from 100% fruit, AND taste amazing. These are always in my fridge for a quick snack during the day because they are so easy to eat.
I personally felt like I couldn’t eat these because I wasn’t a kid, but I gave them a try and I can never go back. Amazon has these right now for a KILLER price and I definitely think that anyone who loves apple sauce should get them. The variety pack is great, but I am a sucker for apple cinnamon.
6. Organic Soups
Organic BOXED soups are definitely something that I recently discovered that I am in love with. Not only do they have the wonderful USDA Organic logo on them, but they also have different options for you to decide what you enjoy. Because we now know what organic and natural food differences are, I think it is easy to see why I would highly suggest these soups over other boxed “natural” soups which you may see in the store.
The REAL reason I love these soups is because of how great they taste and how easy they are to make. You can literally just pop open the box, pour it into a bowl, microwave it for a minute and a half, and BAM you have a delicious dinner ready to be eaten. You can keep leftovers in the box and store in your fridge making it super easy to use the next time you need a fast and healthy dinner.
7. Organic Oats
One word. Oatmeal. I am a MASSIVE advocate for oatmeal because of all of the health benefits that it can provide, but when you mix in organic oats, the results are UNREAL. Now you can choose to opt in for the protein packed Kodiak oatmeal cups that you can take with you anywhere, or you can choose the quaker packets. Both have their advantages, but I definitely think for an on-the-go breakfast that is healthy and tastes amazing you can’t go wrong with oats.
The reason that I keep these in my pantry all the time is because of the unknowns which always pop up. Far too often am I waking up at the last alarm, flying down the stairs to grab all my things and stuffing my face with food I know I shouldn’t be eating for breakfast. When I keep these stocked up, I know that I can grab one or even two of these and feel great throughout the day. Do NOT sleep on these!
8. Protein Shakes
When I started my journey of losing weight and trying to build muscle, I started buying these protein shakes. Not only do I think that they taste great, but they are also organic, are loaded with vitamins and minerals, but also offer large amounts of protein in their drinks. I still keep these in my fridge as they are a great alternative to other drinks you could be consuming (soda, juice, etc.) and are extremely healthy.
I’m not saying that you should get these just to replace all of those other drinks. Instead, I am offering that when you have an extreme want to drink something other than water give these a try. The protein in them is a great boost to your macro nutrient counts throughout the day and are great on the go as well.
