This list is for all of you who care about the environment, want to eat better and want a deeper, more satisfying relationship with food--one of the most vital components of the human experience. Changing your routine can be awkward, but it doesn't have to be difficult.
Read here for an introduction to this list. Then, here are some tips to help you get started.
1. Find Out What’s Available to You
Typical grocery stores won’t carry very much of the kind of food you should be buying. But access to real foods might be easier and closer than you think. Get online. Search key phrases like “organic food,” “farmer’s markets,” “natural meats” and “sustainable foods” then add the name of your hometown and state. Pay attention to location, and seek out stores that are nearby or easy to get to. And if you need more help, check out websites like: Eat Wild, Local Harvest, USDA Find a Farmer’s Market, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes.
2. Make a Grocery List
When you go to a green market for the first time it may feel a little awkward. It might feel luxurious. But it will almost surely feel strange and foreign. Don’t worry, that’s normal. Try not to be skeptical.
You can help yourself by doing some prep work before you go. Don’t show up at a new grocery store or a farmer’s market without some idea of what you want to buy. I suggest that you start by deciding on what you will be making for the next two days. Pick meals that highlight what’s in season. If you’re new to cooking, or if you’ve got picky eaters to feed, then you’ll have to spend a little more time researching fruits, vegetables and nuts. But if you prepare yourself beforehand, you’re more likely to have a fun, easy and successful shopping trip.
3. Eat Your Vegetables
Recent studies have shown that most Americans don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. One of the best things you can do for the planet, for your body and to strengthen your connection with food is to make a point to increase the amount of fresh produce you consume, though such food should also come from a natural and nearby farm.
On average, I eat about three pieces of fruit each day, and I highly recommend it. Instead of a granola bar, an energy drink or candy, substitute fruit. If you find that at first you are still hungry, give it a week and see how it feels. Likely you’ll really start enjoying those apples and pears and apricots. Likely you’ll start noticing that you have better energy and feel a little lighter.
4. Stay Away From Big Name Brands and Too Much Packaging
Even great green or community grocery stories might carry products that are less than desirable. Often these products are offered as more cost-effective options but do only the least amount possible to be considered “organic,” “pure” or “natural.” Sustainable eating hinges on foods that are as fresh and local as possible. That’s why eating seasonally is key. It’s also why many of us, in order to really adhere to green choices, will end up altering our diets, sometimes quite dramatically.
Try to buy real food with as little packaging as possible. That’s one way to know that it’s fresh and good. For example, you might be familiar with Parmesan cheese that comes in a plastic container with holes on the top. The container can live in your fridge for months, maybe years, and that may be a fine option for some. But if you really want to know more about that cheese, you should consider buying it in a wedge.
There should be an aisle or a station at your market that is stocked with fresh Parmesan cheese. A wedge of cheese might require a grater and yes, some manual labor, in order to actually enjoy it over pasta, but once it’s there, it’s so worth it. Fresh cheese beats pre-grated cheese or “cheese product” any day of the week, and personally, I find it incredibly satisfying to examine and pick out the perfect wedge and then grate it fresh for each meal. Don’t believe me? I challenge you to try it.
5. Cook Your Own Meals; Shop Often
In general, eating well means going to your preferred vendor as often as you can for the freshest ingredients possible. Preservatives are one part of our modern food system that bothers me most. Unless you’re getting artisan salami made by a local company that sources pork from a desirable farm or distributor, stay away from foods that will keep mold away for months on end. Cooking at home is not only the most cost-effective way to eat real food (think left-overs, folks), it’s also the best way. In addition, you can regulate how much salt, sugar, fat, etc. goes into your meals, which is just plain good behavior.
Don't forget to talk to the people at your local farmer's market or grocery store. They will be sources of vast information. They will make you better informed, more involved and more excited to eat! Besides, one of the best parts of being part of the local and sustainable food movement is being part of a community of people that eat well. So talk to you neighborhood deli servers, butchers and produce managers. They'll give you an in to a world that will nourish you for many happy years.
Learning It All Takes Time
In my opinion, food is equal parts necessity and luxury. As such, it’s important to have a healthy respect for all that goes into the growth and preparation of food for our digestive systems. Americans today are spoiled and ill informed when it comes to basic food knowledge, and most of us certainly don’t have the proper respect for our food. But if you want to make a change in earnest, you must remember, it won’t be simple and it won’t be all at once.
It will be a process. A learning process. Which will beget a transformation of your daily routine. Preparing food to eat, indeed, starts even before you plant a seed. The land must be made ready. The soil must have the right nutrients. From there, the long, hard work can begin. But for most of us, our work begins at the grocer. This too is a daily discipline that provides a constant supply of work. It’s always worth it, though. Remember, it’s always worth it. Eating well is the most wonderful thing in the world.
