So. My issue of the moment is the CO-OP. The natural, organic, earthy-crunchy stores across the country that tout all things biodegradable and sustainable. The stores that would have you believe your produce comes from this guy:
instead of this guy:
Ever been inside one of these places? I won't lie, their little cafe serves up THE BEST pesto roll with prosciutto that I've ever tasted. But somewhere amid the aisles and aisles of all things basil, tofu and democratic (yes, Virginia, there ARE politics in the produce) you can find stuff like this:
Flaxseed. If you know what to do with this stuff, I'm seriously impressed. I think it comes in my shampoo, but apparently other people eat it. Or who knows, maybe they're making their own shampoo.
I can't do the CO-OP because I cannot afford $2.50 for a tomato. I'll have to settle for the .34cent, insecticide-covered, cancer causing variety from WinCo. What a bummer! Care for some milk? If you don't mind paying $6.00 for the hormone-free gallon, head on down to your CO-OP! Otherwise, $2.79 for the kind from the cows on steroids. O.M.G! Does that lady have a plastic sack? Yes, I'm "re-using" which is on par with the "reduce, re-use, recycle" mantra, right? Ma'am, we'll have to ask you to leave. However, if you'd like to purchase this sustainable green "mother earth" tote for $5.00, you are welcome to use it to carry the 7 grocery items that actually fit into it out to your car.
How do people fall prey to this scam? Do they really feel that much better about themselves because they pay 9 times what I do for their groceries? If their kids behave well during grocery shopping, are they promised some of these?:
"Yes, honey, I WILL buy you some carob-coated raisins, but if you ask me again, the answer is NO."
I don't get it. I really don't. I've been living off of regular grocery food for about 35 years now, and frankly, I'm doin' alright. My farmers may not hug my eggplant before they ship it to me, but I'm also fairly certain they don't poison it either. I mean, I'm still alive, right?
22 comments:
I had to read this to Ryan, because this is how he totally feels. He is saying: "She needs to mention that reason that the earth can sustain 6 billion people is because of the pesticides that are killing the bugs that would otherwise eat the produce, or the fertilizers that cause them to grow bigger and produce more."
I have never gotten it. This is how we eat: lots of vegetables, fruit, protein and whole grains...all purchased at the grocery store. (And plenty of sugar and butter thrown in for good measure--I'm not a saint.) My kids are healthy and rarely sick...maybe they're storing up the carcinogens and will get their periods 1 month early because of hormone loaded chicken breasts, but I truly think the risk is negligible.
(Are you tired of my paragraphs and paragraphs of comments, or what?)
I agree with you. I think organic stuff should cost less. Hey, they don't have to pay for all that insecticide, etc. It's a conspiracy -- making people believe that it must cost more to be good for you.
Ok, I have so many comments about this. In my old hood we had a neighbor who was a chiropractor who said he could cure diabetes and asthma and stuff. Yeah whatever, just adjust my neck so I can help my kid with his inhaler. His wife got all the desperate housewives to do a coop. We paid her and got a box of locally grown produce. It was kinda cool but you never knew what you were going to get seasonally.
I also was in La Leche League long ago and they had this book called Whole Foods for the Whole Family. I made jokes like is that a whole pizza or a whole bag of chips. The bean sprout, earth mother crowd never laughed.
Walmart and I are very good friends...price is winning over pretty right now.
I'm thoroughly enjoying this post and the comments. Can't wait to read them all!!
I am with you. My kids are a lot healthier than most and we eat "on the cheap". As a side note though, WinCo does sell some pretty good grains and stuff in bulk which I take full advantage of. And Flaxseed--consult Molly about that one. I am sure she has a great soup recipe she uses it in. She swears by that stuff.
I am not a health food nut, never have been, but we are eating a little more of it these days. My problem is that yes I was raised on "normal" food, but there is so much more crap in all the food these days including pesticides and hormones that it scares me what we'll find out about it 20 years from now when my girls can't do anything about it.
