If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that I have a lot of opinions about food and willingly share them, even if they’re not popular with everyone (case in point: “My Kid Likes Junk Food. And That’s Okay.“) But reading back through the last five years’ worth of posts, I also see ways that I’ve changed.
As I read more, learn more, talk to more people, try new things, and hear your ideas in the comments and on my Real Mom Nutrition Facebook page, I occasionally change my mind about certain foods.
These are the four biggest changes I’ve made:
Tasting a fresh egg a few years ago was eye opening. I loved the deep, orange color of the yolk and the way the eggs cooked up lighter and fluffier than the store-bought kind.
When I made a point to look for them, local eggs weren’t hard to find. My farmer’s market had them. People I knew in my community started raising backyard chickens, and suddenly we were babysitting chickens in exchange for fresh eggs. When I couldn’t find local eggs, I started buying organic eggs. I know it’s not the same (and that terms like “cage free” are not as meaningful as they sound). But organic eggs feel like a reasonable compromise when I can’t buy local.
Bottom line: I’m on a food budget for sure. But compared to meat, even local and organic eggs are a fairly inexpensive source of protein. If I spend $5 on a dozen, that’s about 40 cents per serving.
I’ve long been conflicted about eating meat, mostly because of the way animals are raised. Movies like “Food, Inc.” deepened my concerns. I wanted to take a step in the right direction and buy less (but higher quality) meat.
I started buying grass-fed beef in bulk from a local farmer, then chicken and pork at the farmer’s market. I began working with Applegate as a member of an advisory group called the Sandwich Board and had the opportunity to tour their company headquarters and visit the Rodale Institute to learn about organic farming and pasture-raised livestock. I respect Applegate’s mission of “changing the meat that people eat”. Their meat comes from animals that were humanely raised and never given antibiotics or hormones.
Bottom line: Reducing the amount of meat we eat (by instituting Meatless Mondays for instance) means we can spend more on the meat we do buy. I cut costs in other areas, like buying a lot of store brands and buying fewer convenience foods overall.
When I began my blog five years ago, this wasn’t really on my radar. Then I spent months researching the topic for a Parents magazine feature story (read: “Are Artificial Dyes Safe For Kids?“). I decided dyes were worth avoiding. In my opinion, there’s enough scientific evidence that dyes have an effect on some children. The bulk of the research concerns the effects on behavior (and not just among children with existing attention problems). But worries have been raised about cancer risk too. Even if there’s nothing definitive, it just didn’t seem worth it.
Bottom line: We don’t avoid dyes when we’re out at parties or in other people’s homes, but I don’t buy foods or drinks with synthetic dyes. Food dye is an ingredient that does nothing except give color. With more manufactures using natural, plant-based colors, it’s pretty easy to avoid synthetic dyes when grocery shopping. Making more food myself makes it easier to avoid dyes too.
I already buy some organic fruits and vegetables–things like apples and spinach that we eat a lot and tend to be grown with more pesticides. But I held out on organic milk because I wasn’t convinced it could work with our budget (we go through two gallons a week). There also didn’t seem to be proof that hormone levels differed between organic and conventional milk.
Research does show that organic milk may have higher levels of beneficial fats, thanks to cows grazing on pasture. But I made the switch to organic and local milk because I like the idea of cows given time and room to graze, and knew I was supporting that with organic milk. I also buy milk from a local company called Snowville Creamery, which sources milk from farms that use pasture-based, grass-grazing methods. I buy different varieties, from fat free to two percent (my kids prefer fat free, I like using two percent in cooking).
Bottom line: This change adds about $10 to my weekly grocery bill, which is significant. I try to balance it out by seeking out coupons for other foods I buy. I also try much harder to eliminate wasted milk. A half-finished glass of milk is covered and stored in the fridge for later!
Everyone has their own priorities, concerns, values, opinions, budget, and needs–so you may do things differently. That’s okay. We’re all doing what works for us right now. But I’d love to hear from you: Have YOU made any changes to what you buy, how you cook, or how you feed your family?
Disclosure: I’m happy to be working with Applegate this year as a member of their advisory board, because it’s a brand I buy and respect. I am compensated for my time. All opinions expressed are my own.
sil says
all the same as your changes but the fresh eggs… so that is in my to-do list. We do have in our NY town farmers market during the winter, so next Saturday it is that I will try the fresh eggs. I also just do 100% whole wheat and 100% whole everything, kids and I love it, the husband is having a harder time adjusting.
