I tried it with my cottage cheese (we buy Daisy Brand because it only has 4 ingredients, this is true of their sour cream, too). I found the code in small print beneath the bar code. It totally worked! So, where do YOUR dairy products come from??
Monday, January 28, 2013
Where Does Your Dairy Come From?
Here is a very, very cool site that is helping consumers find out where their dairy products come from:
I tried it with my cottage cheese (we buy Daisy Brand because it only has 4 ingredients, this is true of their sour cream, too). I found the code in small print beneath the bar code. It totally worked! So, where do YOUR dairy products come from??
I tried it with my cottage cheese (we buy Daisy Brand because it only has 4 ingredients, this is true of their sour cream, too). I found the code in small print beneath the bar code. It totally worked! So, where do YOUR dairy products come from??
On Eating Meat
I love this article by Michael Pollen. I would definitely categorize myself as a "humanocarnivore". The fact is, ALL industrial farm operations are not done in a way most people would be satisfied with. It doesn't matter if it's labelled "cage free" or "free range". No eggs that you find at the grocery store are from hens that were foraging on a farm. No pork or bacon that you find at the grocery store were from pigs that stayed with their mothers for more than 10 days. You can read more about industrial/factory farming here. It's a sad reality, but that's the way it is in this country. Trust me, I REALLY wanted to find a different answer. I researched organic store brands, Whole Foods, everything and came up with the same thing - either no information (which means they are definitely factory farmed) or that they are factory farmed. So sad!
Like Michael Pollen, my answer is not to boycott all meat, rather to find meat, eggs and dairy products from places I trust. Yes, that means it's more expensive and yes, that means that we eat less of it. It also means that we are treating those animals with respect, which is more important to me than getting meat/eggs/dairy at a discount. Hopefully, by continually voting this way, grocery stores and the factory farming industry will make some changes!
Like Michael Pollen, my answer is not to boycott all meat, rather to find meat, eggs and dairy products from places I trust. Yes, that means it's more expensive and yes, that means that we eat less of it. It also means that we are treating those animals with respect, which is more important to me than getting meat/eggs/dairy at a discount. Hopefully, by continually voting this way, grocery stores and the factory farming industry will make some changes!
Good Egg Info
Since moving to Colorado, we have always made an effort to get farm fresh eggs from people we trust. Here is a great article about understanding egg labeling in the grocery store:
http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2010/07/27/what-the-heck-is-up-with-vegetarian-fed-chicken/
At the end of the article, this link lists farms geographically!
Contact Costco Corporate
If you'd like to see better labeling on products sold at Costco, you can contact their corporate offices: http://www.costco.com/customer-service.html. I plan to contact them every once in awhile to let them know that I want more specific information of who they buy from!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Costco: An Examination
Many of you know that Scott and I have a personal interest in Costco, but even before we became involved with them, we loved shopping there. Everything that I'm posting below factored into our decision to become involved with them in the first place. First of all, here is how they are able to give good prices:
Here is a great expose on Costco: http://www.cnbc.com/id/46603589/The_Costco_Craze
In researching this post, I talked with one of the managers at Costco who called to their purchasing department in San Diego. Unfortunately, they didn't have general stats on where they purchase from. They said that their buyers "just don't keep that information". I have to admit, I'm a little skeptical about that...I mean, what business doesn't know who they are buying from? Most stores really won't release that information, which I think needs to change. We as consumers have a right to know where our products are coming from! Until we can get that info, here are some things that I've been looking for - and found - while shopping there and researching on my own:
- Almost all of their produce is labelled well (ie: where it came from, where it was processed). There are a few produce items that just say "distributed by...", but don't say where it's originally from. I went the other day and was happily surprised that about 60% of the produce I bought was grown in the USA (the other 40% was grown in Canada or Mexico).
- Costco is seasonal! They bring in specific foods when they are high quality and readily available. Right now they have a lot of citrus, but you'll notice that will phase out as we get into spring. Their model is based on providing only high quality/high value items to their customers, so they naturally go along with a more seasonal model to accomplish that goal. I'm sure this is why I have found a higher percentage of their produce to be grown in the USA.
