January 3rd, 2010 §
If you can, that is. I realize that for some people, voting with their dollar is impossible. It is certainly more important for a mother to provide food for her family than to starve them to prove a point. But for most of us, it is possible to make at least a few changes in how we spend our money.
I just finished watching “Food, Inc.”, and I was disgusted. I was actually, physically nauseous. And I already knew most of the information presented in the film. But I need to be reminded on a regular basis why I make the choices I do. When I get lazy and start to compromise, I need films like this and books like Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” to keep me motivated to spend more money, more time, and more energy in shopping for and preparing food for my family.
But the real battle for me isn’t food prepared at home. Just like anyone on a special diet, it’s figuring out how to eat when out that is the real challenge. Some friends of mine have chosen to eat vegetarian diets–especially when the source of the meat is in question–and I am considering whether or not this choice is feasible for me. It is something I have attempted before and failed. But I have noticed that each time I come back to some decision like this, it is easier to stick to the next time around. And I am presently feeling very dedicated.
What’s so bad about industrial farmed meat? I don’t intend to go into all the nitty gritty here in this particular blog–Food, Inc. does a much better job than I could do–but here is a brief explanation of a few things that are especially bothersome to me. On industrial farms, animals are primarily fed non-organic, genetically modified corn and soy-based feeds and treated with antibiotics. The problem with such feed is that it is not a natural diet for these animals, and therefore, they cannot process it correctly. It makes them grow too big and too fast (so that their legs buckle under their own weight) and it makes them ill (so they require antibiotics). Another problem is that because corn and soy are pesticide-heavy crops and pesticides accumulate in fatty tissue and corn and soy make the animals extra-fatty (think well-marbled steak), consuming such meat means you are consuming an extra dose of pesticides.
On industrial farms, animals are confined in enclosures, often shoulder-to-shoulder with other animals. Because of the tight conditions, the animals are sometimes knee-deep in feces, making E. coli and salmonella contamination more likely. And because there is so much feces in a confined space, and the animals are often falling under their own weight, feces sticks to their legs and bellies. The animals and their feces then make their way to the slaughterhouse floor where the meat–especially the scraps that go on to be made into ground beef–are contaminated.
Because of this contamination, one company, Beef Products Inc., began treating these scraps with ammonia to kill the bacteria. Yes. Ammonia. Fast-food chains such as McDonalds, and Burger King, as well as grocery chains and school lunch programs use this ammonia-treated beef. And now, as a recent New York Times article suggests, studies are showing that the process might not be working after all.
So in my home, despite the cost, we are already committed to buying free-range meat and poultry and grass-fed beef. Chicken breasts are smaller, beef is leaner and tastes more “earthy”, but it is our normal. The higher nutritional value in meat from animals raised on a natural diet and who are free to roam (higher in omega 3 fatty acids, less fat) is worth the price tag. When out, however, we tend to throw caution to the wind and eat whatever suits our tastes at the moment. This will be my first (big) step forward in quite awhile, and it is one I have been meaning to take for some time.
October 8th, 2009 §
My in-laws vacation a lot. Growing up we vacationed very little, and when we did, it was usually a road trip to visit relatives whose homes we stayed in. Not so with the in-laws. Because of their recent time-share purchase, we have stayed in condos together a few times this year. This is the ideal way to vacation, in my opinion–especially with small children. Going out to eat is fun, and I’m glad to do it on occasion, but it’s so much easier to eat in when you have two munchkins.
Shopping for food has been interesting, to say the least. In years past, I haven’t thought much about the start-of-the-week grocery store trip. We (my husband, his two siblings, and I) would walk through the aisles grabbing whatever snacks and treats tempted us, without having to look at prices or labels (we sound like 8-year-olds, but I assure you, we’re all adults!). It was a lot of fun. But now that I am more food-conscious, the shopping trip is more complex.
Let me back up and say that my in-laws are not very holistic, but they are supportive of me and my choices and they listen when I talk about whatever new thing I’ve learned. My mother-in-law has been on her own health journey for awhile now, too, and it’s exciting that our journeys have begun to overlap some. But my father-in-law still seems to prefer his own ways.
He was the one I went grocery shopping with in August when we vacationed in Newport. At the meat counter, he spotted a package of organic free-range chicken breasts and picked it up–I assume, as an act of kindness toward his daughter-in-law. But then he saw the price. Organic free-range meat is much more expensive than factory farmed meat, to be sure. I don’t think he was prepared for that. He confessed later that he had been unable to pay so much for a product he could get for so much less.
