* Organic panic

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WE OJa
Organic panic

» GMOs aren't as bad as they’re made out to be

..and more!

Jessica Berget
Opinions Editor

 

here are so many things in our

food that we're told to avoid
nowadays. Trans fats, carbs, gluten—
but none of them are more avoided
than the dreaded GMO. I know there
are many articles out there about how
bad these things can be for your body
and the planet, but after doing some
research I think the production of
genetically modified foods shouldn't
be seen as something to fear, but as a
necessity for our world’s food supply.

We've all heard the arguments

that genetically modified organisms
(GMO) are bad for you and the
environment. Some claim that
they're linked to cancer, that they
contaminate other organic crops,
or that the pollution will outlast
nuclear waste and global warming
effects. Because of these claims,
they are so scrutinized that some
companies label their food to assure
consumers that it is free of these
pesky organisms. In fact, non-GMO
products are so popular, sales of foods
labelled as non-modified exceeded

Deliver me Ff
something ,
delicious

» Are meal delivery

kits worth it?

Roshni Riar
Staff Writer

$10 billion in the US in 2014. While
so many people are concerned about
genetically modified foods, there
isn't a lot of evidence that justifies
this concern. Actually, according to
the website GMO Answers, many
scientific experts like the World
Health Organization, United Nations
Food, Agricultural Organization, and
the American Medical Association
are in consensus that GMOs are safe
to eat. So, to me, it sounds like a lot
of fear mongering.

GMOs aren't as bad as they’re
made out to be. In a 2016 study by
the Pew Research Centre, 88 percent
of American Association for the
Advancement of Science members
said GM foods are safe to eat, and 92
percent of working PhD biomedical
scientists concurred. Additionally,
GM foods in Canada are considered
safe to eat by Health Canada, so
we shouldn't have to worry about
them. Thanks to consumer anxiety,
GM foods are made out to be
the bad guys. However, if you do
some research, they actually yield
a lot of benefits to the supply and
sustainability of food.

   
   
    

*

 

 

 

You can believe what you
want about the harmful effects of
GMOs, but there’s no denying they
have some significant advantages.
Genetically modified foods were
developed to have numerous
benefits. These benefits include
resistance to weather damage, easier
growth in some environments,
producing more crops, foods that
bruise less easily, carrying less
diseases caused by viruses and
insects, and finally they can be
modified to carry more nutrients. For
example, a GM crop called Golden
Rice has been modified to carry
more vitamin A, which helps fight
malnutrition in developing countries.

When all is said and done,
practically everything is supposedly
bad for you in one way or another, so
quit worrying about what ingredients
in your food might cause some health
concerns which haven’t been proven.
Considering how much GMOs do for
our food quality and quantity, I'd say
the pros outweigh the cons.

M2. delivery kits have become all

the rage recently, with companies
like Chef’s Plate and Fresh Prep—both
established in 2014—rising to prominence.
Ads pop up all over Facebook and
Instagram to bring in new users, promising
your first subscription box at a discounted
price. When you sign up and get that first
box delivered at no extra cost to your door,
what you will find inside is everything you
need to cook yourself a few meals. If you're
like me and love to cook, but don’t often
have the time to spend hours creating the
perfect meal, then I think you'll want to
give these kits a try.

I’ve ordered a number of meal delivery
kits over the past few months and have to
say that I’m impressed. I’d recommend you
give them a shot when youre really busy
(finals and midterms, anyone?) but still
want to eat well. Yes, the ingredients come
pre-cut and prepared, but you still get the
ability to at least bring the meal together
by cooking it, and it’s bound to be healthier
than some stressful, last minute fast-food
binge. Spending just a little time away from
your screen and piles of work is always a
good idea to reset, especially if you can
spend that time in the kitchen.

Not only are these kits delicious and
easy to make, they're also reasonably
priced. Your first discounted box will ring
in around $30 for three meals. If it’s only for
you, that’s about $10 a meal with enough
leftovers for lunch the next day. After your
first discounted meal kit, a regular box
comes in at $60 per three meals. Again,
if this is just for yourself then that’s $20 a
meal, or $10 a serving accounting for the

 

Photo by Billy Bui

fact that you'll get at least two servings out

of each meal. Sure, you can find something
cheaper, but it’s exciting having food come
to you, and a delivery meal would cost just

as much if not more.

Meal kits also provide a lot of variety
in the foods you make. The meals range
from curries, rice bowls, baked pastas,
salads, and hearty soups. You have the
ability to pick which recipes you want
to try, then you get everything perfectly
measured to put together as you follow the
provided recipe. Not only do the boxes save
you a bunch of time since you don’t have to
go to the store to get your ingredients and
prep them—they also give you the chance
to try new things you may not have tried
otherwise. The boxes let you experiment
with new cuisines and cooking methods
that may not have seemed like an option
beforehand. Additionally, once you've
made the recipe, you still have the recipe
card with the ingredients to follow and
recreate again in the future. I’ve actually
done this a few times, remaking recipes I’ve
tried for the first time through Chef's Plate
or Fresh Prep and ending up with equally
delicious meals, even when I sourced my
own ingredients.

I know that people might look at
the idea of meal delivery kits as lazy, but
I think that they’re great. They allow you
to eat well, experiment, and spend some
time—but not too much time—in the
kitchen in the middle of what may be a
hectic schedule. Even if your schedule isn’t
particularly crazy, the meal delivery kits are
a handy thing to call upon every once ina
while to try something new.