Diminishing nutritional returns   Part 2          

The steady decline in nutritional value of plant foods is a problem in itself. Its health consequences are magnified by the simultaneous decline in the daily intake of fruits and vegetables among both children and adults. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies are not always obvious but they may influence the outcome of a pregnancy, the incidence of birth defects, survival from heart attacks or the development of dementia. These are not insignificant.

There has been an enormous reduction in the varieties of plant foods since the early 20^th century. Where there were more than 400 different types of tomatoes in 1900 there are now 79 but you will seldom see more than 4 or 5 in the produce section of any supermarket. Your great-granddad’s seed catalog displayed 497 kinds of lettuce of which only 36 can be found today. Only a dozen of the more than 300 varieties of corn made it into this century. The same is true of grains, berries and fruit.

Although few of the remaining varieties of plant foods are more nutritious than those that have been discarded, there are a couple of strategies that will provide you with the most value for your grocery dollar. Farmer’s markets have made a dramatic comeback in the past decade or so. There you will find more heirloom varieties. They most likely will have been harvested only a day or two ago and will have ripened naturally.

The term organic does not always guarantee greater nutrient quality or even better taste but if you find a live worm in your organic apple at least you’ll know that the fruit was not treated with pesticides.

In Eating on the Wild Side (Little, Brown and Company, 2013) author Jo Robinson has identified those varieties of vegetables, fruits and berries that contain the most nutrients, especially antioxidants. After reading her book you will be able to make a list of the best choices for each type of produce that your family eats most frequently. If your supermarket does not identify peaches or carrots, for example, by their varietal name, Robinson describes the features that indicate which ones are likely to be the best choices. Eating on the Wild Side tells how to identify the freshest

and tastiest produce and also how to avoid that which has been sitting in a warehouse for weeks or months.

Good choices lead to good nutrition.