- Many of their products are just higher quality and less cost than what you can get elsewhere. Take Olive Oil for example:
Costco’s Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil may be the best-kept secret in the store. At $9.99 for 1.5 liters, it is roughly half the cost of the well-known Bertolli brand, and yet, according to at least one independent study, it’s much better. In a recent comparison of 19 olive oils on the market, The Olive Center, a research group at the University of California-Davis, found that Kirkland Organic was one of only five in the study not mixed with cheaper refined olive oil that can spoil the taste. The other four at the top of the list were all high-end brands that cost as much as five times Costco’s. (link to original article)
Here is the original olive oil study
Another example would be eye glasses. My husband wrote a great post about this recently: http://costcoeyeexam.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/costcoglasses/. He also has a link to price comparisons. Again, they don't even stock the low quality options and then they keep their margins lower than other opticals.
- Costco treats their employees extremely well. From a recent article in the NY Times:
Despite Costco's impressive record, Mr. Sinegal's salary is just $350,000, although he also received a $200,000 bonus last year. That puts him at less than 10 percent of many other chief executives, though Costco ranks 29th in revenue among all American companies.
"I've been very well rewarded," said Mr. Sinegal, who is worth more than $150 million thanks to his Costco stock holdings. "I just think that if you're going to try to run an organization that's very cost-conscious, then you can't have those disparities. Having an individual who is making 100 or 200 or 300 times more than the average person working on the floor is wrong."
They have now officially agreed to change their seafood stocking to comply with what activists and consumers want: http://www.oh-no-costco.com/. I love how they crossed out the "no". Yay!
- They also put in a lot of work and research when it comes to their Kirkland Signature brand: http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2009/10/21/inside-costcos-kirkland-signature-brand/ and with their gasoline: http://www.costco.com/gasoline-q-and-a.html Basically every product I've researched has come up with a resounding YES! Costco is doing it right.
Obviously, just because the company itself seems to be going in the right direction, that doesn't take away your responsibility as a consumer. Keep purchasing the products that you believe in and always check labels/ingredients. Businesses absolutely respond to consumer purchases (and Costco is extremely sensitive to this. If it's not selling, it's off the shelves).
One thing to be aware of when purchasing clothing in any store is that brands create lower quality products to sell at a discounted price. Unfortunately, this DOES happen at Costco sometimes. I thought this was a good tip for determining whether it's high quality or just a knock off:
Kathryn Finney, founder of The Budget Fashionista, says it's no secret that most name designers make cheaper lines just for warehouse clubs or outlet stores. The tip-off, says Finney, will be in the packaging and/or label on the garment. Labels on the sub-brands are just glued on, and are usually stiff and crunchy, while labels on high-end goods are softer or silky, and stitched all around. (original link).
All in all, I am extremely impressed with Costco's business model and code of ethics, when compared with the other retail stores we have available (you'll see in my next posts...shudder...)
Costco focuses on selling products at low prices, often at very high volume. These goods are usually bulk-packaged and marketed primarily to large families and businesses. Furthermore, Costco does not carry multiple brands or varieties where the item is essentially the same except when it has a house brand to sell, typically under the Kirkland Signature label. This results in a high volume of sales from a single vendor, allowing further reductions in price, and reducing marketing costs. If Costco management feels the wholesale price of a product is too high, they will refuse to stock the product. For example, on November 16, 2009, Costco announced that it would stop selling Coca-Cola products because the soft-drink maker refused to lower its wholesale prices.[19] Costco resumed selling Coca-Cola products on December 14, 2009.[20][21] Costco also saves money by not stocking extra bags or packing materials; to carry out their goods, customers must bring their own bags or use the merchandise shipping boxes from the company's outside vendors.
