Another resource question for all you great mamas -
Since POV on PBS aired Food, Inc Wednesday night, I've been getting questions about books etc on how to shift family diets away from the processed corn-heavy products that make up most American meals.
(If you're unfamiliar with Food, Inc, it's a documentary on where most of the foods in the grocery stores come from, the few companies that rule the American food landscape and the politics that support them. Eye-opening whether you buy into it -literally- or not. You can watch it free online for the rest of the month. I don't recommend eating beforehand.)
Anyone have any great information resources I can recommend to my customers/acquaintances?
I can tell you that out here in our small town we do have a great new CSA as well as other locally grown produce.
Thank you all!
The book The Omnivore's Delimma by Michael Pollan is another great resource.
As a family we generally try to stay away from processed foods and we avoid eating out. We also have our own garden. We aren't die hards or anything, just a few small steps we take to have a healthier lifestyle.
I think the best way to know what's in your food is to make it, if you can. That way you have the control over what's in it. When a prepared meal is necessary (and what busy mom doesn't sometimes need help?!), organic options are helpful (no HFCS, more natural ingredients, etc.). Easy recipes are key, I think. My friend and I have written 3 cookbooks and write a food blog with free recipes, www.welcomingkitchen.com.
Two great websites: localharvest.org, and eatwild.com. They both can help people connect with local farms (eatwild focuses on meat, while localharvest does all kinds of farm products, and also farmers markets, CSAs, etc.)
There's also a company called Azure Standard (see azurestandard.com) where you can buy in bulk if you have enough people for a minimum order. It may be only on the west coast, but I'm not sure.
I think that one of the best things is to make sure that you are shopping locally as much as possible.
My sister and I bought a grass-fed, happy steer a few weeks ago and split it between our families--processed, already. It cost $900.00 total. We received well MORE fresh beef than we expected. There is literally NO fat on it. The corn is what adds a lot of the fat. So, we have had to cook the meat different than store bought. My husband and I bought broilers about 4 weeks ago. The do grow fast and we are feeding them only organic chicken scratch. We have 14 layers...free range and organic chicken food. I bought two baby turkeys today--perfect timing for Thanksgiving. We almost NEVER eat out because we don't know what they are feeding us. We buy local organic fruits and veggies from our local farmers markets. We currently have a small garden with herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. We, too, saw Food, Inc, and were horrified. It is a slow process to get the household/pantry free of crappy foods. Good luck. You are doing the right thing!
Oooh, I don't know but am looking forward to the answers you get. Looking to do the same for my family.
