Ingredients


Organic I have seen a lot of 'information' lately, claiming that organic foods are only labeled as such to ensure the company selling them a higher profit and that they do not actually provide more nutrition. The fact of the matter is that you wouldn't buy organic to get more vitamins, minerals or what have you, but to avoid all the added pesticides, preservatives and hormones found in most conventional food products.
It is true, that in most cases you'll pay extra not to have those things in your food (ironic, isn't it?), but if you consider cutting some of the processed stuff (store bought cookies, chips, snacks of all sorts and really any prepackaged junk with a list of ingredients, a mile long) from your shopping list, you will quickly make up the difference.
Don't get me wrong, we're on a budget here. The times I'm able to walk out of the store with all organic groceries are still few and far between, BUT if you're interested, you will start noticing, that retailers are starting to respond to the ever increasing demand for better products and more and more you will find organic products, even on Sale.

Local Hey, I get it, we live in Michigan and buying local produce is pretty much not an option for about six months out of the year. BUT, watch out here comes Spring, which means farmer's markets and roadside stands and even in this case retailers are starting to respond to demand and offer options grown and produced locally.
I personally can't think of a better way to support farmers, who have a vital interest in producing 'the good stuff', than buying from them directly or making an effort to choose products that have not had to travel around the world to get to us.

Fair Trade This is, for now, a bit more of a tough one. Fair Trade certified products, simply put, ensure that the good folks involved in producing, whatever it is you're buying were paid a fair wage for their work and were allowed to perform their job under reasonable conditions. This may seem like a given to most of us, but you would find yourself amazed at the sort of unfair conditions many of the things we use every day are produced under.
So far, fair trade products, that seem most easily attainable are coffee, tea & chocolate. A bonus to buying these things Fair Trade certified is that they are usually of very high quality. Again, for more information on this I refer you to a website: http://www.transfairusa.org/

Whole Food I know, I know, sounds like 'crunchy' stuff, you're not a hippie and don't intend on reliving the sixties.
Actually, this is so easy, it hurts. EAT FOOD! You know, stuff that grows without the aid of super chemicals. Stuff you can pronounce.
Things that come in packages and have fifty gazillion unpronounceable ingredients aren't really food anymore. Those things were thought up in a lab somewhere, produced as cheaply as possible (generally at the cost of our health and the planet's), ensuring big companies even bigger profits.
Try to dial back and think about eating and cooking what used to be good, REAL FOOD.