Lighting costs are reduced on sunny days, as most Costco locations have several skylights. During the day, electronic light meters measure how much light is coming in the skylights and turn off an appropriate percentage of the interior lights. During a typical sunny day, it is very common for the center section of the warehouse to have no interior lights powered on.[22]
Most products are delivered to the warehouse on shipping pallets and these pallets are used to display products for sale on the warehouse floor. This contrasts with retail stores that break down pallets and stock individual products on shelves. Costco limits its price markup on items to 15%.[23] (from Wikipedia)
In researching this post, I talked with one of the managers at Costco who called to their purchasing department in San Diego. Unfortunately, they didn't have general stats on where they purchase from. They said that their buyers "just don't keep that information". I have to admit, I'm a little skeptical about that...I mean, what business doesn't know who they are buying from? Most stores really won't release that information, which I think needs to change. We as consumers have a right to know where our products are coming from! Until we can get that info, here are some things that I've been looking for - and found - while shopping there and researching on my own:
- Almost all of their produce is labelled well (ie: where it came from, where it was processed). There are a few produce items that just say "distributed by...", but don't say where it's originally from. I went the other day and was happily surprised that about 60% of the produce I bought was grown in the USA (the other 40% was grown in Canada or Mexico).
- Costco is seasonal! They bring in specific foods when they are high quality and readily available. Right now they have a lot of citrus, but you'll notice that will phase out as we get into spring. Their model is based on providing only high quality/high value items to their customers, so they naturally go along with a more seasonal model to accomplish that goal. I'm sure this is why I have found a higher percentage of their produce to be grown in the USA.
- Many of their products are just higher quality and less cost than what you can get elsewhere. Take Olive Oil for example:
Costco’s Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil may be the best-kept secret in the store. At $9.99 for 1.5 liters, it is roughly half the cost of the well-known Bertolli brand, and yet, according to at least one independent study, it’s much better. In a recent comparison of 19 olive oils on the market, The Olive Center, a research group at the University of California-Davis, found that Kirkland Organic was one of only five in the study not mixed with cheaper refined olive oil that can spoil the taste. The other four at the top of the list were all high-end brands that cost as much as five times Costco’s. (link to original article)
Here is the original olive oil study
Another example would be eye glasses. My husband wrote a great post about this recently: http://costcoeyeexam.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/costcoglasses/. He also has a link to price comparisons. Again, they don't even stock the low quality options and then they keep their margins lower than other opticals.
- Costco treats their employees extremely well. From a recent article in the NY Times:
But not everyone is happy with Costco's business strategy. Some Wall Street analysts assert that Mr. Sinegal is overly generous not only to Costco's customers but to its workers as well.
Costco's average pay, for example, is $17 an hour, 42 percent higher than its fiercest rival, Sam's Club. And Costco's health plan makes those at many other retailers look Scroogish. One analyst, Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank, complained last year that at Costco "it's better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder."
Mr. Sinegal begs to differ. He rejects Wall Street's assumption that to succeed in discount retailing, companies must pay poorly and skimp on benefits, or must ratchet up prices to meet Wall Street's profit demands.
Good wages and benefits are why Costco has extremely low rates of turnover and theft by employees, he said. And Costco's customers, who are more affluent than other warehouse store shoppers, stay loyal because they like that low prices do not come at the workers' expense. "This is not altruistic," he said. "This is good business."
Pretty sure that if Wall Street is knocking on a company for being "overly generous", I can get behind that. I also love the philosophy of Costco's CEO (from that same article):
"I've been very well rewarded," said Mr. Sinegal, who is worth more than $150 million thanks to his Costco stock holdings. "I just think that if you're going to try to run an organization that's very cost-conscious, then you can't have those disparities. Having an individual who is making 100 or 200 or 300 times more than the average person working on the floor is wrong."
