There’s a lot of information out there about organic foods being better for our health, but you may be wondering if going organic can also help you lose weight. The answer to that question is: “maybe”. The bottom line is that it depends on how you approach eating.

We do know that all the chemicals sprayed on non-organic produce get down into the soil, and after a while fruits and vegetables grown in this sterile environment are not as nutrient dense as their organic counterparts. Empty calories are not as satisfying, and therefore our bodies are signaled to eat more. Our cravings can be triggered by a lack of necessary nutrients, so if we aren’t eating nutritious foods our bodies constantly crave more.

You may have noticed that organic fruits and vegetables actually taste better. Normally, you might eat more of foods that taste great, and this could cause weight gain – but in this case we are talking about fresh fruits and vegetables. If you fill up on healthy, low-calorie foods, you have less room for junk. And if organic produce tastes better, you’ll be happy to eat more of them. It’s possible that many of us have aversions to fruits and veggies because we were forced to eat bland, tasteless (non-organic) versions of them as children.

It’s not just a matter of pesticides and other chemicals sprayed on crops, either. Processed foods created in labs often include excitotoxins, chemical compounds that literally make you want to eat more of the food. These are not only suspicious from a health perspective, but obviously contribute to obesity by encouraging excessive consumption of junk food. Foods labeled “organic” do not include these types of chemical manipulations.

All of this evidence adds up to the assumption that eating organically will aid with weight loss. This may be the case, but as with any diet, it depends upon how you execute the plan. It’s important to remember that calories are still calories. As always, you can’t devour a bag of cookies – even if they’re labeled “organic”. Yes, those cookies come from organic wheat, and no, they do not contain chemical additives. But they do still contain calories.

Continue to focus your efforts on fresh organic fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and regular exercise. Not only will you lose weight, but your body get more of the nutrients it needs. You’ll feel healthier, more energetic, and age more gracefully.