I get so excited each spring when we first start eating from our garden. In our area, the first vegetables to come in are always spinach and chard. It's so fun to go outside and pick the veggies and make them for dinner. I love knowing exactly where my food comes from. In the summer time, we eat caprese salads all.the.time. We grow fresh basil and tomatoes and then I have to buy the mozzarella, but oh that is one of my favorite summer treats. The tomatoes are already planted so give it about 60 days and I'll finally be able to indulge!
We watched a movie called Food, Inc. last night. I highly recommend it. It's a documentary on the food industry in America. It didn't really change my opinion on anything; just confirmed how I already felt. Years ago, I ate McDonalds Chicken Mcnuggets and became very ill. I was constantly throwing up. I couldn't move a muscle without vomiting. This went on for days. I finally got better but people die from Salmonella and E. Coli every year. The food industry is run like a factory and quality control takes a backseat to the four or five large food companies making profits. When I was in nursing school doing clinicals, I met a woman who had her intestines rupture from a meal she ate at a fast food restaurant. Where does this meat come from? The poor woman will have to find a "new normal" for the rest of her life because of a hamburger that she trusted was edible. A good hamburger is still one of my favorite meals. I don't intend to stop eating red meat. But there are a few things that I can do to better understand what I'm eating. Here are some helpful suggestions I found and am hoping to implement at our house. We have already been doing some of these things for a while.
1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages
This is one we already do, but I admit every once in a blue moon I'll drink a Coke and boy is it a treat when I do!
2. Eat at home instead of eating out
I love a nice meal prepared by someone else, so we still eat out occasionally. I love restaurants that support locally grown food and actually list on the menu where they purchased the ingredients!
3. Go without meat one day a week
There are plenty of great natural foods out there that provide a variety of nutrients. Be adventurous and try different types of vegetables, grains, legumes, etc.
4. Buy organic or sustainable food with few pesticides.
We're working on this one. We buy some things organic but we are nowhere near all organic. Some things are just plain hard to find organic and other things are a lot more expensive to buy organic. We do organic dairy and attempt to follow the "dirty dozen." Costco does a good job of providing organic foods at an affordable price.
5. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer's market
I LOVE this one. Farmers markets are my favorite. I enjoy the whole atmosphere of fresh produce and homemade sauces and spices. It's easily one of my favorite spots to go in the summer. I'm also contemplating buying our meat this way. You can go here to see a list of local farmers in your area. U-pick farms are a great family outing too!
6. Read labels.
I love to know what's in my food and if it contains a bunch of things that I don't understand, I try to avoid it. There's probably a reason why the companies list an item as xanthum gum instead of bio-engineered additive.
7. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.
Many of the politicians, FDA advisors, etc. have tie ins to the food industry. Years ago, the food industry was not controlled by four or five large companies that basically decide how we get our food in the supermarket. As consumers we should demand that we want high quality foods that aren't bio-engineered, cloned, given hormones, etc. Our voices can be heard. Even Walmart milk is now rbst free because enough consumers spoke up.
We watched a movie called Food, Inc. last night. I highly recommend it. It's a documentary on the food industry in America. It didn't really change my opinion on anything; just confirmed how I already felt. Years ago, I ate McDonalds Chicken Mcnuggets and became very ill. I was constantly throwing up. I couldn't move a muscle without vomiting. This went on for days. I finally got better but people die from Salmonella and E. Coli every year. The food industry is run like a factory and quality control takes a backseat to the four or five large food companies making profits. When I was in nursing school doing clinicals, I met a woman who had her intestines rupture from a meal she ate at a fast food restaurant. Where does this meat come from? The poor woman will have to find a "new normal" for the rest of her life because of a hamburger that she trusted was edible. A good hamburger is still one of my favorite meals. I don't intend to stop eating red meat. But there are a few things that I can do to better understand what I'm eating. Here are some helpful suggestions I found and am hoping to implement at our house. We have already been doing some of these things for a while.
1. Stop drinking sodas and other sweetened beverages
This is one we already do, but I admit every once in a blue moon I'll drink a Coke and boy is it a treat when I do!
2. Eat at home instead of eating out
I love a nice meal prepared by someone else, so we still eat out occasionally. I love restaurants that support locally grown food and actually list on the menu where they purchased the ingredients!
3. Go without meat one day a week
There are plenty of great natural foods out there that provide a variety of nutrients. Be adventurous and try different types of vegetables, grains, legumes, etc.
4. Buy organic or sustainable food with few pesticides.
We're working on this one. We buy some things organic but we are nowhere near all organic. Some things are just plain hard to find organic and other things are a lot more expensive to buy organic. We do organic dairy and attempt to follow the "dirty dozen." Costco does a good job of providing organic foods at an affordable price.
5. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer's market
I LOVE this one. Farmers markets are my favorite. I enjoy the whole atmosphere of fresh produce and homemade sauces and spices. It's easily one of my favorite spots to go in the summer. I'm also contemplating buying our meat this way. You can go here to see a list of local farmers in your area. U-pick farms are a great family outing too!
6. Read labels.
I love to know what's in my food and if it contains a bunch of things that I don't understand, I try to avoid it. There's probably a reason why the companies list an item as xanthum gum instead of bio-engineered additive.
7. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.
Many of the politicians, FDA advisors, etc. have tie ins to the food industry. Years ago, the food industry was not controlled by four or five large companies that basically decide how we get our food in the supermarket. As consumers we should demand that we want high quality foods that aren't bio-engineered, cloned, given hormones, etc. Our voices can be heard. Even Walmart milk is now rbst free because enough consumers spoke up.
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