Read here for an introduction to this list. Then, here are some tips to help you get started.
1. Find Out What’s Available to You
Typical grocery stores won’t carry very much of the kind of food you should be buying. But access to real foods might be easier and closer than you think. Get online. Search key phrases like “organic food,” “farmer’s markets,” “natural meats” and “sustainable foods” then add the name of your hometown and state. Pay attention to location, and seek out stores that are nearby or easy to get to. And if you need more help, check out websites like: Eat Wild, Local Harvest, USDA Find a Farmer’s Market, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes.
2. Make a Grocery List
When you go to a green market for the first time it may feel a little awkward. It might feel luxurious. But it will almost surely feel strange and foreign. Don’t worry, that’s normal. Try not to be skeptical.
You can help yourself by doing some prep work before you go. Don’t show up at a new grocery store or a farmer’s market without some idea of what you want to buy. I suggest that you start by deciding on what you will be making for the next two days. Pick meals that highlight what’s in season. If you’re new to cooking, or if you’ve got picky eaters to feed, then you’ll have to spend a little more time researching fruits, vegetables and nuts. But if you prepare yourself beforehand, you’re more likely to have a fun, easy and successful shopping trip.
3. Eat Your Vegetables
Recent studies have shown that most Americans don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. One of the best things you can do for the planet, for your body and to strengthen your connection with food is to make a point to increase the amount of fresh produce you consume, though such food should also come from a natural and nearby farm.
On average, I eat about three pieces of fruit each day, and I highly recommend it. Instead of a granola bar, an energy drink or candy, substitute fruit. If you find that at first you are still hungry, give it a week and see how it feels. Likely you’ll really start enjoying those apples and pears and apricots. Likely you’ll start noticing that you have better energy and feel a little lighter.
4. Stay Away From Big Name Brands and Too Much Packaging
Even great green or community grocery stories might carry products that are less than desirable. Often these products are offered as more cost-effective options but do only the least amount possible to be considered “organic,” “pure” or “natural.” Sustainable eating hinges on foods that are as fresh and local as possible. That’s why eating seasonally is key. It’s also why many of us, in order to really adhere to green choices, will end up altering our diets, sometimes quite dramatically.
Try to buy real food with as little packaging as possible. That’s one way to know that it’s fresh and good. For example, you might be familiar with Parmesan cheese that comes in a plastic container with holes on the top. The container can live in your fridge for months, maybe years, and that may be a fine option for some. But if you really want to know more about that cheese, you should consider buying it in a wedge.
There should be an aisle or a station at your market that is stocked with fresh Parmesan cheese. A wedge of cheese might require a grater and yes, some manual labor, in order to actually enjoy it over pasta, but once it’s there, it’s so worth it. Fresh cheese beats pre-grated cheese or “cheese product” any day of the week, and personally, I find it incredibly satisfying to examine and pick out the perfect wedge and then grate it fresh for each meal. Don’t believe me? I challenge you to try it.
5. Cook Your Own Meals; Shop Often
In general, eating well means going to your preferred vendor as often as you can for the freshest ingredients possible. Preservatives are one part of our modern food system that bothers me most. Unless you’re getting artisan salami made by a local company that sources pork from a desirable farm or distributor, stay away from foods that will keep mold away for months on end. Cooking at home is not only the most cost-effective way to eat real food (think left-overs, folks), it’s also the best way. In addition, you can regulate how much salt, sugar, fat, etc. goes into your meals, which is just plain good behavior.
Don't forget to talk to the people at your local farmer's market or grocery store. They will be sources of vast information. They will make you better informed, more involved and more excited to eat! Besides, one of the best parts of being part of the local and sustainable food movement is being part of a community of people that eat well. So talk to you neighborhood deli servers, butchers and produce managers. They'll give you an in to a world that will nourish you for many happy years.
Learning It All Takes Time
In my opinion, food is equal parts necessity and luxury. As such, it’s important to have a healthy respect for all that goes into the growth and preparation of food for our digestive systems. Americans today are spoiled and ill informed when it comes to basic food knowledge, and most of us certainly don’t have the proper respect for our food. But if you want to make a change in earnest, you must remember, it won’t be simple and it won’t be all at once.
It will be a process. A learning process. Which will beget a transformation of your daily routine. Preparing food to eat, indeed, starts even before you plant a seed. The land must be made ready. The soil must have the right nutrients. From there, the long, hard work can begin. But for most of us, our work begins at the grocer. This too is a daily discipline that provides a constant supply of work. It’s always worth it, though. Remember, it’s always worth it. Eating well is the most wonderful thing in the world.
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