Overthinking food choices?
I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like I run into a lot of food dilemmas at the grocery store. I try to eat as healthful and eco-consciously as possible, which can mean a lot of different things. Today, I went to buy milk, and they were out of organic skim milk. So, I asked myself the question, is it better for my health to buy organic 2% milk, or non-organic skim? Are the hormones and antibiotics worse for me than the fat content? Sometimes, the choices get even more complicated. Lets say you have a choice of locally grown non-organic apples, or organic apples from a different region. Not only is it a matter of freshness and nutritional content, but you also have to consider which has a greater ecological impact: traditional farming vs. shipping food cross-country.
I usually end up going with what looks the freshest, when it comes to produce, but I can't help but wonder if I'm making the best choices I can, for myself and the planet. Does this come up during anybody else's trips to the grocery store?
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8 Comments:
I think as long as you're buying plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and NO processed foods then you are doing yourself a heck of a favor. Try planting a vegetable and herb garden. You'll know where a majority of your food is coming from and it's also really fun and very rewarding. Plus it saves you money in the long run!!
arm1970 at 6:58PM on 03/28/09
You're both overthinking and underthinking.
Fat isn't necessarily bad for you, unless you consume too much of it, or you consume too much of the "bad" fats as opposed to the more heart-healthy ones. And it also depends on how much milk you consume, and whether you're trying to lose weight, among other things. So that's a personal decision.
Organic may not be any different than nonorganic foods. A lot of organic food is grown on what we'd consider factory farms, while some farmers that haven't gotten the organic label may in fact grow things in a way we'd consider organic.
In some cases, shipping food across the country has very little environmental impact, because trucks go back and forth, loaded both ways. If we stopped shipping oranges from Florida to Minnesota, the people in Florida might still be buying finished goods from Minnesota.
Since you can't actually know every detail about every bit of food you eat, you just make the best decisions you can, and don't agonize about it. Sometimes it also boils down to what's best for you, personally. If I didn't buy nonlocal produce, I wouldn't be eating vegetables most of the year, except for what I would be able to can, freeze, or store. So, I eat local produce from farmers I know during the growing season, and I do the best I can the rest of the year.
dbcurrie at 8:34PM on 03/28/09
I agree and am really frustrated during a lot of my shopping. Because I have a newborn, a toddler, and a husband who's often gone 12 hrs on weekdays, I also have to factor in ease and speed of preparation. With packaged foods I end up shopping mostly in natural/organic foods (gotta love Annie's) or in "regular" groceries I read ingredient lists, looking for foods, rather than chemicals, and trying to stick with things that have as few ingredients as possible. I agree, it's tough.
MaresyDotes at 8:38PM on 03/28/09
I don't know what your specific situation is, but I would add that too much obsession is unhealthy in general about food (if that is not heretical to say on SE). If taken to the extreme, it can become orthoxia and really become exhausting. On one hand, it's important to care, on the other hand it's important to remember that lots of people are healthy and don't agonize over every bite.
That said, I like unsweetened almond milk ;)
HeartofGlass at 5:19AM on 03/29/09
well, it's tough sometimes to keep up the all-organic local diet.... we try though.... it's very expensive.... but when you think about your body and what you put into it.... i try to get the best quality i can afford.
and i guess now everyone is questioning if ORGANIC is really organic... and as ethical as everyone thinks. i try to support the organic movement and hope for the best. not everyone and everything is honest these days.... but maybe just the thought that it's better will actually make me feel better.
my mom who is 84 lives on bacon & eggs, ice cream, supermarket cake,
she's healthy as a horse, is not on any medication and doesn't follow any guidelines.... so go figure. she just enjoys what she eats....
pooch at 9:06PM on 03/29/09
Does your head hurt while shopping?
twoojoe at 9:59PM on 03/29/09
I've just started to really care more about where my food comes from, but it's a struggle even to start! It's such an investment when you live in NYC because everything is so expensive. I bought one organic tomato at my grocery store and it was $4! A pound of grapes was $10! I figure a little bit at a time to get myself and my wallet used to the idea is the way to go for me. I joined a farm share last year, I don't eat red meat and I'm about 100 pages into the Omnivore's Dilemma. Check out the NYTimes article from today about finding where your food comes from. I think the movement is strong and will get easier for everyone the more people do it...
meem21 at 11:00AM on 03/30/09
Those questions can get extremely distracting. Last week organic bananas and fair trade bananas were the same price. Do I choose fair wages or what the demon Dole determines to be 'organic'? Do I even remember if bananas are one of those fruits where pesticides etc are a problem? Has Dole changed it's ways? How can I eat an organic banana happily when I know I had the option to pay the workers on the banana farm a fair wage. In which direction should I be selfish?
Jeez!
BananaMonkey at 3:59PM on 03/30/09