“All natural,” “organic,” “vegetarian,” “vegan,” “locavore.” If you are a concerned eater like me, you’ve likely heard all of these terms – and more – in relation to what foods you “should” be eating. But what does it all mean?

In my two weeks of experiencing Iowa farmers, I’ve found a great lack of knowledge regarding these terms – ironic, considering that they’re the ones, for the most part, producing the above-mentioned food! There seem to be some misconceptions about some of these words, while many people are completely unfamiliar with others. My vegetarianism has fascinated 8/10 people I meet – and the other 2 have usually been, to pardon my sexist expression, the odd men out. If you’d like to discuss my myriad reasons for going veg, I’m pretty much an open book, but that’s not the point of this blog post. I’m not out to “convert” anyone, but I will talk if you’ll listen.

Anyway, being vegetarian means that I consume egg and dairy products, but no meat or fish. I take it pretty strictly, limiting even meat products and byproducts in my food such as gelatin or disodium inosinate & disodium guanylate (dried fish – look it up). If I were vegan, I would consume no animal products or byproducts of any kind, including eggs, butter, leather, etc. Side note/fun fact: a “pescetarian” is a vegetarian who consumes fish.

As Morgan touched on in her earlier post, the term “organic” has a somewhat misunderstood and very nuanced, complicated technical meaning. Regulations for becoming nationally certified are actually quite strict, as we learned from Roger Knutson at breakfast bright and early Monday morning, when he showed us his yearly paperwork. However, organic does not guarantee that no pesticides were used or even that food is healthy. No definitive studies have shown that organic foods are better (or worse) for you than those that are traditionally grown. That being said, one can be pretty confident that they are going to be better for the environment and the farmer (because pesticides that may be used are natural), so I would recommend it.

Which brings me to the next topic: labeling foods as “all-natural.” It’s so frustrating to see that on foods from ketchup to apples. What does it MEAN? Well, truthfully, nothing. There’s no USDA regulation regarding this label, so pretty much anyone can slap it on their product, so long as it’s not blatant false advertising. For me, it’s a good tip-off that I might want to read a food label to investigate further (which, being vegetarian, a concerned citizen, and nutritionally minded, I generally do first, anyway). “All-natural” foods may be minimally processed, healthier options; but, as I said, take that designation with a grain of salt.

The last word that I mentioned above is “locavore.” I would bet that, out of the five terms I listed, this is probably the least familiar to everyone. Recent studies HAVE proven that eating fresh, local food is better for you and the environment, because fresh and local foods tend to retain more nutrients and cut down on transportation emissions. Keeping foods fresh and local often ties in with things like vegetarianism and a preference for organic foods, because often, local, fresh foods are minimally processed, too. A locavore is one who engages in the local food movement, trying to eat as many locally-sourced foods as possible. Commonly found at a farmers’ market, the locavore is, in short, my hero.

I’ve included some pictures of the Des Moines Farmers’ Market, which we visited Saturday morning (what great fun!) in our own attempts to be locavores. We were each given a budget and told to get something healthful to prepare for the group. I purchased, among other things, a small bunch of kale, and this afternoon, I prepared it with mushrooms, onion, garlic, and herbs for lunch! Served over rice, it was scrumptious, if I do say so, myself.

I hope this post clears up some myths or questions for everyone – in Iowa and beyond. If you have any questions or qualms, please comment – I’d love to engage in a dialogue!