Healthy, ethical eating at the typical supermarket: list your ideas here

[katilac]

We just have typical grocery choices near me. Whatever one thinks of Whole Foods, the nearest one is 30 minutes away, and both insanely crowded and expensive. It could be an occasional choice, but not a weekly stop. We can't run to a local farm to buy meat, veggies or raw milk, y'know?

 

I know we're not the only ones, so what are the most helpful tips if you want to eat healthy and not support inhumane farming practices? The 'organic' label doesn't mean much, so please be as specific as possible! Specific brands would be great, especially those that are easily available. Which choices have the most impact for the effort and money?

 

((and please hurry, I'm watching Food Inc and gagging over here))

[Jennifer in MI]

Can you find a local farmer's market for the summer? That should provide you with veggies and fruit. Ask them about meat too. I was able to find a local store that buys their meat from local Amish farms. They raise them ethically and mostly organic (not certified). And, they're cheap!!!! (I just bought 35 pounds of various meats for $100!! That included 1.5 pounds of filet!)

 

Is there a local food coop? I'm in a coop where I get my wheat berries, rice, oatmeal, popcorn, etc. Mostly grains. It's mostly locally grown and organic.

 

I'm still looking for a source for eggs.

 

I found a local milkman!!! The milk isn't organic, but only because they can't guarantee the cows don't get non-organic feed. I SO look forward to our delivery on Wednesdays!!!

 

I'm keeping an eye on this thread. I'm currently trying to find more local sources for our food. I also don't trust the 'organic' label.

Edited March 30, 2010 by Jennifer in MI

[Amy loves Bud]

We just have typical grocery choices near me. Whatever one thinks of Whole Foods, the nearest one is 30 minutes away, and both insanely crowded and expensive. It could be an occasional choice, but not a weekly stop. We can't run to a local farm to buy meat, veggies or raw milk, y'know?

 

I know we're not the only ones, so what are the most helpful tips if you want to eat healthy and not support inhumane farming practices? The 'organic' label doesn't mean much, so please be as specific as possible! Specific brands would be great, especially those that are easily available. Which choices have the most impact for the effort and money?

 

((and please hurry, I'm watching Food Inc and gagging over here))

 

I try to buy as little packaged as possible. Many groceries have buffalo - we choose that over beef. Our grocery has "natural" options for meats behind the butcher counter. You can ask who supplies these and research the companies. We buy organic produce as much as possible when we buy produce at the grocery store - I know it's losing it's meaning, but we do what we can. Organic Valley is a good brand for dairy and eggs.

 

Also, I would look into local farmer's markets. You still have to keep an eye on what you're getting, but chances are better for local, organic produce.

 

Look for local farms that raise meat with healthy and humane practices. You don't have to go weekly - you can buy packs of meat or even a quarter or side - that will last you a while.

 

Ask around about a produce coop. The one nearest us has pick-up once every two weeks and supplies a good-size box of organic, local-when-possible produce.

 

I hope this helps!

[Wyndie]

I joined a local (sorta - it's about 45 minutes away) produce co-op recently and they deliver! Can't beat that. Do an online search or call WF and ask if they know of one.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I heard that it is healthiest (when at a normal supermarket) to go around the perimeter of the store. That is where the fresh produce, fresh meats, dairy and breads are usually located.

[katilac]

Can you find a local farmer's market for the summer? That should provide you with veggies and fruit. Ask them about meat too. I was able to find a local store that buys their meat from local Amish farms. They raise them ethically and mostly organic (not certified). And, they're cheap!!!! (I just bought 35 pounds of various meats for $100!! That included 1.5 pounds of filet!)

 

 

Look for local farms that raise meat with healthy and humane practices. You don't have to go weekly - you can buy packs of meat or even a quarter or side - that will last you a while.

 

!

 

If we had the option of buying meat from local farms, I'd happily investigate that. There are some local produce farms, mostly for citrus and strawberries. We can't buy apples and many other common items; they are trucked in even at the farmer's market. I think this is pretty dependent on what part of the country you live in. If we had local farms, I'd use that resource in a heartbeat!

