On (hopefully) revamping my food habits in 2010
By Linda
Have you ever heard the saying “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”? I feel like that’s happened recently to me with the culmination of a few different things: a growing interest in cutting way back on packaged foods, a desire to produce actual homemade meals for my family on a regular basis instead of foraging at the last second every single night like cereal-sniffing drug dogs, the sneaking suspicion that nutrition labels featuring at least thirty different unpronounceable ingredients are maybe not such a good thing, a curiosity about how much better my running might be if I were reliably eating better foods than, say, pretzel Combos.
Then I watched Food, Inc. I won’t even try to get into the details of what this movie is about, except to say I can’t imagine anyone watching it and not feeling inspired to make better dietary choices.
My longterm goal is to worker harder on planning ahead for meals, and shopping once a week at our local Whole Foods for things like fish, grains, produce, and dairy. I’d like to start purchasing meat from local butchers who sell sustainable grass-fed products with no antibiotics, hormones, or steroids, and phase out factory-farmed items altogether. I’d like to try a produce or maybe even a poultry CSA.
I have all kinds of good intentions at the moment, but I know how these things sometimes go: convictions start to wear off, convenience takes priority, busy schedules and harried to-do lists tip the scales back to where they started. I seem to always be getting on healthy eating kicks, then succumbing to days or weeks of junk. Over and over.
I don’t doubt that there will be junk in my future—what is life without some pretzel Combos, after all—but I feel like I have deeper, more meaningful reasons to eat better now, and maybe that’s what I need to make some longer-lasting commitments.
I also thought about how my kids’ books always show a nice farm with a pasture and cows eating grass and chickens pecking around in the dirt, and how the reality, when it comes to almost all the foods in the average grocery store, is nothing like that. “See, honey, we grow millions of bushels of human-inedible corn which we either use to unnaturally fatten the mistreated, feces-coated cows, or we morph it into a cheap sugar, which we dump into pretty much every single packaged food on the shelf!” What the hell, right?
I realize I sound like every hippie I have ever mocked, but I’d like my kids to get their food from a farm that’s actually, you know, a farm. Which means weaning them off the Spaghettios, for starters.
So those are some of my food-related goals for the year, and since this blog seems like the appropriate place to bore people with that topic, I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. For now, here are a few baby steps I’ve taken this week:
• Replaced store-bought bread with homemade wheat bread
• Switched to whole wheat pancake mix for the kids
• Switched from buttermilk to Kashi oat /grain frozen waffles for the kids
• Changed our sugary cereal to lowfat granola sweetened with apple juice (I mix mine with Ezekiel Golden Flax cereal)
• Stocked up on produce and fish, made dinner each night
I’ve also been writing down my meals for the day, not to count calories or anything but just because the recordkeeping process seems to help me stay on track. Some dinners:
• Tuna steak cooked with red peppers, served with avocado and pineapple salsa
• Salmon cooked with fresh baby spinach and zucchini
• Amy’s minestrone soup with white beans, wheat pasta
Lunches have been big salads with lots of veggies; snacks have included Bearitos no-oil microwave popcorn, satsumas, Corn Thins, baby carrots, and nonfat plain yogurt sweetened with Splenda (I know, I need to get rid of the artificial sweeteners. I cut back from 3 to 2 packets in my morning coffee, so . . . it’s a start, okay?).
I’ve felt great all week long. Tons of energy, no out of control cravings, no midday slumps.
This weekend I’m going to do some shopping, some cooking, and some menu-planning, all with a focus on avoiding industrialized, overly processed food—including the kids’ meals (OMG). I’ll let you know how it goes! And if you have any advice or suggested resources for the newly-converted, I’d love to hear them.
January 7th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
For a local CSA, I highly recommend Full Circle Farms. You get a weekly produce box of a size that you choose, and the price is totally reasonable for the amount of veggies you get in it. You do have to go pick it up, but they have a whole bunch of days/places around the area. It’s year round – which is nice – and over the winter they supplement with things that are grown in this region, if not immediately locally. You can prepay for 10 boxes at a time, or you can pay week to week (they charge your CC). It’s also no commitment so you can drop out at any time and you can order extra stuff from their farm to supplement your box (things like eggs, some dairy, extra fruits/veggies) as well as swap out things in your box that you don’t like.
