Hardcore organic eaters: Do you refuse free food?

[Rebecca in GA]

I admit I'm not hardcore but I have seen definite health improvement since adding more organics (meat, dairy, high-pesticide produce) to our diet.

 

DH brought home 40 frozen hamburger patties left over from a company cookout and I happily accepted them. My mom dropped off some boxed macaroni and cheese, breakfast stuff and a tub of margarine that she had bought with coupons/good deals and I happily accepted them. I happily taste free samples at grocery stores and I have a coupons for free fast food, salad dressing, ice cream and kid meals, all of which I intend to happily use at some point.

 

Dunno...I just figure it's all treat-type stuff I don't usually buy, but definitely can use. A hardcore friend thinks I'm "living dangerously." Any thoughts?

[Janna]

That's a tough one.

 

In those instances you described, here's what I probably would have done. For the hamburger meat, I would have allowed a few in the house, but *I* wouldn't eat them. I would let dh and dc have some (enough for one meal). We would give away the rest. For the mac and cheese, I would have accepted the boxes to let dc have for lunch or dinner on days when things are very chaotic and harried. The breakfast stuff would depend - if it were boxed breakfast burritos or pop tarts or toaster struddle type stuff, I probably would accept it, but give it away. The margarine I would accept but then throw away - seriously. I wouldn't even in good conscious be able to give it away. So there isn't anything I won't accept because I think that would be rude behavior to say, "no thank you, we don't eat that". Rather, I would accept it and then get rid of it at my discretion. The kids and my dh happily and readily accept free samples at stores, but *I* do not. And there are some samples I won't let my dc have either - esp. fruit and cheese that has been sitting on a table with a half opened "dome" that has been left unmanned. That disgusts me.

 

However, having said all of that, since we just had a new baby, we have been having meals delivered to us. I have *happily* accepted all of the meals and eaten them because we were thought of in the preparation and people went through effort to make it and then deliver it to us (and we do not live close to anyone). I am absolutely humbled and grateful for the meals brought to us.

 

So for me, a lot depends on the circumstances.

[Rebecca in GA]

Congratulations on your new baby!

 

And if you don't mind my asking, are you nursing, and does that make a difference?

[Camy-7 boybarians 1 lady]

You could tell them that you enjoy living dangerously :o).

 

We are not a hardcore organic fam, but we do our best. If it's not in our budget, we settle for the next best thing...locally grown or as close to home as possible.

 

Are you struggling financially? Perhaps it would help to put things in perspective. A starving person in a Third World country happily accepts the bagged rice distributed from the UN or a charitable organization. It is quite certain that they do not ask if it's organic or not. In our country, we are blessed so much more. If things are really tough, and it isn't against personal conviction, the State has assitance programs. We can buy inexpensive food from the store. However, that doesn't mean we have to settle for margarine or foods that we think are unhealthy.

 

We can always purchase noodles and make our own cheese sauce. It may not be organic, but it is a healthy choice. It's quite easy to make homemade salad dressing. I'm sure you can understand what I'm saying. I guess it comes down to your own personal convictions.

 

IMO, it seems that this there is a mentality sweeping the nation to eat organic, pure foods. This is not all bad, but it is almost "vogue", kwim? People brag about how their food is perfect and w/o contaminants. How do they know this for sure?

 

If we live in fear of what we eat, perhaps we will become unhealthy from the added stress of it all! LOL.

 

The Bible mentions that we should do all to the glory of God. I believe this includes eating! :o)

 

Therefore, I toast this beautiful blessing of a life w/ my non-organic glass of gamay noir. MMMM. Tastes good.

 

Blessings!

 

Camy

[Diana in OR]

Well, I don't think that small amount will hurt you or your family. :D

 

Having said that, like the other poster, I would throw the margarine away. And the other stuff, it just depends. Can you "enhance" it to make it healthier? For example, if it's pancake mix, can you add oat bran, dried fruit, etc. to redeem it? If not, I probably wouldn't use it. I'd keep the meat and use it creatively.

 

We used to reserve fast food, ice cream, etc. for special treats. Unfortunately, as my dc have gotten older, it seems they are bombarded with that kind of stuff everywhere they go (see the thread on obese kids!). So it is no longer a treat from mom and dad. That frustrates me. Once in awhile, I'd like to have pizza with all the fixins, but then I find out ds has had pizza 3 times that week at church, friend's house, after school etc. I can't in good conscience give it to him again at home. And at church, they hand out full-size candy bars as prizes--14yos usually comes home with a couple every week.

 

I try to balance it. I'm not hardcore, but am becoming more stringent about what we have at home, as it becomes harder to control what we have out of the home, if that makes sense.

[Janna]

And if you don't mind my asking, are you nursing, and does that make a difference?

 

I'm embarrassed to admit this, Rebecca, but I don't understand your question. Are you asking if my nursing would be why I wouldn't eat that stuff, but feed it to my family? If so, that's a great question! My answer would be that I'm quasi-nursing - I am having serious supply issues, so I nurse but then supplement with formula. At this point, the nursing is almost completely non-existent. Even with continuous pumping I can't seem to get more than an oz out of both sides combined. Does it make a difference? I don't think so...people all over the world eat non-organic foods and nurse just fine. People all over have an extremely unhealthy diet because of famine and still nurse. So no, I don't think it makes a difference. The reason *I* don't eat it is because I don't like the way it makes me feel. I get headaches easily from food additives and my stomach is very sensitive to a lot of stuff after getting seriously sick (requiring hospitalization) on a missions trip in Mexico 17 years ago. I kid you not, even this many years later, my stomach is *not* the same. My dh just isn't convicted about food the way I am, which is why he'll eat it and why I don't get upset to have it in the house *every once in awhile*. The problem becomes when it's more than that. See my response below.