 

I'm really curious at to whether it's possible to raise your standards if a typical grocery store is where you need to shop most of the time! If I find a meat source several hours away, I personally would be able to buy a lot at once and freeze, but I know that's not possible for many people.

 

((thanks for all the tips, though, I will keep them all in mind!))

[katilac]

Also, Jennifer mentioned Amish country. I'll use that as an example of different shopping experiences.

 

When we visited a friend in Amish country, they were surrounded by numerous local farms. They could buy many, many items straight from the source with very little effort.

 

Also, we were absolutely AMAZED at how wonderful the produce is, how utterly, utterly different it tasted to what we buy at home. Ten times more fresh and flavorful! We would gobble up tons more fruits and veggies if we could obtain that quality, but we can't. This was true not just for locally grown items, but for everything. I think she said that they are close to a port, whereas the same items have to arrive in port and then be trucked across the country to us.

 

I think there's a lot to be said for buying local, but we're semi-tropical down here (Louisiana). Locally grown and sold produce consists mostly of strawberries, oranges, and tomatoes (and local doesn't mean within 30 minutes, but within 2 hours or so). Oh, yams and pecans also. Do people really limit themselves to that extent? I'd be sad at the thought of no apples, bananas, pears, pineapples, and so on!

[Spy Car]

Fresh alligator?

 

Bill

[Carol in Cal.]

I would look for a CSA--they give you a share of the production of a local farm, and it supports local agriculture. The one that I use has gradually networked with other local farms to the extent that I can get their produce, eggs from another one, artisan whole grain bread from a third, and preserves from another, all delivered through my CSA's system. They also have an email list and just yesterday we got an email about a local farmer who sells fresh, organic, grass finished meat--something that I didn't know existed close by. So that's the first priority I would have if I were you--find a source like that and then network from there.

 

At the supermarket, start by getting rid of as much packaging as possible. That's really the place to begin. The closer you are to the bare food the healthier. Learn to cook your own beans from scratch, your own salad dressings and pasta sauces, that kind of thing. You might even enjoy making your own cheese, or peanut butter, or jam. Next, switch to organic and local purchases whenever they turn up at that store, and ask for more. Also, if you have a choice between a supermarket that is part of a chain and one that seems family owned and trying to 'do the right thing', pick the local, family owned one. You'll probably have more clout there, and can influence them more quickly. Our local family owned store carries one brand of organic beef, and it's the only ground beef I ever buy. I tell them so, every time I buy it. Others hear me and sometimes ask about it. It's these little things that spread the good word around, and give people ideas they didn't have before. Also, try for whole grain foods, and avoid conventional corn and soy (most are GMO) and conventional berries (lots of pesticides, more than most fruit).

 

The other thing I would do is plant something. Start small. Maybe a papaya tree, or an avocado. Something that will do well on benign neglect. Maybe add a few herbs--they are very forgiving, and fresh herbs are so expensive in stores. Tell your children that if they grow radishes and lettuce you will buy their produce--make it into a homeschooling business experience.

 

That's where I would start. Good for you for taking this seriously!

[i.love.lucy]

In another thread someone posted a link to eatwild which is an online source to find local grassfed beef, pork, etc. And when I looked it seemed like I could use that to find options for milk, eggs, etc.

 

I looked at Louisiana and it seemed like there were a few options you could start with. If it were me, and will be me soon, I would probably buy as much local and organic produce and meat/eggs/dairy, and then fill in what I can from the grocery store with the few items I can't get locally. It's doubtful you can do it 100% in your area, but would 75% be better than it is right now?:)

[katilac]

Fresh alligator?

 

Bill

 

Alligator is actually really good, although I generally eat it on a po-boy, lol. Not sure how hard it is to buy or cook. Hmmmm . . .

