Unsure on how to become healthier? Start by sourcing quality food.
There are two ways your kitchen experience can go: it can be either SAD: (as for the Standard American Diet, and this a thing) boring, monotonous, and nutrient-deficient. Or, it can be FUN-D: (Fun, Uplifting and Nutrient-Dense. This one I just made up đ )
A standard American diet comprises of few nutrients from the same few foods (corn, wheat and soy), and relies heavily on ultra-processed, already-made, frozen foods. It also contains high amounts of hydrogenated oils like margarine, and very processed vegetable oils like sunflower or canola oil. What is interesting is that our food is so heavily processed that often we donât even know the ingredients in our foods. Most commercial foods nowadays have one or a combination of the aforementioned ingredients.
When youâre starting on a health journey, it can be overwhelming to know where to start from, what to do, and to even know if weâre doing the right thing.
I wanted to break this down in a way that is easier to understand and to follow. This blog post will have three basic nutrition topics or starting points. In an effort to not overwhelm ourselves, I want you to pick 1 or 2 things to try for each different topic. Starting small is key to making long-lasting changes in your health.
Letâs dive in!
SOURCING FOOD
Knowing where our food comes from is key for a healthy lifestyle. Some meats have been raised on a âdietâ of corn and antibiotics, our produce is often full of pesticides and herbicides, etc. Letâs talk about how to get the most out of REAL FOOD:
Sourcing Meat
âWe are what we eatâ weâve heard that one before. But a popular modification of this quote by Michael Pollan puts it a little more accurate: âWe are what our food eatsâ to paraphrase. Our livestock was genetically programmed to move around, to eat pasture and in turn, feed our soil with their dung, which is full of beneficial bacteria for the soil and subsequently, for the environment. Conventional agriculture is far from this model, making our cattle eat nothing but grains and sometimes candy to increase their volume (Lugavere, 2018).
HOW TO SOURCE GOOD QUALITY MEAT:
Look for Grass-Fed/Grass-finished beef: the grass-finished part is important because that means that the animal lived their entire life eating pasture. It is common for producers to feed their livestock with grass up until a certain time, and then âfinishâ them with some grain.
Grass-fed: if Grass-Fed/Grass-Finished is difficult to access, grass fed is the second-best option.
Organic meat: an organic cut of meat means that the cow probably ate grains for their entire life, but those grains were organic and non-GMO. This is also a better alternative to conventionally raised meat. Keep in mind that this type of meat offers no real benefit to the environment.
SOURCING CHICKEN
Like beef, chicks are also fed grains and are confined in tiny spaces. Chickens are omnivores (just like us!) and they thrive on a diet of little insects, worms, and whatever else they find on their way thatâs coming directly from nature.
How to Source good quality chicken and eggs:
Choose pasture-raised eggs and chicken whenever possible.
Second-best option is organic chickenï»ż
SOURCING PRODUCE
There are three things concerning our produce right now: pesticides and herbicides, GMOs, and soil quality.
The truth is, the apple that we eat now is not the same apple that our ancestors ate 100 years ago. Our fruits and vegetables used to be more nutritious, but conventional production of these has put productivity and profit over quality. Our produce has been bred for maximum sweetness and grown in a nutrient-poor soil. When the soil is deficient in nutrients, so will be whatever grows in it.
HOW TO SOURCE GOOD QUALITY PRODUCE
· Buy local/seasonal: thereâs a reason why strawberries donât grow in the winter. Strawberries are more nutritious, available, and cheaper during the Summer! Eat them then and have some oranges during winter. Eating according to the seasons is the most budget-friendly way to purchase your fruits and vegetables.
· Go to the Farmers Market: this is just a lovely activity. You get to interact with the people who grew your food! Itâs a privilege that a lot of us donât realize. When you buy at the farmers market you will be 1) eating local; 2) Supporting the local economy; and 3) supporting the environment.
TIP: Lots of Farmers Markets accept FOOD STAMPS! If you didnât know this, now you do! Pass this info along to someone who might benefit from it. A quick google search can probably tell you whether your local farmers market accepts food stamps!
· Buy organic at the supermarket and look for sales: supermarkets usually run sales on produce that they have a ton of, which is generally local/seasonal produce. Some people may feel intimidated by going to a health food store, but I encourage it if you have one nearby! I have seen with my own eyes that Whole Foods Market and Trader Joesâ organic produce can be cheaper than at other conventional grocery stores.
Lastly, enjoy the ride and become curious! Talk to your farmer, read labels, organize cookouts with your friends, exercise... A healthy diet with well-sourced foods is an important aspect of health, but itâs not the only one.
In health,