- I believe that Costco is dedicated to making good votes with their money. When issues have come up in the past, they have always taken steps in the right direction (and have influenced policies because of it). Take animal welfare for example (from wikipedia):
In 2010, Mercy for Animals conducted an undercover investigation at Buckeye Veal Farm, a veal supplier to Costco.[50] Immediately following the investigative release, Costco adopted a policy against purchasing veal from producers that use the crate-and-chain production method.[51] The case prompted Ohio decision-makers to vote in favor of a veal crate phase-out in the state.[52]
In 2012, Mercy for Animals conducted an undercover investigation at a pork supplier to Costco, Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, and Kmart.[53] Before the public release of the investigation, Costco announced they would begin requiring their pork suppliers to phase out gestation crates.[54][55]
Currently, sustainable sea food is a hot topic and Costco has taken flack for that. Awhile ago, they were taking steps to make sure that they are being responsible (original link): Most shrimp sold in the U.S. is imported from countries in Latin America and Southeast Asia, where environmental regulations are often lax or not enforced, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, (EDF), an education and advocacy non-profit. The EDF classifies shrimp imported from these regions as "eco-worst" for the environmentally destructive ways in which they are often farmed. Greenpeace took aim at Costco's seafood sustainability practices last June with an aggressive campaign called Oh No Costco. While Costco seafood buyer Bill Mardon says his company has entered into a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to set global standards for shrimp farming, the specific objectives are still being discussed. "Costco gets credit for starting down the road," says Tim Fitzgerald, senior policy analyst for oceans at of the EDF, "but they are still very early on." They have now officially agreed to change their seafood stocking to comply with what activists and consumers want: http://www.oh-no-costco.com/. I love how they crossed out the "no". Yay!
- They also put in a lot of work and research when it comes to their Kirkland Signature brand: http://tenayagroup.com/blog/2009/10/21/inside-costcos-kirkland-signature-brand/ and with their gasoline: http://www.costco.com/gasoline-q-and-a.html Basically every product I've researched has come up with a resounding YES! Costco is doing it right.
Obviously, just because the company itself seems to be going in the right direction, that doesn't take away your responsibility as a consumer. Keep purchasing the products that you believe in and always check labels/ingredients. Businesses absolutely respond to consumer purchases (and Costco is extremely sensitive to this. If it's not selling, it's off the shelves).
One thing to be aware of when purchasing clothing in any store is that brands create lower quality products to sell at a discounted price. Unfortunately, this DOES happen at Costco sometimes. I thought this was a good tip for determining whether it's high quality or just a knock off:
Kathryn Finney, founder of The Budget Fashionista, says it's no secret that most name designers make cheaper lines just for warehouse clubs or outlet stores. The tip-off, says Finney, will be in the packaging and/or label on the garment. Labels on the sub-brands are just glued on, and are usually stiff and crunchy, while labels on high-end goods are softer or silky, and stitched all around. (original link).
All in all, I am extremely impressed with Costco's business model and code of ethics, when compared with the other retail stores we have available (you'll see in my next posts...shudder...)
Another Reason to Buy Local!
My friend forwarded this article to me and I thought they did a good job of explaining some of the issues that come with our global economy (especially when food is involved). I know that we wouldn't be able to feed everyone in our country with JUST food from our country (well, at least not in a way that people would like!), so this brings up some interesting issues. I'd love to hear your thoughts:
Can vegans stomach the unpalatable truth about quinoa?
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
On Organic
I received a comment on my last post from my very smart friend Recession Cone. I thought I would share it with you because he brings up a couple of really good points. I think it's really funny when people say products are "all natural"....because really, what ISN'T all natural? It's not like we are somehow inventing things that aren't originally found on the earth right? I mean, every chemical and pesticide is "all natural". They just aren't good for human consumption. And that's really what this is all about right? Voting for things that ARE good...or are at least better than the worst. Anyway, here's his comment:
I don't believe organic food is always better for the planet. For one thing, yields are 40-50% lower, which means 1.6-2x more land and water are required to grow organic food, which means more native plants and animals are crowded out and caused to go extinct. Thanks to agrotechnology, yields improved 300% from 1961 to 2000, while planted area increased only 12%. If yields had stayed the same over that time period, the equivalent of two additional South American continents would have needed to be planted in crops in order to feed us all. That would be a catastrophe for the environment.
Organic food is not always safe, either. In 2011, organic beansprouts in Germany, contaminated by organic manure fertilizer, caused the organic deaths of 53 people, and serious kidney damage for 3500 others (a human health disaster about the same size as Chernobyl). We do not need chemicals to be poisoned by food - natural means are just as effective.
To be honest, I think much of our current attention on organic food is about economic signaling rather than health or environmental concerns. We humans love to show others that we have more stuff than the next guy. Food is just today's frontier of conspicuous consumption. The more exclusive and expensive the food production method, the more virtuous. And you can brag about it because, hey, you're just trying to save the planet and be healthy.
