While a healthy diet has always been considered necessary for overall wellness, historically, many hospitals have overlooked its powerful potential for healing. In some areas, that’s beginning to change. In Pennsylvania four years ago, St. Luke’s Hospital partnered with Rodale Institute to start an organic produce farm at the hospital’s campus in Easton. Since its first season, the St. Luke’s farm has expanded to grow 100 fruit and vegetable breed on 11 acres.

Hospital farms are part of broader movement to make organic, locally produced food accessible to the general population. Some hospitals are making it a priority to source food from nearby farms, while others are turning deserted land on their grounds into community gardens. By making organic produce easily accessible to the patients and visitors alike, these hospitals hope to inspire lifelong changes for better health. Even though most hospital farms aren’t growing enough to completely supply their staff and patient food needs, providing even a small amount of fresh produce makes an educational statement about how healthy and delicious a plant-rich diet can be.

While the movement continues to gain attraction, it’s encountering some challenges along the way. For example, health workers don’t necessarily know how to grow food. This means that most hospitals need to hire a full-time farmer and other farm labor to manage the property, which can be expensive. It takes between 3 and 5 years for most hospital farms to break even, much less save money on food costs. Nonetheless, participating hospitals believe that the benefits are worthwhile. As the movement continues to expand, you might soon experience a farm-fresh meal at a hospital near you.

As more and more people seek to live healthier lifestyles, the popularity of organic food has grown significantly. But what exactly is “organic” food? Organic food refers to produce and other agricultural products that are grown or raised without the use of synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), antibiotics, or growth hormones.

Organic farming focuses on sustainable practices that promote soil health, conserve water, and support natural ecosystems. Farmers who practice organic farming often use techniques such as crop rotation, composting, and natural pest control to maintain the health of their crops and the environment.

Consumers are drawn to organic food for various reasons. Some believe that organic food is healthier because it contains fewer synthetic chemicals. Others are concerned about the environmental impact of conventional farming methods and choose organic products to support more sustainable practices.

However, organic food does come with some drawbacks. It tends to be more expensive than conventionally produced food due to the labor-intensive nature of organic farming and the lower crop yields that can result from avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Additionally, the strict regulations that govern organic farming can make it challenging for some farmers to obtain and maintain organic certification.

Overall, the choice between organic and conventionally produced food often depends on individual priorities. While organic food offers potential health and environmental benefits, it may not always be the most practical or affordable option for everyone.

Almost all food companies calculate the calorie content of their offerings using a mathematical formula (公式). They first measure how many grams of carbohydrate (碳水化合物), protein and fat are in the food. This formula is known as the Atwater system. Then they multiply (乘以) each of those amounts by a set value. There are four calories per gram of carbohydrate or protein and nine calories per gram of fat. The sum of those values will show up as the calorie count on a food label.

The numbers in this formula are called Atwater factors. They come from data collected more than 100 years ago by nutritionist Wilbur O. Atwater. Atwater asked volunteers to eat different foods. Then he measured how much energy their bodies got from each one by comparing the energy in the food with the energy left over in their feces and urine.

According to the formula, the calorie content in a gram of fat is the same whether that fat comes from a hamburger, a bag of almonds (杏仁) or a plate of French fries. But scientists have found that the Atwater system isn’t perfect.

David Baer is a professor at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center in Maryland. His team has shown that some foods do not match the Atwater factors. For example, some plants have tough cell walls. Chewing plant-based foods, such as nuts, consumes some of these walls but not all. So some of these nutrients will pass out of the body, undigested.

Making foods easier to digest through cooking or other processes can also change the amount of calories available to the body. For example, Baer’s team has found that almond butter provides more calories per gram than whole almonds. The Atwater system, however, predicts each should deliver the same amount.

The Atwater system may have problems, but it is simple and easy to use. Though other systems have been proposed, none is the best.