 

Can you "enhance" it to make it healthier? For example, if it's pancake mix, can you add oat bran, dried fruit, etc. to redeem it?

 

That's a very good point. If things can be enhanced I too would keep it.

 

We used to reserve fast food, ice cream, etc. for special treats. Unfortunately, as my dc have gotten older, it seems they are bombarded with that kind of stuff everywhere they go (see the thread on obese kids!). So it is no longer a treat from mom and dad. That frustrates me. Once in awhile, I'd like to have pizza with all the fixins, but then I find out ds has had pizza 3 times that week at church, friend's house, after school etc. I can't in good conscience give it to him again at home. And at church, they hand out full-size candy bars as prizes--14yos usually comes home with a couple every week.

 

I try to balance it. I'm not hardcore, but am becoming more stringent about what we have at home, as it becomes harder to control what we have out of the home, if that makes sense.

 

That is *exactly* where we are too. It's very frustrating when I'm thinking we'll go grab a burger while out running errands, only to find out the kids had hot-dogs at a friend's house, or pizza at a group event already that week. But sometimes, it's more my dh who's "at fault" (LOL). He'll be at work and go grab fast food for lunch. Well I don't want him eating that stuff regularly either, so it "ruins" it for the rest of us (or the kids anyway) when we can't go. It *is* hard to control what is fed to my family outside of the home, so like you, while I'm not hardcore (perhaps in my head I am, but I can't afford to be in actuality), I am very stringent about what I buy and allow inside my home, where I can control it.

[Rebecca in GA]

I'm embarrassed to admit this, Rebecca, but I don't understand your question. Are you asking if my nursing would be why I wouldn't eat that stuff, but feed it to my family? If so, that's a great question!

 

Actually, you answered the question further down, where you talked about the way less healthy food makes you feel. I wondered if you were nursing because I thought passing along unhealthy junk in b-milk might be of concern when choosing not to eat certain types of foods.

[Sue G in PA]

We accept "some" foods, but not others. There are certain foods that I won't eat or feed to my family...anything with trans fats or food dyes is completely out and our friends/family know this. Non-organic milk is out, too. Anything else (as long as it isn't preservative-laden) is fair game. We struggle financially...and it's getting worse so I'm thankful for any help. But, I won't sacrifice the health of my family, KWIM?

[MomOfOneFunOne]

Well, somehow we don't really get a lot of free food. I can answer you this way, though. We do not eat meat. Every year my husband gets a (huge, may I say) turkey or ham during the holidays. We give it to Catholic Charities.

[battlemaiden]

That's a tough one.

 

In those instances you described, here's what I probably would have done. For the hamburger meat, I would have allowed a few in the house, but *I* wouldn't eat them. I would let dh and dc have some (enough for one meal). We would give away the rest. For the mac and cheese, I would have accepted the boxes to let dc have for lunch or dinner on days when things are very chaotic and harried. The breakfast stuff would depend - if it were boxed breakfast burritos or pop tarts or toaster struddle type stuff, I probably would accept it, but give it away. The margarine I would accept but then throw away - seriously. I wouldn't even in good conscious be able to give it away. So there isn't anything I won't accept because I think that would be rude behavior to say, "no thank you, we don't eat that". Rather, I would accept it and then get rid of it at my discretion. The kids and my dh happily and readily accept free samples at stores, but *I* do not. And there are some samples I won't let my dc have either - esp. fruit and cheese that has been sitting on a table with a half opened "dome" that has been left unmanned. That disgusts me.

 

However, having said all of that, since we just had a new baby, we have been having meals delivered to us. I have *happily* accepted all of the meals and eaten them because we were thought of in the preparation and people went through effort to make it and then deliver it to us (and we do not live close to anyone). I am absolutely humbled and grateful for the meals brought to us.

 

So for me, a lot depends on the circumstances.

 

The creator of Vegetarian Times magazine was transformed in his thoughts over a situation similar to yours. He had very strong opinions about diet but when he broke his leg and the meals from his church poured in he was humbled to a point he hadn't expected. He decided dietary choices shouldn't alienate.

 

Your story reminded me of his story.

 

It is incredibly humbling to receive care and nuture from your community.

 

Jo

[Unicorn.]

The creator of Vegetarian Times magazine was transformed in his thoughts over a situation similar to yours. He had very strong opinions about diet but when he broke his leg and the meals from his church poured in he was humbled to a point he hadn't expected. He decided dietary choices shouldn't alienate.

 

Your story reminded me of his story.

 

It is incredibly humbling to receive care and nuture from your community.

 

Jo

 

 

I will add that I don't think anyone should accept something that they intend to just throw away. Politely decline it if you won't use it, and let the giver know why, and thank them for their thoughtfulness. Then let them give it to someone who can't afford to be so.... choosy.

[Rosie_0801]

I think you have to find the balance between ethics, economics and energy. Everyone has a different balance. We ate a lot more organic food before we had kids, back when we lived in the capital city. Now we have kids, so have less money and energy. We live in a rural town, so have less shopping options. I'm not going to pay three times the price for organic meat, for example, but we will buy the free-range if it's available, which is affordable; and I don't eat veal, turkey or grain fed beef, for ethical reasons. Basically, you can't make a 100% ethical decision on everything, so you have to do your best. Your best depends on the level of energy, the options available and what's in your wallet.

I'd keep the hamburger patties in the freezer for those "couldn't cook a decent meal if my life depended on it" days. I wouldn't accept pop tarts. In my opinion, they are "not food."

That's just us...

Rosie

[Rebecca in GA]

Great comments, all. Thanks for the input!