The promise of organic food is tempting: who doesn't want health and a clean environment? But I'm not convinced the benefits are all that real, especially on a global scale.
I choose to vote non-organic with my money, because I believe in science and progress, and I see the organic movement as reactionary and elitist. I believe the billions of people living in the developing world deserve to eat healthy food just as much as I do. Organic food production just can't make that happen; for that to occur, we need as much agrotechnology as we can invent. This is why I choose non-organic food.
So, Recession Cone, my question for you is: what do YOU buy at the grocery store? Or do you also try to purchase locally grown food where you can know your growers and be sure that proper standards are being used? My dilemma is this (because I agree that organic food is elitist): do I purchase it in the hopes that US/Canada grown organic food will be better for my family - purely because it lacks pesticides, not because it's more nutritional - or do I NOT purchase it because of the reasons you listed...and feed my kids pesticides? Again, for me this issue only comes up November-April. Definitely food for thought...
I don't believe organic food is always better for the planet. For one thing, yields are 40-50% lower, which means 1.6-2x more land and water are required to grow organic food, which means more native plants and animals are crowded out and caused to go extinct. Thanks to agrotechnology, yields improved 300% from 1961 to 2000, while planted area increased only 12%. If yields had stayed the same over that time period, the equivalent of two additional South American continents would have needed to be planted in crops in order to feed us all. That would be a catastrophe for the environment.
Organic food is not always safe, either. In 2011, organic beansprouts in Germany, contaminated by organic manure fertilizer, caused the organic deaths of 53 people, and serious kidney damage for 3500 others (a human health disaster about the same size as Chernobyl). We do not need chemicals to be poisoned by food - natural means are just as effective.
To be honest, I think much of our current attention on organic food is about economic signaling rather than health or environmental concerns. We humans love to show others that we have more stuff than the next guy. Food is just today's frontier of conspicuous consumption. The more exclusive and expensive the food production method, the more virtuous. And you can brag about it because, hey, you're just trying to save the planet and be healthy.
The promise of organic food is tempting: who doesn't want health and a clean environment? But I'm not convinced the benefits are all that real, especially on a global scale.
I choose to vote non-organic with my money, because I believe in science and progress, and I see the organic movement as reactionary and elitist. I believe the billions of people living in the developing world deserve to eat healthy food just as much as I do. Organic food production just can't make that happen; for that to occur, we need as much agrotechnology as we can invent. This is why I choose non-organic food.
So, Recession Cone, my question for you is: what do YOU buy at the grocery store? Or do you also try to purchase locally grown food where you can know your growers and be sure that proper standards are being used? My dilemma is this (because I agree that organic food is elitist): do I purchase it in the hopes that US/Canada grown organic food will be better for my family - purely because it lacks pesticides, not because it's more nutritional - or do I NOT purchase it because of the reasons you listed...and feed my kids pesticides? Again, for me this issue only comes up November-April. Definitely food for thought...
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Organic or Not?
Before we tackle which stores buy where, let's examine the question of whether or not to pay more for organic produce. What does organic even mean? Here is a great break down from the Mayo Clinic website:
Conventional vs. organic farming
The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease. For example, rather than using chemical weedkillers, organic farmers may conduct more sophisticated crop rotations and spread mulch or manure to keep weeds at bay.
Here are some key differences between conventional farming and organic farming:
Organic or not? Check the label
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed.
Any product labeled as organic must be USDA certified. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt from this certification; however, they're still required to follow the USDA's standards for organic foods.
If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers use it.
Products certified 95 percent or more organic display this USDA seal.
Products that are completely organic — such as fruits, vegetables, eggs or other single-ingredient foods — are labeled 100 percent organic and can carry the USDA seal.
Foods that have more than one ingredient, such as breakfast cereal, can use the USDA organic seal plus the following wording, depending on the number of organic ingredients:
- 100 percent organic. To use this phrase, products must be either completely organic or made of all organic ingredients.