Sally says
I think you’ll like the fresh eggs. I really notice a big difference. And yes to the whole wheat! It can definitely take some people more time to get used to–the breads and pastas are much chewier, heartier, and have more flavor, but the palate really does adjust. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
Katie Serbinski says
I reference your Parent’s Magazine Food Dyes article quite a bit, Sally. And when it comes to milk, we typically buy Organic— and in bulk especially if it’s on sale 🙂 Our son is only 1 and he already drinks so much. I can’t imagine what it’s like with 2 growing boys!
Sally says
Thanks Katie! Glad the article was helpful. I learned so much from researching it. And yes, two boys = a lot of food! I can’t even imagine how much my grocery bill will climb when they’re teenagers someday. Yikes.
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Sally, these are good steps! I love seeing a mom avoiding food dyes and figuring out other ways to save money so that she can give her family organic milk, eggs, etc.
Amber says
My goal is to prepare meals more like my grandparents did! Less processed food, less eating out, less junk in general!
I go out of my way to NOT buy organic now. Once I really started reading about food on the internet, I was astonished at what people believe about organic food in general – I don’t think it’s bad, but I don’t think it’s better.
Sally says
Amber–I like the sounds of your “grandparents” approach! 🙂 I agree that there is a LOT of misinformation about food on the internet, and unfortunately a lot of fear mongering and a lot of “health washing” of foods just because they’re organic or GMO-free or whatever. An organic label doesn’t automatically make something healthy (hello organic cookies!). Thanks so much for chiming in.
Lora lee Frazier says
We switched to almond milk a couple of years ago. I’ve never been that fond of milk and after watching a couple of movies about milk and reading several
Articles on milk, we can get our calcium elsewhere and may not need as much as the government and FDA says.
We also made the switch to only Cabot cheeses. They do not contain animal rennet. Look it up. It’s totally gross and unnecessary. There are a few other brands that don’t contain this and if they don’t they will say on the packaging.
We also buy mostly organic veggies and fruits from a local coop.
We’ve also limited, almost non existent, use of processed foods.
So lookng at the I think we are doing good.
Sally says
Thanks Lora. That’s interesting about the rennet. I just did some reading about it and actually had to click away because it was so upsetting. Thanks for the information and for your comment!
Hanna says
Love this post, Sally. I’ve made similar changes over the past couple years. I thought I didn’t like eggs until I started a winter CSA last year and ordered some eggs from the farm…WHOA!!! Now they’re a staple for me (at least organic, preferably local too), and as you said, although they may seem expensive compared to conventional, it’s not expensive per serving of protein. I also go back and forth about meat. Was vegetarian for a while, then vegan, then back on meat, then vegetarian again…ha. Now I eat it once or twice a week, and I only cook it if it’s organic (but I’ll eat conventional meat if a friend makes it for me etc). Sometimes I think I’ve read too much about factory-farmed meat, because it makes it really hard for me to eat meat without thinking it to the point of neurosis! But I’m going to check out Applegate products–thanks for the tip.
Sally says
Thanks Hanna! Yes, sometimes ignorance is bliss when it comes to some of this stuff. 🙂 I think it’s great that you’ve tried different ways of eating and aren’t afraid to move from one to the other. We all have to find the way of eating that works and makes us feel the best. Thanks again for your comment and for reading!
Lara says
I’m grateful there are so many egg choices … the truth is, even though eggs are a relatively inexpensive source of protein all around, there are many families who really can’t afford to buy organic eggs (or organic anything). Buying conventionally-raised eggs in the supermarket isn’t a terrible thing and still provides amazing nutrition. I work with egg farmers across the midwest – some small, some large, some organic, some conventional … I have yet to meet a farmer who doesn’t put the care of his or her birds as the #1 priority. I buy supermarket eggs without any worries, but I also am all for food choices, so if you want to buy local eggs or raise your own chickens or focus on organic eggs, that’s terrific. It’s just not an option for everyone.
