My Son: Prioritizing Food $
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #137 [vol6, 5.2]
My college graduated son is home for a week and we’ve had lots of food conversations. One of his questions really got me thinking and decided to share the answer here.
Where should I prioritize my food dollars?
I prioritize nutrient density for our family, spend hours in the kitchen with niche gadgets and appliances. I drive across town for local milk, meat and veg.
He’s 20 and not going to do those things.
The Most Bang for His Bucks
Before I roll out my list, remember we’re all on a journey. Read this list with a bit of grace. Identify ONE thing to add to your routine. Trying to do them all will result in failure. Go slow. Baby steps. That’s how Rome was built (with a dram of cod liver oil, no doubt.)
Easier Things
Identify what you eat most frequently and buy the best quality of that thing. If you’re eating a PBJ everyday, buy organic peanut butter.
high mineral sea salt - my fav is BajaGold but I have over 50 pounds of different salts in my possession currently. I also recommend Redmond’s Real Salt, Celtic Salt, Himalayan salt. Any sea salt, really. Be mindful of added anti-caking agents, which are essentially preservatives — and preservatives are something I strive to keep out of my body. Sea salts have trace minerals that our bodies need.
Clean 15 & Dirty Dozen - Clean means fewer chemicals and OK to buy conventional, dirty means spend extra for organic - like on strawberries, spinach, kale (all greens basically), grapes, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, cherries, blueberries, green beans.
caveat: I don’t buy many grocery store strawberries because grocery store strawberries taste like cardboard to me - I grew up eating deliciously ripe strawberries from my granny’s garden. Sometimes I buy conventional strawberries (or grapes) for my kids. I don’t buy them frequently so I don’t sweat it that they’re on the Dirty Dozen.
I do prioritize organic apples because they store well and we eat a lot of them. Apples are sprayed 12-15 times before arriving in the grocery.
Organic bread/oats - This one has been a struggle for me over the years: organic bread costs more, we eat a lot of bread, sometimes the texture of organic bread isn’t good. The more I read about the health dangers of glyphosate (the chemical sprayed on GMO crops) the more I want to stay away from it. Wheat isn’t a GMO crop but it is sprayed with glyphosate just before harvest to increase yield. If something is labeled organic, it cannot be sprayed with glyphosate. I think I’ve finally settled into a good routine for making sourdough bread that my family adores. I coached him if he was going to eat bread, buy organic. Definitely so if you’re eating sandwiches every day (see the first recommendation).
More Challenging
Source the highest quality eggs you can afford. I told him to look for the roadside signs - for the wanna-be homesteader who has chickens. I would rather have eggs from chickens raised outside than organic grocery store eggs. Eggs are super high in nutrition and relatively inexpensive for the amount of protein and healthy fat. Also VitalFarms is a reputable grocery store brand.
Drink filtered water, spring water, or if your municipality has the type of chlorine that evaporates let water sit on the counter to evaporate. (Little Rock & LOU does not use that type of chlorine.) The human body is 60-70% water. We use a reverse osmosis under the sink system from Lowe’s. I told him to keep an eye on Marketplace for a Berkey. He thought his town had natural springs and that’s a great option, just make sure to put hot water in glass, not plastic.
Reduce use of plastic, store food in glass when possible. Drink from stainless water bottles. Never pour anything hot in plastic or heat food in plastic/microwave.
Buy butter! Use it when you can. Butter not only tastes delicious but is a very healthy fat. Hot Tip: if making brownies, swap the oil for melted butter. Occasionally spend the money on good butter (like KerryGold or the NZ/Costco butter).
Beef > chicken > pork = Choose beef as much as you can. It’s the biggest animal, takes the longest to grow to slaughter weight, spends most of its life outside. It’s a very healthy animal, even conventionally raised beef. Chicken is grown in six weeks and usually indoors on GMO grain. As for pigs, they are routinely given antibiotics to help with weight gain (helps humans gain weight too! + pass along antibiotic resistance). I try never to eat conventional pork from the grocery store. If there’s one meat to seek out from a farmer, it’s pork. Of course best case scenario is to buy directly from farmers but I don’t think he will do that for a few years.
Buy from farmers when you can. I told him, “If you want to buy from farmers in 10 years, you have to start prioritizing it today. They can’t wait for your support. We vote 3x/day with our fork.”
Add a fermented food for probiotics. He likes kombucha (sometimes brews it), and has learned to like sauerkraut and kefir. People sometimes ask me about yogurt and yes, it is fermented. However, many yogurts are filled with added sugar so just be mindful of the quality of yogurt and added sugars. Cheap yogurt is not good.
Things He Already Does (for you to consider too)
doesn’t drink added sugar (in coffees or special drinks). He mostly drinks water, and filtered water when possible.
mindful of seed oils in his food. He specifically mentioned that he notices a negative difference in how he feels after eating fried foods, or eating out.
reads labels and eats food with 5 or fewer ingredients
lots of outside time
doesn’t use social media, or barely his phone (so admirable!)
wears natural fibers, especially socks and underwear. {note: for fertility and balanced hormones it is best not to wear polyester. Also sleep in cotton sheets.}
considers his skin his largest organ, mindful of chemicals in personal care items like deodorant, moisturizers, soap/shampoo. Doesn’t use fabric softeners.
Reminders About Changes
Change, especially for good, is often two steps forward, one step back. Going against status quo is almost always met with resistance. Go slow, do what you can to be intentional. Look back at your progress. Strive to do better. Find a friend to join and encourage you in the battle for health. It is a battle to swim up stream. AND WORTH THE EFFORT.
Personal Update
As mentioned above, John Isaac is home for a week and brought his serious girlfriend, Clara, who he got to know at GCU (they both graduated in three years!). They share a love of hiking, backpacking, and rock climbing. She joined us for the Mother’s Day photo at church.
I had a good visit recently with my parents, who live two hours east of us. Their health is rapidly declining so the recent visit was cherished.
The youngest two have been on stage with The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Quiet Caroline shocked everyone as the Ice Queen.
As one who is always thinking about food, I encouraged other theater parents this week (5 hour practices!) to consider bringing healthier options to share and gave a few suggestions in a group chat mostly from my experience with volleyball hospitality room snacks. The suggestions were mostly met with enthusiasm.
Remember to be the change — not just expect things to change.
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS - Think of someone who’s trying to do better with their health and send them this. Encourage one another to be the change!