My fiance and I did it last spring and it was awesome. We stopped it over the summer when my schedule was crazy, because I was never home so we just weren’t going through it fast enough. We should probably get back on that, though.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
I second the Full Circle rec–affordable & convenient and they now have an option where you can sub out any fruit or veggie for anything else–no item limit. We’ve been customers for a few years and are always happy with the produce. As for bread–try Smitten Kitchen’s light wheat bread recipe. Even my kids eat it and they will eat NO grocery store wheat bread that is “brown, ew.” Since I started cooking seriously and eating mostly vegetables (I am a vegetarian–I couldn’t even get through the opening of food inc where the little cartoon cows go on the conveyor belt–save the cartoon cows!), I can even get my 2 year old to eat kale, lima beans, broccoli, you name it. It’s…shocking, really, and to echo some previous debate…you CAN do it (if you WANT to). Not that cookies won’t still look better than kale, like, EVER.
January 7th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
I’m reading “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver. I think you would really like it; it’s got a lot of information and stories about our food production and Kingsolver’s family’s commitment to a year of locally produced food. Interesting stuff. (Also terrifying, but yeah. Worth it.)
January 7th, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Oh, one more: Stone-Buhr flour is Seattle-local (or Seattle-ish local), and if you’re looking into a local diet, this is the only game in town for wheat. (PS didn’t mean to sound preachy about the kids’ eating in my prev. comment, looking over it it reads that way–they still eat chicken nuggets and Red Robin and french fries at least a few times a month, it’s just that I can get them to eat vegetables on a daily basis now, too).
January 7th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
I would highly recommend getting a big freezer. Then besides being able to store summer fruits and veggies without actually having to get all Victory garden canning lady on us, you can also buy big meat purchases (heh). That means you could find some friends and buy a whole cow and pay to have it butchered. Or buy and cut up five whole chickens all in one go rather than having to cut up a fryer on a busy weeknight, you can just pull out the breasts and use ‘em (double heh). Or buy super fresh whole salmon from the back of an Indian’s truck. You get the idea. Have fun with it! Within weeks I expect to hear that you are building a chicken coop come spring (goddamn hippies).
January 7th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
I can’t say enough how much our big freezer has come in handy when buying local meet in bulk. Cheaper, healthier and generally better for everyone including local economy.
Have been making alot of our own pizzas for our son (whose about Dylan’s age), also our own lasagna (husband makes noodles, I do rest)…freezing in small-ish casserole dishes…those two things are stapes (for kid, not for us).
Something I have a hard time with is snacks…we have been trying a few new things in these parts which have been helping us get to that next level (weight and fitness-wise, damnit if plateaus aren’t a bitch!).
1) bought a food dehydrator – making own jerky, dried fruit (great in yoghurt, cereal, oatmeal, etc..)
2) making own “coleslaw” by chopping up cabbage and putting it in brine from pickles…great (if salty) side dish to any peice of meat or fish.
3) been trying some paleo-type recipes (lots of great resources online) which substitute wheat (flour) for ground nuts…less complex carbs and more protein.
So far, seem to be edging out of that 35 lbs slump and husband is finally seeing results from ab work (he has also lost 55lbs but was having a hard time getting definition).
CSA boxes are available here (in my region of Canada) about 6 months out of year, tried one last summer for 1st time….will definetly do again.
Looking forward to reading rest of comments.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
I really love porridge and grew up eating it so maybe your kids would go for it too? I don’t think it’s too processed and find it sticks to my ribs and is a healthy comfort food. For general good vibes about food, I read the Atlantic’s food channel http://food.theatlantic.com/ and hope that I, one day, will be ready as a student.
January 7th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Yayy! Awesome suggestions, you guys, thank you! Keep ‘em coming if you have any. : )
January 7th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
I swear by Tosca Reno’s Eat Clean Diet, combined with trying to keep it local whenever I can. The only time I actually venture into the aisles of the grocery store is to buy crap that my husband still eats. I eat from the edges of the store only: dairy, meat, vegs etc.
Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
January 7th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
A reputable watchdog on the organics industry is the Organic Consumers Association. http://www.organicconsumers.org
It’s worth signing up for their free newsletter. They can recommend sources and tell you who is on the shit list. A number of large American producers claim to have organic or free range operations and don’t. The OCA keeps tabs on who is honest and who is breaking the law. They also keep Whole Foods in line (as WF has sold factory farmed products that have bogus organic labelling).