 

In another thread someone posted a link to eatwild which is an online source to find local grassfed beef, pork, etc. And when I looked it seemed like I could use that to find options for milk, eggs, etc. <snip>

 

It's doubtful you can do it 100% in your area, but would 75% be better than it is right now?:)

 

50% would be better. I'll check out the eatwild link, thanks!

[katilac]

I can't believe I forgot to list fresh shrimp, crabs, and crawfish! So maybe I'll fly in my grain-fed beef and eat fresh shrimp, lol.

[OrganicAnn]

This is what we do. It isn't prefect, but it is better than average.

 

We buy eggs year round from the farmers market (usually an Amish family is there with eggs and baked goods). We bought a 1/4 of an organically/grass feed cow. We grow a vegetable garden and have some fruit trees and add some more. We buy the vegetables that we don't grow (or new things) from the farmers market in the summer. I shop at Krogers and occasionally from Whole Foods which is about 30 minutes away from me too. I buy organic from Krogers unless I am really stuck (promised to cook something and they are out of organic whatever). We eat a lot of vegetarian meals that are inexpensive (like rice and beans) and so we spend more on organic produce, eggs, milk and meat.

 

We've been surprised that the Farmers Market has become year round in just the last year. If your market does not go year round, you can ask the people selling eggs, meat, cheese or whatever if you could come to their farms to buy through the winter. I've know people who have developed long relationships with their egg provider. Also Eatwild.com has lists of farms.

 

I think the best thing to do it take baby steps. What is the thing you want to change most? It often will take a few years to get to where you want to be.

 

It took us a long time to develop a group of vegetarian recipes that we loved. It is so much easier to just cook meat and potatoes. We've always grown vegetables so that was no problem, we just have gotten better at it and grown more and more each year.

 

Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingslover is a great book for showing how someone actually put their principals into practice.

[Frontier Mom]

Not sure if it will help, but I just started asking around. Ends up there is a family I have been guiding in beginning homeschooling as their oldest will be 7 this year. They have a small farm and he brought me free range eggs to church Sunday. They are South American so the eggs are colored!!

 

He also has free range chicken in his freezer he will sell me and will have some beef later this year. Who knew? Now, he has actually told me we can have our own chickens if the boys will help him build a chicken coop. He works a full time job and needs some help around the farm.

 

Since we live in a neighborhood, I would love this. We are helping him plant blueberries this week.

 

If all else fails, show all your friends the movie and get a group thing going. Maybe get into a co-op together or take turns going to Whole Foods each week.

[Ravin]

Food for thought:

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/03/the-great-grocery-smackdown/7904/

[Spy Car]

Alligator is actually really good, although I generally eat it on a po-boy, lol. Not sure how hard it is to buy or cook. Hmmmm . . .

 

 

From what I understand Alligator meat is very healthful, it's local, it's sustainable, you enjoy the taste.

 

I bet it can be sourced cheaply. So I'd become a master gator-chef if I were you. I really would.

 

Bill

[FaithManor]

If you live in the Midwest, you will have some luck shopping at Meijers if there is one close to you. I go there once per month and get organic produce that I can't get locally plus free-range chicken plus they have a much wider range of baking supplies.

 

Also, you might want to ask around and see if there is a Mennonite bulk food store in your area. We have one and can get organic produce and baking supplies.

 

I buy Cheddar Bunnies and Graham Bunnies for the kids plus organic corn chips all from Target when I can get there.

 

We don't have a Whole Foods nearby....90 miles away so I have never been to it.

 

If you have a farmer's market locally during the summer and organic or at least grown without commercial fertilizers and pesticides is available, then I would recommend buying as much in bulk as possible and freezing it. We have broccoli, green beans, peas, squash, corn, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, and carrots from either local farmers or our own garden in the freezer plus I canned tomatoes for pasta and pizza sauce, oh and also made salsa. The investment in canning is kind of expensive upfront but does eventually pay for itself except for your time. I also canned green beans for dump and go and pinto beans from the Mennonite store because we really love refried beans. I dehydrated red pepper, grape tomatoes, and apple slices.

