Nutrition basics: Soil Quality and Fertiliser

Let's talk about soil!

A plant is only as nutritious as the soil it was grown in. It makes no difference how many serves of fruits and vegetables you eat per day, if they are grown in nutrient-poor soil they won't be as good for you as you think.

Australia has some of the oldest land surface on earth and while rich in biodiversity its soil is among the most nutrient poor and unproductive in the world. This is due mainly to the country's geological stability, which is a major feature of the Australian land mass, and is characterised by, among other things, a lack of significant seismic activity. Only six per cent of the Australian landmass is arable. Large volumes of water are required from both surface and groundwater supplies. Australian soils are highly dependent upon vegetation cover to generate nutrients and for stability. Land clearing, water extraction and poor soil conservation are all causes of a decline in the quality of Australia's soils. (Source: Australian Government).

For this reason, the agriculture industry uses fertiliser on its crops.

Organic versus chemical fertilisers

Organic fertiliser is usually made from plant or animal waste or powdered minerals. Examples include manure and compost, as well as bone and cottonseed meal. They are sometimes sold as 'soil conditioners' rather than as fertiliser, because the nutrient ratios are difficult to guarantee. Organic fertilisers may be processed in a factory or at a farm. Organic fertilisers improve the structure of the soil and increase its ability to hold water and nutrients. Over time, organic fertilisers will make your soil and plants healthy and strong. Since they are the ultimate slow-release fertilisers, it’s very difficult to over fertilise and harm your plants. There’s little to no risk of toxic build-ups of chemicals and salts that can be deadly to plants. Organic fertilisers are renewable, biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. (Source: Debate over Chemical and Organic Fertilisers).

Chemical fertiliser (also called inorganic, synthetic, artificial, or manufactured) have been refined to extract nutrients and bind them in specific ratios with other chemical fillers. These products may be made from petroleum products, rocks, or even organic sources. Some of the chemicals may be naturally occurring, but the difference is that the nutrients in chemical fertilisers are refined to their pure state and stripped of substances that control their availability and breakdown, which rarely occurs in nature. Repeated applications may result in a toxic build-up of chemicals such as arsenic, cadmium, and uranium in the soil. These toxic chemicals can eventually make their way into your fruits and vegetables and long-term use of chemical fertiliser can change the soil pH, upset beneficial microbial ecosystems, increase pests, and even contribute to the release of greenhouse gases. (Source: Debate over Chemical and Organic Fertilisers).

Fertiliser use and agricultural production: Australia 

The above chart demonstrates the rise in agricultural production over the last three decades and the increasing use of fertiliser inputs (ie. nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium shorthanded as ‘NPK’) to achieve that level of real production. This provides an indication of the enhancements in production due to fertiliser, whilst acknowledging that other factors such as better herbicides and insecticides are also making a contribution. (Source: IAMA). 

If you're interested in reading about fertliser use in Australia, and the history of, see this link.

So now we know our fresh produce is grown in fertilised soil, but whether it is grown in chemical or organic fertiliser, we may not be entirely certain of. What about other toxins like pesticides, antibiotics and hormones? According to Better Health Victoria chemicals such as pesticides, antibiotics and hormones are used in plant and animal farming to boost production and ensure adequate food supply. (Source: Better Health Victoria).

What can I do?

• Buy unsprayed or organic produce
• Grow your own and use organic repellants
• Get to know your local growers
• Identify the fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide load
• Buy produce from farmer's markets
• Wash your fruit and vegetables before eating and dry well with paper towel - dispose of the paper towel

Next blog post...Pesticides, Antibiotics and Hormones in Farming. 

Overnight Oats

Miss 16 found this recipe online and gave it a try. She raved about it and ate it several times a week before I decided to try it myself. I was sceptical because I've always been a hot porridge eater, so the thought of not cooking the oats worried me. However I relented and asked my daughter to make me some.

This is a breakfast which needs to be prepared the night before - but don't worry! It seriously only takes about 2mins. You can add whatever fruit you want - either the night before, or in the morning. If some fruit doesn't last ie. apple going brown - add apple in the morning instead. Get my drift? This quantity serves one but double for two and so on.

Ingredients:

• Equal parts of raw oats, yoghurt and milk
• 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
• Fruit of your choice

Method:

1. I find a third of cup is ample for me so I prepare a third of a cup of oats, either vanilla yoghurt or natural Greek yoghurt, and skim milk, place all ingredients in a bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon and stir.
2. If you find the Greek yoghurt too bitter, you can add honey in the morning, but you may find the fruit will sweeten the bitterness. If you still find it too bitter, use vanilla yoghurt instead. I prefer vanilla yoghurt but Miss 16 prefers Greek - so each to their own
3. Depending on the fruit, you can either add it the night before or the next morning. So far we have tried strawberries, blueberries and banana the night before and they have not gone soggy!

Give it a try - you will be pleasantly surprised. In my opinion they are D-E-L-icious  XD

Fruit Slice

This recipe is courtesy of the 4 Ingredients Gluten Free Cookbook. You can buy a copy for only $10 here. It contains over 400 recipes for gluten-free meals, treats and snacks. It's superb value and the best part about each recipe is - they have 4 ingredients or less. I love this series of books. Anyhow this recipe was easy to make and it's so yummy it's hard to stop eating.

Ingredients:

• 400g tin condensed milk
• 370g mixed fruit & nuts
• 1 and half cups gluten free self-raising flour
• 1 tablespoon of shredded coconut

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius
2. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well
3. Pour into a square lamington tray lined with baking paper
4. Cook for 40-45 mins
5. Let cool then serve with a hot cup of tea or coffee...go on...reward yourself. You deserve it!

Skinny Fruit & Nut Slice

I was feeling a tad hungry and wanted something sweet but healthy to go with my morning coffee. I rummaged through the pantry and my recipe books to see what took my fancy and couldn't find a recipe which consisted of my pantry contents. So I ended up inventing this healthy nut and fruit slice. It is low-fat with no sugar, butter, eggs or salt added and is quite versatile because you could use Cornflakes or All Bran instead of Just Right. It requires soaking for 15mins then cooking for 40mins. It results in a soft texture similar to a chewy muesli bar.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Just Right cereal
• 1 and a half Weetbix
• 1 cup dried mixed fruit (I used Tropical Mix which comes in a pack from the supermarket)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups light milk
• 1 cup self raising flour

Method:

1. Place the first five ingredients in a bowl and soak for 15mins
2. Add the flour, mix well and spoon into a lined square cake pan (lamington tray). It's a little messy so use a wet wooden spoon or spatula to flatten it down and into the corners
3. Bake for 40mins in a 180 degree celsius oven
4. Nice served drizzled with honey or golden syrup - or just by themselves.

D-E-L-icious  XD