Buying from local certified growers is the best thing to do, rather than Whole Foods. Unless your local WF is selling local growers’ products.
Though I fall off the wagon with junk food now and then, I am committed to buying organic vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy, meat, grains, nuts and seeds. They taste better and give more nutritional bang for the buck. We are what we eat and we’re worth it.
Speaking of junk food, a tasty substitute for Cool Whip (:P) is organic whole milk vanilla yogurt (or maple flavoured). I love it spooned on berries and granola. I’m horribly allergic to factory-farm dairy products (develop hives!) but have no reaction to organic dairy. I find the organic milk keeps fresh longer, too.
When you must have ice cream – and we all must! – try the organic ice cream section. It’s so tasty and somehow, the calories feel healthier.
Although an acquired taste, raw organic cacoa (powder or nibs) is great for you. It has more antioxidants than any other food. Sprinkle it over granola and berries or put it in fruit smoothies. You can sweeten it with raw agave nectar for use in desserts.
If you’re keen on making healthier desserts, Kristen’s Raw blog is worth checking out. She’s a raw vegan chef and produces some excellent raw food prep books. She loves chocolate and has some great dessert recipes. I bought her smoothies and salads books and love them.
A good protein source is organic hemp hearts. Manitoba Harvest makes some excellent very high protein content hemp products for use in smoothies or sprinkled in salads and over granola or berries. It can be ordered online but Whole Foods probably carries it in the US.
Organic coconut oil is also wonderful stuff. Cook with it, fry with it, spoon it into smoothies, slather it on your skin in the bath. My body builder pal suggests washing with it instead of soap. I’m not quite there yet, but scrub it on my skin in the shower. It’s heavenly stuff.
P.S. I’ve eaten my share of Cool Whip in my time and totally understand it’s appeal – it tastes good! – but whipped high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil isn’t worth the benefit of the fewer calories. Real whipping cream sweetened with Splenda is the healthy way to go, despite the high number of calories. (Contrary to popular opinion, saturated fat eaten in moderation isn’t evil.)
January 8th, 2010 at 12:04 am
I’ll pass along one other product I’m totally sold on. Vega oil. Alternating a tablespoon of this daily (in salad dressing or straight down the hatch) with 10 grams of pharmaceutical grade fish oil produces amazing results for skin, hair, nails, and our mental health.
http://sequelnaturals.com/en/vega/products/antioxidant-efa-oil-blend/features-benefits
January 8th, 2010 at 5:23 am
I suggest getting the kids involved in the kitchen, even though it can be a massive pain at first. You can pick up a book on cooking with little kids (I have Mollie Katzen’s Pretend Soup, but haven’t used it much), and then start making meals with their help. Okay, maybe Dylan can’t do much besides maybe stir something, but Riley can mix and measure. Kids are much more likely to eat something new if they’ve helped make it or grow it. My two-year old “helps” me bake and cook by stirring and adding ingredients. Little kids can pick out seeds from a catalogue, plant, weed, etc. It’s true that it’s more work at first with them, but the theory is that they learn how to help (please let this be true).
And the other thing that helps us stick to a whole-grain, veggie-heavy meal plan is to make a menu ahead of time. I don’t plan out what night I’m making what, in general, but that way I don’t have to mentally rummage through the fridge and pantry: “uh, one can of chickpeas, some strawberries…” It also helps me see how much meat we’re eating through the week. Sometimes I can also do prep work for two meals at once- cut up veggies for stir-fry and soup at once, for example.
Good luck!
January 8th, 2010 at 5:40 am
One little thing we’ve done that has been helpful on both the time scale and the money scale is order our meat from a local bison farm (I’d recommend it, but um, I live in D.C., so like, that’s not helpful for you). Buying in bulk saved a lot of cash, plus it was just there, waiting if I needed it. I LOVE Whole Foods meat, but I can’t afford it regularly. I can either pick it up or have it delivered (also, I found a CSA that delivers as well, which was a HUGE time saver and made veggies stupidly convenient)
Also had to have the pleasant talk with my stepdaughter when I took her out there with me” “Yes, these bison are cute. And um, tasty. You’ll see” When she made the connection between the bison she saw on the fields and her dinner, it was a tense moment, but the she decreed she was glad that her food was “happy food” (i guess cause they looked happy in the field? I don’t know, whatever works)
January 8th, 2010 at 6:18 am
I saw on Twitter that you already got your CSA -so yay!!!
