The food industry of North America has been revolutionized in the last few decades, and while some are happy with the advancements in agriculture and technology, others disagree.
Nowadays, we usually consume foods that take almost no time to cook. Most of these foods are abundant in artificial ingredients, sweeteners, preservatives, and harmful chemicals.
Recently, an interesting story of the conversation between a young boy and his classmate became popular. In their classroom, as they were pulling out their lunches, a young girl asked her friend: “Do you know where milk comes from?” Confidently, the boy replied, “From the store!”
This reminds us that even though we all know that milk comes from cows, we often do not know the source of our foods, or how it grows or looks like. Modern diets are high in processed foods, and only a minority of people actually buy their produce and meat locally.
Here is a list of foods that will surprise you with the way they look while they are growing:
1. Pistachios
Pistachios actually grow on trees, and afterward, lose their color before they are harvested.
2. Sesame seeds
Sesame seeds are lined up in little rows in these little pods.
3. Almonds
They grow in bunches on trees, and as they ripen, they become darker and eventually open up completely.
4. Vanilla
While growing, vanilla looks like green string beans, and when it is dried and harvested, it becomes brown in color.
5. Saffron
It starts as a flower, and the stigmas are then plucked and dried before being added to dishes.
6. Cinnamon
The cinnamon stir sticks we are used to actually come from this cinnamon tree bark.
7. Cocoa Beans or Cacao
This is what fresh cacao beans look like before they are dried and processed.
8. Cashews
You surely didn’t expect that cashews actually look like this.
9. Quinoa
The quinoa seed goes through a lot before it ends on our plates.
10. Artichokes
Artichokes grow out of the ground but we rarely see them in their natural environment.
11. Capers
The reddish green pods from capers are harvested and picked afterward.
12. Dates
Dates actually grew in massive clusters as shown in this photo.
Many of the foods we consume daily actually look much different than we ever imagined, and there are numerous others that you wouldn’t recognize in a million years in their original form.
However, despite their looks, what is of the highest importance is the nutrient value of foods.
Even though it seems that our modern and hectic lifestyles leave little time for us to cook and prepare healthy meals, we should never forget that our health is our responsibility and should be our priority.
Therefore, always focus on organic produce, and stay away from processed foods. Make sure you incorporate healthier dietary habits, in order to improve your health and boost the levels of nutrients in your body.