- Organic. Products must be at least 95 percent organic to use this term.
Products that contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients may say "made with organic ingredients" on the label, but may not use the seal. Foods containing less than 70 percent organic ingredients can't use the seal or the word "organic" on their product labels. They can include the organic items in their ingredient list, however.
Do 'organic' and 'natural' mean the same thing?
No, "natural" and "organic" are not interchangeable terms. You may see "natural" and other terms such as "all natural," "free-range" or "hormone-free" on food labels. These descriptions must be truthful, but don't confuse them with the term "organic." Only foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic.
Sounds great, right? Pretty simple? Nope. Even though organic farming takes out some problems with conventional COMMERCIAL farming, there are still plenty of issues.
1. Becoming USDA certified organic is costly - both in time and money. Here is a link to the process. Many of the smaller farms that I've talked to say that it's just not worth it to them, which means much of the USDA certified produce you find in the store is still from huge commercial farms that can afford to become certified.
2. Commercial organic farms still have the biggest problem that we see in conventional commercial farms: they only grow one thing and a lot of it. That's called a monoculture. Nature just does not function this way! When you try to grow a huge amount of one crop, you run into a number of problems (pests and soil depletion being my biggest concerns). So how do you deal with that? You have to use natural means like tilling the soil constantly, shipping in manure/compost, etc.
3. Since an increasing amount of our produce is coming from other countries, can we trust that they are legitimately organic? Here is one article that surfaced in 2010 regarding Chinese imports to Whole Foods. There still are a lot of questions when it comes to "real" organic being imported. Here is another article discussing the issue more recently.
All in all, commercial organic farming is not very efficient (and not extremely trustworthy) and studies show that the fruits and vegetables produced by these means are not really any better for you than conventional studies. Again from the Mayo Clinic:
Organic food: Is it more nutritious?
The answer isn't yet clear. A recent study examined the past 50 years' worth of scientific articles about the nutrient content of organic and conventional foods. The researchers concluded that organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs are comparable in their nutrient content. Research in this area is ongoing.
Here is a good article for you if you'd like to read more:
Even though it's from 2002, most places I've looked say we're still at the same point: organic produce from the grocery store is not nutritionally superior, but does have significantly less pesticide residue. So they've got that going for them.
Here is an article that's more recent. Again, seems like the major pitfalls come from commercial farming.
So, when it comes to money votes, here's where I come down:
- I vote to purchase produce from local, small farms whenever possible. I RESEARCH the farms I buy from and ask lots of questions. Just because they are a small farm doesn't mean they are doing things right! Well-run family farms are able to avoid the pitfalls of commercial farms (meaning they are extremely efficient and sustainable). To see a great breakdown of family farm operations vs. commercial/industrial, click here. There is still a lot of research to be done to find out if locally grown, small farm food is better than what we find in the store, but here is one initial article that is fantastic:
- When it's not possible, I vote to purchase some organic foods, specifically those that are produced in the USA (which means they should REALLY be organic). That means eating mostly seasonally again, because you are just not going to find watermelons or apples from the USA in January. Here is a great list of seasonal food items (you can even search by region or season). Here is a list of the fruits/veggies that tend to absorb the most and the least pesticides. I try to buy all berries, leafy greens and tree fruits organic when I can't buy them locally. I don't buy all of my food organic (because of the reasons stated above). Local and small-farmed is best, some organic is good.
- I vote for produce that has a label stating where it is grown. Luckily, many stores are starting to advertise whether it's "Grown in the USA!" and many labels now subtly say where they were grown (think berry packages). If it's not labelled, I avoid it. I definitely buy produce from other countries (like bananas from Ecuador or various products from Mexico), but I want to support those companies that are labeling their food!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Let's Talk Produce
The topic of fresh fruits and vegetables is one that I've researched the most, so let's start with that. Feeding a family in this country has become so complicated! I hear people all the time talking about diets, "really healthy" fruits and vegetables, organic this and that, food supplements, blah blah blah. Really!? When did it get this difficult to just buy food and eat it?