We loved ours and it was always interesting to come up with recipes.
January 8th, 2010 at 6:34 am
Linda–thanks for another inspiring post! I’ve been wanting to e-mail you to see how the kid’s eating habits have been going, but alas, I’m shy
Hoping to hear some positive results with your approach and some good ideas that I can incorporate in my house (I have a 2.5 and almost 4yo).
I 2nd the oatmeal suggestion…I do add a little salt and honey to it (okay more than a little honey), but it still feels healthier than buying it from the store with a bunch of other ingredients I can’t pronounce.
Of course, I do think our kids follow our eating habits to a certain extent. (mine won’t eat cereal w/milk because we don’t eat it..they eat oatmeal b/c I eat it) I think they make the ultimate decision as to what goes in their mouths, but at least we can try to be good models
Please keep us posted!
-kc
January 8th, 2010 at 7:36 am
I don’t know that I have any great suggestions, but I’ll tell you what I do. I grocery shop once a week (same time, same day) and plan out all the meals in advance. I have a running grocery list typed up in a doc on my computer and I add/subtract what I need for the week and add the week’s menu to the bottom (in case I space out at the store all, “duh…why do I need parsnips?”) It takes a little getting used to, for sure. At least one of the week’s meals is a pre-made option (like sushi or gardenburgers) and one of them is usually something we can eat for a few days in a row, like stew or lasagna. I usually make more simple meals during the week and more complicated on the weekends. Most of my during-the-week meals sound a lot like what you’ve done recently. I also repeat meals a lot. You don’t have to reinvent the dinner wheel every week.
January 8th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Yeah! I’m so excited that you’ve been motivated to think about this stuff! I agree that Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal Vegetable Miracle is a great book – it’s really well-written, and she isn’t at all preachy or smug. I don’t have a lot of specific advice, so just this: be patient with yourself while you learn new habits. It’s going to be a pain in the butt in the beginning while you figure out what foods work for you and your family, but once you get into the habit, eating more naturally, humanely, and locally isn’t much harder than a normal American processed food diet. And it really is so much better for you and the earth (hippie alert).
January 8th, 2010 at 7:43 am
I considered getting a CSA last summer, but told myself I’d go to the farmer’s market instead — which I did approximately zero times. I really liked Julia’s posts on this site, and I think I’ll actually do it this year! Also I’m on a kick where I roast a whole 4lb chicken every Sunday, then eat it for lunch and/or dinner all week long. It’s so much cheaper, faster, and better for you than fast food, or even lunch meat. Good luck!
January 8th, 2010 at 7:54 am
Good for you–those sound like totally reachable goals, and I’m inspired to do the same.
And there ARE farms out there with the green pastures and grazing animals, they’re just rare and you have to search around a bit to find their foods. My family on my mother’s side runs a huge sustainable farm in Indiana, and they’re often on the brink of ruin thanks to the Big Evil Pharms, but they believe in what they do. Supporting them really does make an impact.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Awesome! It’s definitely a one step at a time process to make these changes!
I’ve read Food Matters (Mark Bittman – saw it posted on here actually – lots of recipes in the back!) and Master Your Metabolism (Jillian Michaels – good stuff but really disappointed she is now promoting ‘supplements’ – don’t get me started!) over the past year. Both really have eye opening ideas in them – and get you thinking about things like the HFCS that is in everything!
My first step is to read packageing and when I see High Fructose Corn Syrup – run the other way. Man I miss my oreos
We don’t eat a lot of prepackaged foods – but there are things that I never thought were ‘that bad’ – like Stovetop Stuffing – but then I see those 4 little words and know I shouldn’t but it! Another thing Cereal Bars for a quick snack on the go. Ugh – it’s everywhere! Even dannon light n fit yogurt has a cazillion ingredients. Now we ONLY buy stoneyfield farm organic.
My biggest challenge is convincing my husband that ‘low-sugar’ or ‘no-suger’ on the box/can does not mean healthy. It usually means ASPARTAME or SUCRALOSE. So reading the labels is important.
We’ve convinced a friends to split a veggie and fruit share with us this year which is very exciting!
I’m looking forward to posts about what you learn and find works well for your family!
