Food & Drink Discussions

I pay more attention than in the past and I try to include at least a few organic foods each time I visit the grocery. I don't care about things like "free ranging chickens", but I do care about the meat. The growth hormones used for these animals certainly cannot be good for human consumption.

I don't shop at any special store- I just look for organic when I'm at my local grocery.  

Bryan-Carey said… I don't care about things like "free ranging chickens", but I do care about the meat.

---

Aw I bet the chickens care about it though!  =)  I will say that the free-range, antibiotic-free, hormone-free chickens that we've gotten from the farmer are probably the best chicken we've ever had.  It is really incredible.  I'm not even really a big fan of chicken but I absolutely love what we've been having.  And that is just from a flavor standpoint... aside from all of the other benefits involved.

We buy organic as much as possible. We shop at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods most of the time and our Shaw's Supermarket has a nice section of organic foods. I don't have a farmer around:) but the items at especially TJ and WF are super. I also look for (if it's sweet) organic cane sugar or agave nectar rather than some other sweetener.

There are some foods we won't eat unless it is organic: grapes and any fruits/veggies  that don't have a hard shell and anything made of rice.

PS realize that free range can mean that the chicken is out of its cage for 5 minutes a day. There isn't a lot of control thus we buy at TJ and WFs because we trust them more than our chains.

Nope. I live a non-organic life and am proud to tell ya so.  That food tastes kinda funky to me.

I have written a few food product reviews like organic macaroni and cheese and have a cereal review in the works, neither of which I recommend as being worth the extra money. 

Thanks for asking.

GeorgeChabot said…
Nope. I live a non-organic life and am proud to tell ya so.  That food tastes kinda funky to me.

I have written a few food product reviews like organic macaroni and cheese and have a cereal review in the works, neither of which I recommend as being worth the extra money. 

Thanks for asking.

---

George, like I said, a few months ago my response probably would have been along the lines of yours so I totally get what you are saying.

Here's an interesting tidbit, though it may be too much info.  After switching over to organic produce and antibiotic-hormone free meats/dairy, my monthly reminder that I'm not pregnant didn't appear.  I was too upset and nervous to really put two and two together but a good friend posed the question to me today: could the lack of excess hormones in my daily meals have interfered with my body?  I can't say for sure either way but I wouldn't rule it out. 

I'm not trying to convert you by any means...just sharing my experiences as I'm new to this whole thing.

njchicaa said…

GeorgeChabot said…
Nope. I live a non-organic life and am proud to tell ya so.  That food tastes kinda funky to me.

I have written a few food product reviews like organic macaroni and cheese and have a cereal review in the works, neither of which I recommend as being worth the extra money. 

Thanks for asking.

---

George, like I said, a few months ago my response probably would have been along the lines of yours so I totally get what you are saying.

Here's an interesting tidbit, though it may be too much info.  After switching over to organic produce and antibiotic-hormone free meats/dairy, my monthly reminder that I'm not pregnant didn't appear. 

...

I'm not trying to convert you by any means...just sharing my experiences as I'm new to this whole thing.

---

Good for you, but I have never had that particular indication so I'll probably pass on the super expensive, untasty, organic foods just the same. ;>

Here is my take on what I consider the "Organic Rip Off of Consumers"!

Since these chickens/cows/pigs are not fed hormones/antibiotics and allowed to roam free to eat grass...Thus the farmer/rancher saves money on buying cages/hormones/antibiotics...Which means less people are needed to inject or otherwise introduce the hormones/antibiotics.......My one main question is Why do we have to pay more???

I do agree that without these hormones/antibiotics that the meat does taste better and more like I ate while growing up on a farm. I may be a Redneck but even I know if a farmer/rancher doesn't have to spend money buying such things and the animals are allowed to graze naturally his costs are less. I think it is just a scam to rape the public! As for organic vegetables and grains the same thing applies as it does for meat. Now I don't have but 1 acre so raising animals for meat is not possible but I do grow my own vegetables and they are tasty and chemical free.

Okay I will step off my box now....lol ;)

kid-kansas said…
Here is my take on what I consider the "Organic Rip Off of Consumers"!

My one main question is Why do we have to pay more???

... I may be a Redneck but even I know if a farmer/rancher doesn't have to spend money buying such things and the animals are allowed to graze naturally his costs are less. I think it is just a scam to rape the public! 

Okay I will step off my box now....lol ;)

---

I agree with Ron 100% not to mention the leftist politcal crap they usually try to sell along with their price inflated foodstuffs. Read a box or two and you'll see some crap right out of Karl Marx.

Barf!

I find free range eggs taste better and have a nicer, brighter color in the yolk. I know, however, that free range eggs are more likely to be tainted by certain bacteria. I like organic meats, and we eat a lot of organic chicken. We get chicken from a small shop that sells birds from a poultry farm where the birds are raised organically and allowed to roam free, but the farmer can't afford to be certified. I think the whole certification process is a real ripoff to the family farmer, trying to do the right thing and make a living.