Sally says
Thanks Lara. You are absolutely right–local and organic eggs (or meat or milk) doesn’t work for everyone’s budgets. That’s great to know about the farmers you have worked with. And yes, gotta love the nutrition that eggs provide. We go through at least a dozen a week around here.
Lisa says
Thank you for sharing the transitions you’ve gone through, its helpful for us who are also in the process of moving from generic store bought to organic and less processed. Because of the lifestyle changes we’ve incorporated, cooking more than 95% of the meals, rarely eating out, simplifying our home life, its helped us save money to spend on organic produce, meats, and eggs. It leaves us feeling more in control of our health as well as living healthier. 🙂
Sally says
Thanks Lisa! I’m glad it was helpful. Don’t get me wrong though, I buy lots of store brands! 🙂 And I’m a huge fan of shopping at ALDI, so I save a lot of money on the staples I use all the time (like oats, coffee, spices, and of course dark chocolate). Great point that making your own food helps you feel more in control of your health! Thanks so much for your comment.
Jenny says
Hi Sally! Thank you for supporting your local egg producers. We sell eggs direct from our farm most of the year, unless the girls are on their break during colder months when laying slows. I did want to clarify that buying conventional eggs from the grocery stores also provides healthy protein and are produced by many family farms throughout the US. In addition to raising laying hens, I also know many large egg farmers such as Greg Satrum of Willamette Egg Farms in Oregon (http://www.willametteegg.com/about-us/). I also noticed you had correlated grazing cows with only being organic. My husband’s family milked cows from 1909-2013. During warmer months when the risk of getting dirty and falling in slick mud was reduced, the cows would have the opportunity to graze on the hillside every afternoon – when the cows were unable to graze, especially during the winter, they were always provided with high-quality hay (dried alfalfa which has been baled). The cows were all cared for on a non-organic program. The milk was shipped to Prairie Farms in Peoria, IL, where is was pasteurized and homogenized and then delivered to grocery stores and schools, all within 36 hours. Many dairies such as Prairie Farms require all farmers in their cooperative to sign a contract which states they will not use artificial hormones. All cows, actually all animals and humans, produce hormones naturally so nothing is completely hormone-free. This requirement is due to customer demand and not due to any scientific findings as there are no studies which have proven their to be anything negative with providing cows with artificial hormones. I also have friends who are organic dairy farmers and they too, graze their animals. Most dairy farmers, regardless of whether they are farming organically or non-organically, are very cautious about letting their animals graze during wet and snowy conditions when they could fall. Its a matter of providing excellent care for their animals. There are many farmers (dairy cattle, beef cattle, chickens, turkeys, pigs, sheep, goats and more – small, large, organic, conventional, etc…) who would be more than happy to give you a tour of their farm and explain why they farm in the manner that they do.
I’m very glad that you mentioned the fear mongering and tactics which can be wide-spread. Asking questions and going to the source of your food helps to sort through all of the information and determine what is real, what is false and what is false information which is being used for profit (i.e. The FoodBabe).
Thanks again! ~Jenny
Sally says
Thanks so much for your comment Jenny. I am so glad to hear from people who know farmers (or who are farmers themselves!) who care a great deal about the welfare of their animals. As a consumer, that means a lot to me! I didn’t mean to equate grazing with only organic milk. The local milk we buy is not organic but is sourced from grass-grazed cows. As you know, organic standards state that cows must have access to pasture a certain number of days per year. It’s my understanding that conventional dairy farmers don’t have standards such as these, though I’m sure practices vary widely from farm to farm (and please do correct me if I’m wrong!). And yes, I try very hard to not engage in fear mongering. As I mention in my post, this was not to advocate that everyone make these same changes. But as a blogger who writes about what she eats and feeds her family, I wanted to share decisions I’ve made and explain my rationale. I really do appreciate your input–and as I say in the post, comments and input from readers help inform me about various issues as well, so I am grateful for the time you took in responding!