On our most recent vacation in Palm Springs (where the temperatures soard to 116 degrees!), we found ourselves again at the grocery store together. This time, there were no awkward encounters with dead animals, but I found myself feeling extremely self-conscious when reaching for the organic package of cheese when the regular package and it’s nice low price sat staring longingly at my father-in-law. Then when we were choosing a loaf of bread, my mother-in-law chose a loaf that had lots of preservatives in it. She graciously offered to let me pick the loaf. But then I found myself feeling that awkward feeling again.
I should clarify that my in-laws don’t make me feel awkward. I make myself feel awkward. They are the most gracious, accommodating people, and go out of their way to make me feel comfortable. But nonetheless, I still found myself embarrassed that I couldn’t hide my discomfort with the items they were choosing.
On the Holistic Moms Network national email loop, moms are often distressed about parents or in-laws not respecting them and their efforts to feed their families a certain way. I have oodles of respect from my in-laws, but I have trouble accepting it. I guess I’m afraid of them rolling their eyes behind my back, or feeling frustrated having to accommodate my almost-always more expensive choices. Or, more importantly, I’m afraid they think I am judging them. (If you are reading this, be assured that I’m not!)
I suppose if I were contributing to the cost of the trip my preferances and choices wouldn’t make me as self-conscious. The hardest part of eating organic and free-range is eating with other people–especially when those other people are paying.
September 23rd, 2009 §
In the holistic community there is a plethora of ideas about which diet is ideal for optimal health. I have dabbled a little in several, but have yet to adhere to any specific way of eating. I am really looking forward to the series of lectures we have lined up at the Holistic Moms Network in 2010 on nutrition. I hope to begin to figure out in which direction I’d like to take our eating habits. And I’ll be sure to share what I learn at each lecture.
Currently, the choices I’ve made with regards to food include eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Let me clarify by saying I don’t mean that I am a raw foodie (though I would like to incorporate more raw foods into my diet), but that if I buy a container of half and half, I want the ingredient list to be cream and milk. I was dismayed to discover that many brands of half and half (specifically non- and low-fat versions) have rather long ingredient lists. Here is the ingredient list for one popular brand: nonfat milk, milk, corn syrup solids, artificial color, sugar, dipotassium phosphate, sodium citrate, mono and diglycerides, carageenan, natural and artificial flavors, vitamin A palmitate. Blech!
Packaged snacks have been the most difficult to find without a long list of unpronounceable ingredients. But I have found several items that I buy regularly. My current addiction is Sea’s Gift Roasted Seaweed Snack. My only complaint about it is that it is overly packaged. But it satisfies my cravings for a crunchy, salty snack while delivering only 25 calories, 1 gram of fat, 2 grams of protein, 35% of my vitamin A and 20% of my vitamin C. And there are only 3 ingredients: seaweed, sesame oil and sea salt. I know similar products exist in Asian supermarkets with less packaging, and I fully intend to take myself on a field trip to pick some up.
I have also fallen in love with Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips from Food Should Taste Good. The ingredient list? Stone ground corn, high oleic sunflower oil and/or safflower oil, sweet potato, corn bran, evaporated cane juice, and sea salt. I have yet to try any of their other snacks, but they all sound wonderful. I think my next purchase will be the Potato & Chive Tortilla Chips.
I bake a lot as well to satisfy my sweet tooth (that I only acquired since having children)–almost always substituting Sucanat, honey or agave nectar (though I’m learning that many brands of agave are highly processed) for both white and brown sugars, and always reducing the amount of sugar called for in a recipe. I also almost always substitute at least a portion of the white flour with whole wheat, oat, or rice flour. And instead of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips, I use bittersweet chocolate chunks.
I have this dream that someday when I find the motivation (maybe once I regularly get enough sleep) I’ll make everything we eat in our home from scratch–breads, sauces, snacks, pasta, etc. From the little I know about nutrition, it’s not the low-fat or low-sugar or low-carb diet that’s best, it’s the fresh and whole diet that will add years to our lives. That means whole (raw) milk, whole (soaked) grains, free-range (organic, grass-fed) meats, fresh (organic) nuts, fruits and vegetables, with no preservatives, additives, enhancers, etc.
While I can’t make everything from scratch right now, and there are still those brands and items I haven’t figured out how to replace or give up, I am on a trajectory toward better nutrition and health.