 

Time can be a real issue with both canning and dehydrating. But, the freezing part is easy so if you can a freezer, this really helps. You get to purchase the veggies and fruits freshly ripened and process right away so that you have maximum vitamin/mineral count and the flavor is soooo much better than what you get at the supermarket.

 

Call the local meat market and packing house. Tell them you'd like to purchase grass-fed, locally grown meats. They can either provide it by the pound (more expensive) or give you contacts to get it from a farmer by buying in bulk, i.e. side of beef, whole pig, etc. We pay approximately $3.00 per lb (that's all cuts) total when we buy our organic beef because we buy a half. We raised our own pig......he was yummy!

 

Hope this helps!

Faith

[cjzimmer1]

LocalHarvest.org is another place you could check for local farms and farmers markets. For meats if you don't have anything local, I would look into a big freezer and just plan to buy a half and make a big journey once a year (myself I wouldn't have a problem making a 3-4 hours drive each way if that was my only option)

 

I buy all my grains in bulk from Country Life Natural Foods (http://www.clnf.org) but if they don't deliver to you area there is also Azure Standard and United Buying Clubs. That would at least cover dried fruits, grains, legumes, etc.

 

For fresh produce, I realize that your summers are probably too hot for some of the stuff those of us in the North enjoy during the summer, but I would think someone should be growing them in the spring, fall or winter. If you can't find anyone, then plant a garden yourself, if you don't have space then look into container gardening. My sister used to live in an apartment and grew tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini and eggplants in pots. I've also done herbs, green beans, parsnips, lettuce, onions, carrots and radishes in pots. Obviously you won't be able to grow huge amounts in pots (at least not enough for canning and freezing) but since you have a much longer growing season, I would expect you could keep some fresh veggies growing for most of the year.

 

It will take work to cultivate sources for everything but if you keep trying you will be sure to find something.

[ElizabethB]

Alligator is actually really good, although I generally eat it on a po-boy, lol. Not sure how hard it is to buy or cook. Hmmmm . . .

 

 

This is where I buy the game I can't find in the local area (I need to eat a large variety, I am on a rotation diet and become allergic to things I eat too often), they have alligator!

 

Exotic Meats

 

I must confess I don't eat alligator...but, I'm eating some food I never thought I would. Pigeon (also called squab so you can pretend you're not eating pigeon) and yak are much better than they sound.

[Pata]

This is where I buy the game I can't find in the local area (I need to eat a large variety, I am on a rotation diet and become allergic to things I eat too often), they have alligator!

 

Exotic Meats

 

I must confess I don't eat alligator...but, I'm eating some food I never thought I would. Pigeon (also called squab so you can pretend you're not eating pigeon) and yak are much better than they sound.

 

Yak meat is delicious! If you can find some alpaca or llama it's also very tasty. This thread is very interesting. I love shopping at the market, which is very easy to do when you live overseas. It's good to know that it's becoming more of a norm in the States as well.

[Annabel Lee]

Here's what we do, I don't know how much will be of use in LA since I'm in Alaska:

 

Go hunting for large mammal wild game - get a big freezer too to hold it all.

Go fishing if there's any clean waters nearby - catch the limit that Dept. of Fish & Game allows. Again - big freezer.

Are there any wild berries/fruits/etc. in your area? Berries store well in the freezer, too if you're just using them for muffins, pancakes, smoothies, etc.

Buy what you can organic. Something is better than nothing. Cost can be prohibitive, but there are lists on the internet about which foods to prioritize buying organic.

One year I split a side of organic grass-fed beef from a farm 2.5 hrs. away w/ a friend. Another friend sells shares of her garden ea. summer, and yet another organic garden sells their produce at the farmer's market in the summer, yes, 45 min. away.

Start gardening. Get those non-GMO seeds started now. Save old containers from yogurts, cottage cheese, etc. and plant organic heirloom seeds until it's warm enough to transplant outside. Read up on it if you don't garden (or garden w/o MiracleGro and the like) already. If there's no room I'd start something small indoors, maybe just herbs and peas.

