Food Choices
The food we eat in our home has been changing. What sent my family over the edge to be more conscious of what we were eating was the infamous pink slime stories that spread like wildfire through the media in 2012. I have always been interested in eating organic for the sake of eating healthier, but my husband was a bit resistant due to cost. Though, once we started to read more about what is in our food, we became concerned about our health, especially our children's, and began to slowly make some changes. We do our best to buy as much organic food as we can, though some things are still a bit too pricey for our budget. It feels good and tastes good. I also feel GREAT about what I am feeding my kiddos and that they are learning the importance of good food along our journey!
Things we consider when choosing foods:
Food information resources:
USDA National Organic Program
USDA Organic
Non GMO Shopping Guide
Foodbabe.com
EWG.ORG
- Local, organically grown foods should always be your first pick. It helps your local economy and you are getting the food straight from the source! Check out seasonal farm stands, your local farmers market, or join a co-op!
- Select USDA certified organic foods. These will be GMO free and will have been grown safely without harmful pesticides.
- Pay attention to where the food is coming from. Make sure that the USDA certified organic product was grown or produced in the US. There still are many products that are labeled organic that have come from other countries, particularly China, where there is no quality regulation. The USDA assigns a private certified inspector in China to check the products being imported prior to distribution, which is a loop hole for cheap, poor quality product being labeled "organic" and landing on our American grocery store shelves.
- Just to name a few, here are some ingredients to avoid: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils, Monosodium Glutimate (MSG), Artificial Sweetners; Aspertame, Sucralose, Sorbitol, & Artificial Dyes and Colorings
- Buy whole foods and limit your processed food purchases. Shop the outside edge of the grocery store, avoid the center where all of the processed foods are stocked.
Food information resources:
USDA National Organic Program
USDA Organic
Non GMO Shopping Guide
Foodbabe.com
EWG.ORG