Daniela says
Hi Sally. Thanks so much for this post. I’m a farmer and former dairy farmer (my husband and I operated our own dairy farm for five years up until 2013 and now we raise beef). I echo what Jenny wrote about dairy farmers and conventionally produced versus organically produced milk. On my farm and on many fellow dairy farmer friends, we too grazed our cows, but we were not organic. Like Jenny mentioned, animal care was our top priority. We kept our animals inside both in cold weather and when it was too hot (cows do much better in the cold than they do in hot weather). Many dairy farms -of all sizes- make cow comfort a priority. On my farm, our cows had mattresses to lay on when they were in the barn. Many modern barns are equipped with water mattresses, fans, misters and even back scratchers for cows. Also, typically grocery store brands of milk are sourced locally and on average the typical gallon of milk only travels about 100 miles from a farm to plant to the grocery isle. But I’m so glad to read that you’re providing milk for your family. If you have any questions about milk or dairy farming, feel free to ask. Thanks! -Daniela
Tragic Sandwich says
We’ve been buying only organic milk since Baguette got old enough to drink cow’s milk, and I now only buy eggs from the local farmer at our farmers’ market–they are so much better than the ones in the store!
We haven’t yet made the switch to only pasture-raised meats, but I’m trying to cut back on the amount of meat we eat so that we can afford to make that change. We probably should pay more attention to food dyes.
Stacy says
Great article! Could you link your parents article about food dyes? Thanks!
Stacy says
Now the link works, thanks!
Gillian says
It’s hard to get local eggs where I am, so I rely on organic eggs. Same goes for milk. I buy only organic chicken and we don’t eat a ton of meat but organic turkey, lamb and pork is sometimes hard to come by. We eat very little beef. I’ve spoken to farmers about it and apparently, lambs are very susceptible to worms so many farmers opt to give them antibiotics when they get sick and nurse them back to health, as opposed to getting rid of them. I don’t know why it’s so hard to get organic turkey, and I can find Du Breton organic pork in some markets near me.
After I started having kids (I have three) the thought of artificial hormones and antibiotics in their bodies gave me pause and I made the switch where I could and never looked back.
I also rely on the dirty dozen list as a great guide for making choices with organic and non organic produce. Look, I realize this is crazy, but when my mother was diagnosed with lymphoma (she’s in remission now), I decided that if there were things that I could do in my world that felt like I was protecting my loved ones from carcinogens, I had to do it. We often look for control in situations that feel out of control. I avoid dyes and dairy/meat that has hormones and antibiotics whenever I can because there are enough “what ifs” in the world for me to tolerate.
That said, when I am a guest in someone’s home, I eat what I am served, organic or not. I live in the real world.
Alex @ get big, go to work says
Really great post! I currently only have to buy groceries for fiancé and myself. We definitely spend more on groceries than the average person but save in two main other ways:1) we rarely go out or buy met clothes- cutting down on these material good allow us to spend more on quality food ingredients 2) I make a lot of our food rather than buying it prepared. I’ve definitely cut our meat intake down so we can buy less, high quality meat.
baker says
I’m really surprised at how lightly you treaded in regards to the milk subject.
There’s a very specific reason why Snowville’s milk, and other milks like it are the healthiest option on the market. Non-homogenization and low temperature pasteurization. This specific method is what retains enzymes in the milk, not only making it very healthy but also a key to weight loss. Yes, milk; weight loss. And it can even be 2%, or whole.
I understand the briefness of the writing here but I felt zero to little passion from you when it comes to this.
Sally says
Baker–You don’t feel passion from me about that issue because it’s not the reason I buy Snowville. As I say in the post, I choose it because it’s a local company and because they source from Ohio farms that use pasture-based grass grazing methods. We all have different reasons for choosing the foods and drinks we buy. My reason doesn’t have to be your reason. As for milk and weight loss, the research I have seen on that still seems to be mixed.
Steve Cooper says
We decided that staying healthy is less expensive, so we changed to a mostly organic, mostly vegetarian lifestyle. The story is on our web page. Yes, we added to the grocery budget by about $150.00 per month, but that has been in exchange for $0.00 in medical and OTC remedy costs. We suspect we’re quite a bit ahead of most families in that respect. Thanks for asking.
Sally says
Steve–That’s a great way to think of it, that you’re spending more on food but less on healthcare. I’m glad your family has found a diet and lifestyle that is working well for you and keeping you healthy. Budgeting and food are both such highly personal topics, and every family has to make a decision about what’s best for them. Thanks so much for sharing what has worked for you!
Lorraine Matthews-Antosiewicz says
What are your thoughts about some very popular brands of organic milk adding fish oil to their milk?