[katilac]

This is where I buy the game I can't find in the local area (I need to eat a large variety, I am on a rotation diet and become allergic to things I eat too often), they have alligator!

 

Exotic Meats

 

I must confess I don't eat alligator...but, I'm eating some food I never thought I would. Pigeon (also called squab so you can pretend you're not eating pigeon) and yak are much better than they sound.

 

cool, thanks! I didn't know that squab = pigeon, and now I must tell a completely pointless pigeon story: a couple of years ago, someone called the police when they heard gunshots in a busy part of town. the cops arrive to find the manager of Taco Tico illegally shooting pigeons right behind his restaurant, lol. he swore they were for his own use, but no one wanted to risk eating pigeon. maybe he should have explained that it was squab . . .

[ElizabethB]

cool, thanks! I didn't know that squab = pigeon, and now I must tell a completely pointless pigeon story: a couple of years ago, someone called the police when they heard gunshots in a busy part of town. the cops arrive to find the manager of Taco Tico illegally shooting pigeons right behind his restaurant, lol. he swore they were for his own use, but no one wanted to risk eating pigeon. maybe he should have explained that it was squab . . .

 

LOL!

 

That is great.

[Spy Car]

This is where I buy the game I can't find in the local area (I need to eat a large variety, I am on a rotation diet and become allergic to things I eat too often), they have alligator!

 

Exotic Meats

 

I must confess I don't eat alligator...but, I'm eating some food I never thought I would. Pigeon (also called squab so you can pretend you're not eating pigeon) and yak are much better than they sound.

 

Elizabeth, have you ever checked out Jim's Fallbrook Market in Woodland Hills? These guys (I think) can get just about anything, and isn't terribly far if you pop over Topanga Cyn.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bill

[mcconnellboys]

I don't know what area of NO you live in, but I thought there used to be a good, centrally located, older grocery down there. It was sort of like Calandro's in Baton Rouge (where we used to live). I can't now recall the name of it and don't know if it's still there since Katrina..... (I don't think it was Langenstein's, that's in Metairie, isn't it?) I FOUND it - Dorignacs! Is that close to you? (I thought it was in mid-town.....)

 

http://www.dorignacs.com/

 

Don't they source a lot of local products and organic stuff (like Calandro's)?

 

Local farmers' markets could probably help you get linked up with good farm sources for meat as well as vegetables. Some CSA's (community sustained agriculture) are probably operating in your area and will probably either deliver to you or to a centralized location once per week, or you can come pick up from them. Of course, that doesn't help you in winter.

 

I know Baton Rouge has had a very vibrant downtown farmer's market for many years now where you can get most anything you want. My FIL and his lady friend go there every weekend. I feel certain that NO has something similar, too, but I don't have any contacts down there any more to check out specifics....

 

Wow, I've been googling and I don't find anything at all in your area except the Crescent City Farmer's Market....

 

And all I even see, state wide, is Earth Share Gardens, in Lafayette. Here is their email:

 

EarthShareGardens@gmail.com

 

You might try contacting them and just ask if they know of any farming groups you might try to contact in the New Orleans area.....

 

The Vintage Garden Kitchen, in Metairie, sources local meats and produce (they say), so you might contact them and ask about any farmers that sell to the public:

 

http://businessfinder.nola.com/5279793/The-Vintage-Garden-Kitchen-Metairie-LA

 

We had road side vendors selling tons of stuff, from shrimps to strawberries, in BR. Y'all don't have that in NO?

[BeckyFL]

My Publix carries Murray's chicken in vacuum packages for boneless breasts and they also have whole chickens. They also carry Maverick beef and Maverick bacon and hot dogs. If your store doesn't carry these things, you should be able to request them. I go to Whole Foods for meat (pork chops, ground turkey, etc) once a month or so, we purchased 1/4 grassfed cow from a local farmer and I buy Murrays chicken from Publix. You should be able to check the sites to see where you can purchase as well as asking your store to carry it. HTH.