The worst thing I hear is this: I found <insert any food product here> for SO CHEAP at <insert any massive grocery store>. Again, since when did we care more about how cheap we could get food rather than the QUALITY of the food we're eating? Because let's be honest, it's kind of a huge deal! We literally are what we eat. Our bodies do not function well if we eat junk all the time or if we avoid the foods that are good for us. I think we all know this, but it gets pretty confusing when marketing, really really bad magazine articles and fad food diets start circulating. Here are a few books that I've resonated with:
Omnivore's Dilemma or In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
Good Calories, Bad Calories, Gary Taubes
For me, it really just comes down to eating mostly GOOD fruits and vegetables. That means eating seasonally and as locally as possible. If you eat seasonally, you are eating a huge variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year and you're eating them at their peak! They look and taste amazing (as opposed to eating nasty tomatoes in the middle of winter). I'm not going to lie, transitioning to this way of life was not easy at first. You get used to buying whatever you want, whenever you want and it's hard to turn away from that. BUT, eating that way means that you are voting like this with your money:
YES I like to buy produce not produced in this country.
YES I support chemical ripening, enhancements and preservation of my food so it looks edible by the time it arrives at my grocery store.
YES I like food that has been shipped at improper temperatures so it loses taste
YES I support farms and companies that have lax food safety regulation
YES I support countries that have no regulation on clear cutting forests for farm land.
And the list goes on and on. Can any of us look at that list and be excited about our voting record? I think not. Now, this doesn't mean that you can never buy produce at the grocery store - shipping produce from other places isn't all bad and some stores even make efforts to purchase locally or at least within the US (stop by for my next post on grocery stores). Here is a blurb from www.realfooduniversity.com
Interestingly enough, this site noticed that the FDA says that 2/3 of our produce is imported (conflicting with the USDA stat)...hmmm. Really, as consumers, we are NOT getting the information we need to make good informed decisions.
Because of this, my family has decided to buy as much as possible from sources that we DO know. That means the farmers market or CSA's and our own home garden. Many people have made the comment that it must be really expensive to eat that way...well, it is and it isn't. My grocery budget is lower than most people I know with similar family size. I think that's because even though we might be spending more on fruits and vegetables, we are eating MORE fruits and vegetables and less meat. Meat is way more expensive than produce, yes, even that cheap meat you found at the store last week! We go through a CSA, so May-October we pay $24 a week for fresh, farm grown veggies. I usually don't have to step in a grocery store more than once a month during those months (which means I'm saving even MORE money getting rid of impulse buys). To find a good CSA, farmer's market or local farm, go here: http://www.localharvest.org/.
The next comment I get is "I don't have time to pick up my food". Well....yes you do. You just don't WANT to pick up your food. See above for all of the reasons why you should now want to pick up your food! We found some friends that do our CSA with us, so we only pick up once a month. It's only about a 25 min. drive for us and totally easy. If you don't know anyone doing pick ups, chat with your CSA provider and they will usually have a number of people that you can contact to set up a swap. Originally, that's exactly what I did and now we have enough people to run two swaps!
And the last comment is (drumroll please) "my kids and husband just won't eat that many or those types of fruits and vegetables". Again, hate to disagree, but if that's all they are offered, they WILL actually eat it. Surprisingly, kids and husbands get really hungry when they don't eat a meal! I know that there are many other issues that make this a sensitive topic and I don't mean to make light of it, but here's how I see it:
The worst thing I hear is this: I found <insert any food product here> for SO CHEAP at <insert any massive grocery store>. Again, since when did we care more about how cheap we could get food rather than the QUALITY of the food we're eating? Because let's be honest, it's kind of a huge deal! We literally are what we eat. Our bodies do not function well if we eat junk all the time or if we avoid the foods that are good for us. I think we all know this, but it gets pretty confusing when marketing, really really bad magazine articles and fad food diets start circulating. Here are a few books that I've resonated with:
Omnivore's Dilemma or In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
Good Calories, Bad Calories, Gary Taubes
For me, it really just comes down to eating mostly GOOD fruits and vegetables. That means eating seasonally and as locally as possible. If you eat seasonally, you are eating a huge variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year and you're eating them at their peak! They look and taste amazing (as opposed to eating nasty tomatoes in the middle of winter). I'm not going to lie, transitioning to this way of life was not easy at first. You get used to buying whatever you want, whenever you want and it's hard to turn away from that. BUT, eating that way means that you are voting like this with your money:
YES I like to buy produce not produced in this country.