January 8th, 2010 at 11:26 am
I hear you! I watched Food Inc. last month and although I had already known KINDA some of the stuff, it was still good to watch it and let it seap in just THAT much deeper into my subconscious. If I could feed my kids a bowl of fruit for each meal, I would. And yeah, in fact I do sometimes. It’s easy, it’s healthy, it’s easy, there’s no white stuff, no processed sugars, no transfatty oil stuff or whatever that bad stuff is, no guilt over the fruit being mistreated or abused in any way. And did I mention it was easy. Load up on the fruits in the produce section sister.
January 8th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
This is fantastic, and I’ve always been curious about your meal-planning/recipes/menus because you have maintained such a great weight and we all know what you eat is such a huge part of that. So, I’m really excited to see what you come up with here and how it goes.
January 8th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
I am right there with you trying to make these healthy changes!
We get our Organic produce bin locally from New Roots Organics and have had a great experience so far. It also pushese me to cook those veggies in the bottom of the frige or I will have nowhere to put them when the next box comes. Also challenges me to cook more veggies I am less familiar with.
For local healthy pasture fed meats check out Thundering Hooves. You can order delivery or pick it up at a local buying club. Direct from the producer no less.
Also, we have just switched in general to organic dairy products. They taste better and it just seems a bit more responsible.
For a good calorie free sweetner you could try Stevia which is available at health foods stores. From the mint family, it hasn’t been approved by the FDA for sweetener use but it is sold in stores. It seems to follow that a plant would be better than chemicals at least… Theorhetically, the new Truvia sweetener is based on Stevia but is produced by Cargill and isn’t just Stevia leaf.
Some other interesting food books if you are interested: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, Real Food by Nina Planck, Eat Where You Live by Lou Bendrick, along with the Barbara Kingsolver book. Not all of them are something I take as gospel of course but all have something interesting on the perspective.
January 8th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
Awesome! I love reading about the positive changes you’re making. I too have rededicated myself to healthier, more natural eating in an effort to reap as many benefits as possible out of my exercising.
I’m fortunate to live on 5 acres and be able to have a garden, which will be a priority this spring. And also getting chickens so we’ll have farm fresh eggs. I need to do some research into finding some local beef. I love all the book recommendations too!
It’s amazing how much lighter I feel (hello high fiber diet) and how much more energy I have. That’s reward enough – the 4 lbs I’ve lost is just frosting on the…carrot.
Keep up the good work Linda! And keep sharing all your ideas/progress.
January 9th, 2010 at 8:53 am
I can’t wait to hear more about how you are incorporating this type of lifestyle in your life! I have been buying organic and local, joined a co-op market, and will definitely buy a share in a CSA this spring (living in MN really limits a few months of the year!). As I put some Agave Nectar into my plain yogurt this morning, I thought of you (and your Splenda). Try it! I really think you will find it is just as satisfying, if not more, as splenda. I also want to recommend the book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” as others have. I read it this summer and loved it. Great thoughts, great story, great recipes. One line that I think about every time I shop from either Food, Inc. or the movie Fresh (check out that one too!) is something along the lines of, “Every time we purchase a product, we make our vote.” Will your vote be for local, organic, and/or sustainable products?! I hope so! Thanks for sharing Linda!
January 9th, 2010 at 10:13 am
Here are some things that I’ve learned on my journey to better eating habits>
- Experiment with something new every week. This week I bought raw corn, and shaved the kernels into my arugula salad. You’ll never want cooked corn again, the sweet taste is mind boggling. I’m intimidated by produce I’ve never tried (for example, I’ve never had a parsnip!) but I have absolutely no good reason to feel this way. Explore, try new things, and involve the boys as much as possible. They are going to carry these new habits into their lives, and the positive impact you are making now is priceless.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. I think you have good common sense, and realistic expectations. That said, you are highly ambitious and that’s awesome. You’re taking on so much right now with running, school, and overhauling your family’s eating habits and while this is all fantastic, it can still be stressful (even “good” changes can be stressful, I’ve learned). Like you’ve said- baby steps. If you dont make your vote for local, organic, sustainable products every day, every meal- you’ll live. Chug along, my friend!