 

http://www.murrayschicken.com/

 

http://www.maverickranch.com/

 

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2004/03/01/363864/index.htm

[Wheres Toto]

What do you do if you can't raise your own and don't have the storage space to buy 1/2 a cow at a time? I'd love some suggestions for those of us who are pretty much stuck with a chain grocery store trip that can only be augmented by locally grown produce during Summer and early Fall.

 

How do you find the time to drive one place for produce, another for meat, another for eggs, another for milk, etc.? I know for some these places may all be close together but what if they're not?

[Doran]

I haven't read this entire thread, but perusing the first handful of posts makes something fairly clear: sourcing healthy/ethical food at the typical supermarket is very difficult. This, in a nutshell, is one of the key components of brokenness of our food systems. Grocery stores, for the most part, carry commercially produced products, most of which are neither especially healthy or ethical. So, with that caveat, here are the recommendations given by Michael Pollan in his recent book, In Defense of Food: (1) Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. (2)Avoid food products containing ingredients tat are (a) unfamiliar (b) unpronounceable © more than five in number or that include (d) high-fructose corn syrup. (3) Avoid food products that make health claims. (4) Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle. (5) Get out of the supermarket whenever possible.

 

So, there's that.

 

As an idea for how to source foods in your area that you may not know about, try the Local Harvest site. A CSA might deliver somewhere near you.

 

Finally, since it's challenging for you to get to your Whole Foods or other "far away" places regularly (I put "far away in quote because I lived 13 years in a town which was 30 minutes from any decent grocery, and even now, the Whole Foods is 1.25 hours away. :)), you might consider asking around for others who might want to co-shop with you. Farm visits, etc. get a lot less bothersome when you're splitting up the burden with 3-4 others. Worth a shot?

 

Good luck!

[mcconnellboys]

Well, I think my area is a lot more rural than some and so has more available. Here, you can now buy smaller quantities of beef from local farmers; single hens; a dozen eggs, etc. You don't have to buy a half a beef or a whole beef at a time. If you're in NJ, I'm thinking you may have more available than you know about. I would start googling CSA's (community sustained agriculture). Many CSA's in my area now offer meats and poultry products as well as fruits and vegis.

 

Regarding fruits and vegis out of season, I'm beginning to look into preserving things, through either canning or freezing. I'm sorry that I can't offer any ideas other than that....

[Pretty in Pink]

I trust Organic Valley for dairy and eggs and Organic Prarie for beef and poultry. I buy Earthbound Farms organic lettuces. I can get Muir Glen or Newman's Own organic marinara for around two bucks a jar. Beyond that I just shop the perimeter of the store, avoid HFCS, preservatives, MSG, etc. like the plague, brown rice, whole grain pasta, etc. Cooking from scratch is the easiest way to avoid lots of unhealthy stuff. We do lots of beans and legumes, whole grains, you get the idea. Even if you're not eating all organic you can do quite well health-wise at the average supermarket.

[ElizabethB]

Elizabeth, have you ever checked out Jim's Fallbrook Market in Woodland Hills? These guys (I think) can get just about anything, and isn't terribly far if you pop over Topanga Cyn.

 

Just a thought.

 

Bill

 

No, but I do get some things that I couldn't get in Arkansas at Bristol Farms. I'll give that a try, thanks.

 

After watching Food, Inc. I realized that a possible reason I can't eat beef is the corn they eat, my first 4 bite test of grass fed beef was a success, I'll test out a full portion in about 10 or 12 days and see how that goes.

[Spy Car]

No, but I do get some things that I couldn't get in Arkansas at Bristol Farms. I'll give that a try, thanks.

 

After watching Food, Inc. I realized that a possible reason I can't eat beef is the corn they eat, my first 4 bite test of grass fed beef was a success, I'll test out a full portion in about 10 or 12 days and see how that goes.

 

I would call them. They can special order just about anything (if memory serves). And I think it would likely be cheaper than Bristol farms.

 

Bill

[phathui5]

You could find resources here:

 

http://www.localharvest.org/