YES I support chemical ripening, enhancements and preservation of my food so it looks edible by the time it arrives at my grocery store.
YES I like food that has been shipped at improper temperatures so it loses taste
YES I support farms and companies that have lax food safety regulation
YES I support countries that have no regulation on clear cutting forests for farm land.
And the list goes on and on. Can any of us look at that list and be excited about our voting record? I think not. Now, this doesn't mean that you can never buy produce at the grocery store - shipping produce from other places isn't all bad and some stores even make efforts to purchase locally or at least within the US (stop by for my next post on grocery stores). Here is a blurb from www.realfooduniversity.com
Who Supplies Our Produce?
I was unable to find any information on which companies are providing the majority of our produce. I’d guess lots of it is centered in the hands of the major corporations under various labels.
According to the USDA, only about 1/3 of our fruit and nuts and 1/8 of our vegetables are imported. About two-thirds of those imports occur during the months of December to April, showing a strong seasonal component to it. Basically, we want what we want even if it’s only available 5,000 miles away.
Mexico is far and away our biggest supplier of fruits and vegetables, taking the top spot in both categories by about a 2-to-1 margin over 2nd place. Canada takes 2nd place in vegetables with China a distant third. (Note that these are in dollar figures, not volume, but the relationships should hold when converted.) In the fruit category, most of it comes from Central and South America, with only China (4th) to break up the Top 6 of Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Ecuador.
Interestingly enough, this site noticed that the FDA says that 2/3 of our produce is imported (conflicting with the USDA stat)...hmmm. Really, as consumers, we are NOT getting the information we need to make good informed decisions.
Because of this, my family has decided to buy as much as possible from sources that we DO know. That means the farmers market or CSA's and our own home garden. Many people have made the comment that it must be really expensive to eat that way...well, it is and it isn't. My grocery budget is lower than most people I know with similar family size. I think that's because even though we might be spending more on fruits and vegetables, we are eating MORE fruits and vegetables and less meat. Meat is way more expensive than produce, yes, even that cheap meat you found at the store last week! We go through a CSA, so May-October we pay $24 a week for fresh, farm grown veggies. I usually don't have to step in a grocery store more than once a month during those months (which means I'm saving even MORE money getting rid of impulse buys). To find a good CSA, farmer's market or local farm, go here: http://www.localharvest.org/.
The next comment I get is "I don't have time to pick up my food". Well....yes you do. You just don't WANT to pick up your food. See above for all of the reasons why you should now want to pick up your food! We found some friends that do our CSA with us, so we only pick up once a month. It's only about a 25 min. drive for us and totally easy. If you don't know anyone doing pick ups, chat with your CSA provider and they will usually have a number of people that you can contact to set up a swap. Originally, that's exactly what I did and now we have enough people to run two swaps!
And the last comment is (drumroll please) "my kids and husband just won't eat that many or those types of fruits and vegetables". Again, hate to disagree, but if that's all they are offered, they WILL actually eat it. Surprisingly, kids and husbands get really hungry when they don't eat a meal! I know that there are many other issues that make this a sensitive topic and I don't mean to make light of it, but here's how I see it:
- We as a family need to be responsible with our money votes.
- As the primary cooker/preparer of food, I am responsible for feeding my family good, sustaining food that will help them feel the best they can.
- As a mother in the home, I am also responsible for teaching my children how to make good choices. What am I teaching them if I say "yes, fruits and vegetables are really important" but then never serve them? Or if I say "I don't like the decisions the government is making", but then make those same decisions when I'm given a vote? I need to walk the walk.
So, that covers May - October here in Colorado. Some Americans are lucky enough to be able to buy local, fresh produce all year long, but what do WE do when that's not an option? My next post will examine some of the biggest stores in the US to see if we can find a way to make responsible produce choices even when it's freezing outside :).
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