Food for thought: two documentaries worth watching on the status of our food system

Eating organically on the cheap

I had started to make small changes in my grocery-shopping habits about a year ago. I found a couple of inexpensive organic brands that I really liked and watched for their sales. I began shopping the perimeter of the supermarket, stocking up on dairy, produce and fresh meats and seafood and trying to skip the chips and pre-packaged snack foods. I don't buy farm-raised salmon anymore, and my milk is hormone-free. But after watching Food, Inc I realized there was still so much more I could do.

For example, I was not great at buying free-range meat. As a concession, I made the commitment to buy only organic meat, which means that while we won't be vegetarian, we simply will be eating less meat. Last month, I bought a really good organic, free-range roast, and we had a great dinner of roast, sweet potatoes and carrots followed by several days of roast beef sandwiches, culminating in the ultimate leftover eliminator, shepherd's pie. The payoff is that the meat we do eat will be of higher a quality and nutrient value.

Growing up, my mom had a huge garden in the back-yard, as did my grandmother who lived up the street. Eating the beans and peaches in the winter that my mom had canned from the summer, going to the local butcher shop to pick our cuts of meat and using every bit of leftovers creatively are all parts of my heritage. At some point, I got away from it, but I'm so happy to be part of an ever-expanding movement to return to a way of life that supports local agriculture and sustainably harvested goods. Remember also that buying produce that's in season not only generally gets you a better flavor, but a better price.

If you don't have a green thumb, the time for, or the interest in having your own garden, local farmer's markets are springing up everywhere. Some of them also accept food stamps, which I think is an important expression of a sincere interest in promoting healthful eating. CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are widely available, and there are even services in larger areas that will deliver local organic produce to you on a regular basis according to what's in season at the time.

More and more, people are starting to take an interest in what they eat, how it is processed, and how that processing affects everything else. I love food, but even more, I love food that tastes as good as it is for me and that's a value I'd like to pass directly to my kids.

Do I still feed my kids hot dogs and chicken nuggets? Yes. Is it going to be work to change about a decade of purchasing and cooking habits? Of course. Will it be worth it? I'm willing to take a gamble.

When Sara isn't busy chasing her kids, testing out new recipes or knitting up a storm, she can be found as SallyHP at Sex and the Knitty and its companion blog Knitty Reviews.

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