We have gone to the hormone free organic milk for our girls because I do think it can have negative effects on them as they are growing. It might be too late for Ari seeing as how she started going through puberty at 9 years old. DH and I still drink the old-fashioned unhealthy kind because who can afford that $6 a gallon for the whole family? But, for the record, we get it at Wal-Mart so it's only $5 a gallon instead of $6. :)
Oh, and I hate the local co-op...it's full of stinky hippies who look like they're homeless until they go out and get into their $35,000 SUV. What organic stuff we get comes from the local farmers markets or Wal-Mart.
You crack me up! I so agree with you though!
The only thing I splurge on is hormone-free milk, and it's only $5 a gallon out here. Plus my dairy has a milkman that brings it to my door. No more late-night milk runs on Saturday night for me. Whoo hoo! Totally worth it.
Otherwise? My kids make up for the lack of hormones by eating all kinds of chef boyardee products from Walmart.
Farmer Bob looks like he's sportin' a little trouser-pole while he's sniffing that root there.
I dated a girl who was into the organic foods. My argument? We live longer now than human beings have EVER LIVED BEFORE... so how can the food we eat POSSIBLY be all that dangerous?
Remember- the world hates you and wants you to do die. So buy cheap tomatoes before it GETS YOU!
I agree and disagree a little, is that ok?
I do know what to do with the flax seed, I use it in shakes, and I feel awesome(it helps with the baby blues and anxiety, also tons of other stuff). I also like carob(my parents were hippies and we used to live of the land, so sue me).
I don't shop at whole foods stores, but Costco has some pretty decently priced organic food that I will purchase.
It's not all about pesticide. Organic food is grown and produced differently than conventional food. Thus the nutritional value is different.
Also, I think to be responsible for what we consume, we need to be aware of where our food comes from. The soil that food was grown in 50-60 years ago isn't the same soil that it is grown in today. The chickens that are produced aren't the same chickens that were running around the farms 50 years ago.
I think when you really start to understand where your food comes from and what is in it, you can make better choices for yourself and your family. I'm no conspiracy theorist but I also want to be educated about what I put into my body.
Also, as a side note, not pure science, my neighbor had stage 4 colon cancer. He has been treated at the Hunstman's cancer institute. They taught him how to dramatically change his diet(all organic and only fish). He has made a remarkable recovery and it has been a bit of a testimony to me. Anyway that's all I know.
Now that I've had time to think about it, my parents did belong to a co-op and they did promise us carob chips! NO JOKE!
Amen Andrea! I also love Jessica's comment. We eat our veggies & fruits (alot of them) & whole grain bread...ALL from the grocery store/Costco and we're fine.
I hate being told that my kids will all have major health & mental issues if I don't give them hormone free milk. Whatev.
I buy hormone free milk from Costco for a little less than $3 per gallon. Not too shabby.
I agree with you...the high prices of organic will kill me before the grocery store items every will is my opinion.
I'm such an air head I have never thought about this issue. Food for thought. (great pun)
Well, according to the most recent "Eat This Not That - supermarket version," there are only a few things that should really be organic. Everything else is a crock. In my opinion, the best thing to do is move to California where the year round farmer's market will provide you a weekly bounty of fresh and locally grown produce at a very reasonable price. And if you miss your window of opportunity, there's always a quick stop at the Su Vianda, where the produce section is double the size of the rest of the store, unlike the overwhelmingly processed supermarkets. anyhoo, moving to CA should pretty much solve all your problems. i'm just sayin.
WinCo is the best.
If the term 'organic' makes you sleep better at night, go for it.
Personally, more money in my bank account helps me sleep at night.
Until it is an economically viable option, I don't buy too much into the craze. However, NO store bought tomato will ever rival one grown in your home garden.
Which, when are you going to do a series on gardening please? That's totally a provident living thing. And you wouldn't have to pay $5 extra for that organic farmer's hug.
Andrea! Great post! (And I won't tell anyone about the Hostess products you've been buying lately...)
p.s. Fittingly, your name was drawn in the diet-tip/organization-tip giveaway. So watch for your non-organic valentine in the mail!
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I agree with you! Everyone's comments are so funny!!
Flax seed.....is great! We started buying it from Walton Feed with our ward order and got a little coffee grinder for it. We put the ground stuff in pancakes and it's delicious! and I think healthy!
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