The Organic Restaurant Near You

Athanasia T. Diamantis

Just imagine, scientists experimenting with the food you put in your mouth. The fruits and vegetables you eat every day first go through a series of processes  and mutations before they are digested. The chemicals that keep conventional apples red in your refrigerator for over a week, are also taking away the nutrients your body needs.              

I was always the type of person that ate everything and anything. When sushi made my friend’s stomachs turn, the raw fish easily slithered down. However, last year I became constantly tired; I didn’t even have the energy to get out of bed. I went to several specialists where doctors drew more blood than my body could handle, but the results came out negative. According to the doctors, there was nothing wrong with me. I was as healthy as any 21-year-old could be. Then my mom stumbled across a remedy that her friends said would be the cure- organic food.

            So she started buying everything organic. The refrigerator was filled with little stamps declaring- “Certified Organic.” Not only did I regain my energy, but I couldn’t believe that it tasted like real food. In a recent taste test published in the Good Housekeeping Institute, organic foods fared better than conventional in nine out of 11 categories.

            The milk was creamy, the fruits and vegetables were a bright orange and red without all the additives. I could eat a whole bag of organic potato chips and feel like I could run a marathon. The best part about it was that I wasn’t putting all those chemicals into my system.

            According to the Soil Association, over 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming. Organic food does not contain food additives, which can cause health problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity in children.

            However, since organic fruits and vegetables do not have a long shelf life, most grocery stores do not carry them.

“The produce is too expensive to buy and sell and no one buys them. It’s a huge loss for us,” said Jenny Kang, the owner of U.S. Green Fruit and Farm, a local grocery store in Levittown .

            The Soil Association standards prohibit the routine use of antibiotics because of the growing concern about use of them on farm animals and the possible effects on human and soil health. It is not only human and soil health that looked at in the process of producing organic food, but also the well-being of farm animals.

            Animal welfare is taken very seriously under organic standards. The benefits of the organics approach are acknowledged by animal welfare organizations such as Compassion in World Farming as well as the government.

             Many students at Hofstra might not know that there’s a new organic stand right in the Student Center . It’s called Nature’s Organic Grille. I tried the Chicken Caesar wrap with air baked French fries. The chicken was tender and bursting with the taste of oregano and pepper. The parmesan cheese didn’t taste like the cheese that I was used to. It looked like ricotta cheese and the flavor was a mix of cream cheese and cottage cheese. But the side order of French fries was my favorite. When I picked them up with my there was no trace of oil left on my fingers. They weren’t greasy, but yet so delicious. They were better then oil-soaked conventional French fries.

            “I was never the type of person who ate healthy or even close to organic,” said Neil Pantelatos, a first-timer to Nature’s Organic Grille. “But it honestly wasn’t that bad. The French fries were awesome.”