Rethinking your food

Fruit of the vine from CCC produce.
(Also, I love wine and photographing it. There will most likely be subsequent posts related to wine and photography.)

Living in the Central California Coast (CCC) has allowed me to rethink a lot of things. Although I am a self-proclaimed foodie, I had not really thought too much about where my food came from until I moved here. I have always been blessed to live in areas that have bountiful agriculture (California, Hawaii and seasonally in Maine) and have had good food influences. My mom has taken herbal supplements, nixed dairy and fed me whole-wheat bread since WAY before it was cool. However, I did not think about where my food was really grown; you know, if that apple you are eating in April is from the farm down the road or a farm in Chile (most likely the latter).

When I moved the CCC, I suddenly had a lot of time to do things that I previously did not have the time or energy for. Suddenly not working your full-time job and being a grad student gives you heaps of free minutes, hours and days that were previously filled with writing reports, managing people and staying late at work.

Inspired by my CCC friends' cooking skills (seriously, every lady I've met here knows how to work it in the kitchen), and wanting to save money (restaurants here ain't cheap!), I began teaching myself to cook. I've always known how to follow a basic recipe (spaghetti, italian sausage and canned sauce, no problem!!), but now I had the time to really digest more complicated recipes from cooking shows, magazines, internet and of course, my CCC ladies. There were some epic failures (pre-cooked polenta will not absorb heaps of water) and some surprising wins (mmm red velvet cupcakes).

To prepare for my creations, I visited the local farmer's market. CCC arguably has the best farmer's markets. The produce is grown within 20 miles of the market and you cannot beat the freshness for the price. However, some of the items are still more expensive than the supermarket. This left me hesitant to buy all of my produce at the farmer's market, as I frequent the grocery store at least once a week to get my other cooking supplies anyway.

Then I watched Food, Inc.

Wow.

I knew that buying local was better for the environment, farmers and the local economy, but I didn't realize that the choices you make have such an impact on the way food is made and sold. While some of the movie was old news to me (although still deplorable), watching the parts with the farmer who allowed his cattle to free feed made me rethink the way I eat everything. That, and the statistic that 1/3 of children born after 2000 will develop Type-2 diabetes. The message of the movie, if you have not seen it, is that every day you make three choices that can change the way our food is created, processed and delivered to you: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

So, without trying to sound too preachy, there seem to be some easy ways to make better choices for food:
1. Frequent the farmer's market for local produce/meat/etc. Although food is a little more expensive here, many farmer's markets are now accepting WIC coupons, so healthy produce is affordable for every income level.
2. Support local farmers (dairy, meat, poultry and fisherman) If you are lucky enough to have small farmers nearby, frequent them for your needs. Their products will likely contain less hormones, pesticides, etc that can make you sick.
3. Shop organic. Ok, this is a touchy issue. There are some foods where buying organic doesn't really matter (oranges, bananas, and foods with skin that you don't eat). But skins that you do eat contain a ton of pesticides. Organic will not necessarily taste better, it most likely costs more, and it is definitely a personal choice. If you do not buy organic, be sure to clean your produce thoroughly!
4. Buy milk without rBST. The human growth hormone has not been proven to have any side-effects in humans, but why would you want to add extra hormones to your milk? They even sell it at Wal-mart.
5. Plant your own garden (or mini-garden). Mine has tomatoes, lemons, and herbs. It's super easy to manage and I know exactly what has gone in and on that food when I'm eating it. Even if you live in an apartment or don't have a huge yard, it's totally doable.
6. Read labels of EVERY processed food you buy. I was surprised at how many items have additives or ingredients that have no place in the human body.
7. Buy produce that's in season. Because California does not grow apples in April, but the strawberries are starting to rear their tasty heads. Also, I don't want my produce to have to cross the equator to make it to my plate if I can help it.

I know it's difficult to make healthy food choices. Please, you're talking to the girl who had a giant tub of Goldfish crackers and Red Vines under my bed in college; that was my dairy, grains and fruit! But if I can lean more towards the healthy foods and have an occasional splurge, I know my body thanks me.