How do you think about food?

This past weekend I went out with some of my foodie girlfriends to see the movie Food, Inc. The last words my husband told me as he kissed me goodbye was, “tell me if you liked the movie or not, but I really don’t want to hear the details”. Well, I did enjoy the movie…and while we debated about many of the points made throughout the movie, we agreed on many as well. Especially those that come down to food safety, worker rights and the treatment of farmers.

I don’t want to give too much of the movie away, but urge you to find some time to see it. You can watch the trailer right here.

The movie hasn’t changed how we feed our family because we  made changes years ago. For our health, as well as the health of  the earth and animals, we...

• Don’t eat much meat - we’ve really cut back here

• When we do, it’s free-range, grass-fed chicken and occasionally a hamburger

• We buy hormone-free dairy products for our children (neither of us eat dairy)

• We buy mostly organic and/or local fruits and vegetables, especially the dirty dozen that tend to absorb the most pesticide residuals

• We try not to buy processed foods

• We buy local as much as possible

I’ll admit that we spend more on our food bill today than we used to. We try to buy quality and nutritious food that fills us up with the nutrients we need. Since we’re not buying much processed foods, we’re cooking and making things from scratch. It’s often more economical than buying organic processed foods, but yes, more costly than conventional. Since I enjoy cooking, especially with and for my family, I don’t mind the additional efforts.

It’s important to know that we didn’t make these changes overnight. We’ve made these changes over time and continue to. For example, this summer we plan to can, preserve and freeze a lot of summer fruits and vegetables that we grow or buy locally so that we can enjoy them all summer long.

So, how do you feel about food choices? If you could make on change this week, what would it be?

Comments

[Robin]

I followed you here from your comment on Mother Nature Network. Nice thoughts on the film. I especially appreciate that you let your readers know that your changes have come gradually. For most of us, if we don't make the changes a little at a time, we'll burn out very quickly.

[Gina]

Thanks for your comment, Robin. In almost all situations, changes like these need to happen in bite-sized steps so they don't become overwhelming and impossible. Just like starting a new diet. For long-term success and stickiness, small steps towards the change you want to see will make a big difference.