- Prep in advance. Cooking a beautiful dinner every night, simple as the ingredients may be, can be challenging when you factor in demanding schedules, work, commuting, fitness, etc. Pencil in a few hours every weekend for food prep. Chop your veggies, trim your meats, and make easy-to-grab snack bags of fresh fruit, almonds, peanuts, soy nuts, cereal and veggies (carrots, cucumbers, baby tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower). Spoon hummus into 1/2 cup containers you can whip out for a healthy condiment to sandwiches or wraps for a quick dinner. Make a healthy, veggie filled soup from scratch your family can eat from all week long. One of my biggest challenges is time, so this exercise has proven to be very beneficial to me, personally.
I’d love to hear how your new, healthier lifestyle is working out for you! Best of luck- Im right there with ya, sister!
January 10th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I haven’t seen Food, Inc. (I’ve heard it is somewhat upsetting, although that’s not the reason I’ve not seen it) but here in the UK over the last couple of years British chefs have made a number of programmes about chickens and pigs that are raised to low welfare standards for meat that is sold at knock-down prices at the big supermarkets. Since I saw those I only buy meat at local butchers and the difference in quality and taste is amazing.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:03 am
You have gotten a lot of great suggestions, and I see someone was able to suggest a source for pasture-fed meats, which is great. You might also check out http://www.localharvest.org for other listings of farms, CSAs, etc. in your area.
I’m lucky to live in an area with TONS of farms, so I’ve got access to a great farmer’s market from April to October, and a fall/winter co-op in between. I can get fresh local produce and sustainably raised meats & poultry year-round this way. After reading Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” I decided I wasn’t buying meat from Whole Foods or any other grocery store–you just don’t know what you’re getting. (I went vegetarian for a while. . .)
For food prep, during the cold months, I’m LOVING my slow cooker–and it’s especially great for grass-fed meats. I like making stews in large portions where I have leftovers for my own lunch, plus I can freeze some for later dinners. Less cooking! I’m planning to start making my own chicken broth from local free-range chickens in the slow cooker as well, so I can have the broth on hand for other uses (great for cooking whole grains as a side dish, to give flavor). I can then use the cooked chicken for chicken salads, enchiladas, curries, etc.
Best of luck to you. This isn’t the easiest change you’ll ever make, but you’ll feel so much better about what you’re eating, and supporting local farmers is an added bonus.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:11 am
Forgot to mention–you might also look for a butcher who sells meat from local farmers. I have a butcher like that nearby (which is useless to you, since I’m in VA, but whatever), and he carries items from farmers a little further afield than what I can get otherwise. He also carries seafood and makes some awesome sausages from local beef & pork.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Food, Inc. is on our Netflix list of stuff to watch when I get a chance. I’m a little scared to be horrified about what I’ve been eating. Buuuutttt…. you’ve gotta learn somewhere, right?
We built a new house this fall, and I carved out a space in the back yard for gardening of produce. I even had them put drip lines in, so I don’t have to worry about watering the plants. I’m hell bent on making home made salsa this summer, and canning it for winter consumption.
The town we live in just passed a chicken-keeping ordinance. While I’m not ready to go that hippie, I do have a bunch of friends with domestic chickens to provide fresh, non-farmed eggs.
And I’m pretty certain that all of the Costco-bought, horomone-fed chicken breasts we ate as a child contributed to overly large breasts for my sister and I. We’ve both had boob reductions at 20 years old and 24 years old, respectively. As soon as I can convince my fiance of it, we’re getting on the organic meat train.
Baby steps. Gardening for home consumption this year, organic meat next year.
January 11th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Tara – where in VA are you? I’m in SW and would love to hear about you local meat expereince. I think my best option is Floyd – but haven’t done all the research yet.
We do have a butcher – but his meats aren’t local or organic – they just don’t have all the extra shots and such the grocery store meats get. I wasn’t sold.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Yay! Good for you! Its kind of a (positive) slippery slope once you start finding out about how our “food” is made. We recently watched Food Inc. too and it also reinforced our plans to eat responsibly. What has really helped us is being a member of a CSA. We get a box of vegetables once a week from a farm about 40 miles away and once a year a box of pork from the same farm for our freezer. It has totally changed the way we eat and cook. We eat seasonally and way more vegetables obviously but because I have to think creatively about how to use up all these veggies my cooking skills have gotten so much better. And the box comes with a newsletter with notes about what is going on at the farm and recipes for the vegetables inside – all costing less than what I spend at the farmers market. We love it!