Telpher said…
I find free range eggs taste better and have a nicer, brighter color in the yolk.

---

It is incredible just how much darker those yolks are and just how much better they taste.  I always mocked those who said that free range and organic eggs were better than the traditional ones on sale in the grocery store, but I've become a bit of a convert. 

Ok here's another thought - don't eat meat....The amount of grain it takes to produce one pound of that filet mignon would feed 7 people...Jo ducking the tomatoes (organic of course)

Jo said…
Ok here's another thought - don't eat meat....The amount of grain it takes to produce one pound of that filet mignon would feed 7 people...Jo ducking the tomatoes (organic of course)

---

Now that's just blasphamy!  lol Sorry I was raised on meat and potatoes and that's one of my favorite things is a good steak.  Every fall my dad loads up our freezer with enough venison to last us a few months... Yum... Now that's free range meat.

Our family has cut way back on eating meat of any kind.  We feel better and don't seem to be as tired.  I have read that some so called "organic" foods in the stores are not any better for you than the non organic ones.  I buy fresh locally as much as possible to support the local farmers but, then I live in farm country!  That would be kind of hard to do in the city.
Over the years I have seen so many "good for you" reports that I am skeptical of any passing food fad.  My motto is to eat in moderation all things in season.  The Lord provided melons and juicy fruit in the heat of the summer and fiber rich vegetables like squash and pumpkins to help the body bulk up for the winter.  Eating local foods gives you a natural anti allergen advantage; especially if you eat local honey.  Eat plenty of grains and fresh fruits and vegetables and you will find many little aches and pains will magically disappear!
The only way you can truly know what is put into the food you eat is grow it to  yourself... hmmm.
That said; I once heard that if you eat really healthy, take care of your body, etc. you may only prolong your life by a very short duration.  Common sense rules and your body knows what it needs.  If it says eat a big, rare juicy steak- go for it.

Jo said…
Ok here's another thought - don't eat meat....The amount of grain it takes to produce one pound of that filet mignon would feed 7 people...Jo ducking the tomatoes (organic of course)

---

Umm would you like those tomatoes green or extra ripe??? lol... I enjoy my veggies and grains but there has to be MEAT in there as well.....;)

 This is the new USDA food pryamid put out in 2005. Dairy and Meat are listed on the pryamid but not in the main 4 food groups. Dairy and Meat are recommended to eat very little of. Dairy is ony 3 cups a day. A cup is 8 ounces right? well it takes 5 ounces of milk to make 1 slice of cheese. The kind you get presliced and packaged separately. So you can have 1 slice of cheese, an 8 ounce yogart, and say an 8 ounce glass of milk. That is all your body needs to get any of the required nutrition from dairy. Meat is ony 5 ounces IN A WHOLE DAY. Meat eaters eat 10 times that amount of meat. Who do you know that truthfully eats only 5 ounces of meat in a whole day? or only 3 cups of dairy products? The main 4 food groups you can eat all you want of them.

What has been proven over and over again in studies, is first dairy and meat are not essenital for a healthy diet. Even if it is organic. That the little bit of  nutrition you get from dairy and meat, you get more of and your body uses them properly when you get them from the 4 main food groups. Eating dairy and meat is a luxury. It is a feel good food, just like sweets and dessets. It has been proven that dairy and meat products actually put off a cetain chemical that reacts in your body the same way cocain does. In the respect of making you addicted to it. If you are a meat eater and can not give up meat and dairy you addicted to it. Just as bad as a person addicted to cocain. To many vegetarians and vegan people have testified to the fact that you feel, look and act healthier when you don't eat dairy or meat. The thing is poeple eat meat, because they have always ate it, our society revolves around food and meat is the center of it. They are addicted to it, and they simply like the taste of animal flesh. Anyone who is concerned about being healthy would never eat dairy or animal flesh. It has been proved by study after study that dairy and animal flesh cause heart attacks, strokes,diabetes,  lung problems, high blood pressure, high closestrol, every kind of cancer you can name, and obestiy. Because of all this diseases dairy and animal flesh is responsible for causing the deaths of over 1.5 million poeple a year, just in the United States.  

Quote by Dr Neal Barnard:

 "The beef industry has contributed to more American deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of real food for real people, you'd better live real close to a real good hospital."

Here is the up to date food pryamid

(1) The whole grain group - includes bread, pasta, breakfast cereal, rice dishes, corn, and other grains. They provide fiber, complex carbohydrates, important vitamins, and an adequate amount of protein (neither too much nor too little). Especially valuable are unprocessed whole-grain products, as compared to grains which have been ground up into flour or stripped of their bran.

(2) The vegetable group - includes broccoli, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes, and cauliflower. Vegetables are particularly rich in vitamins and minerals. Beta carotene, found primarily in yellow and green vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and spinach, has been found to reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases. Green leafy vegetables are also very good sources of fiber, complex carbohydrates, and calcium.

(3) The fruit group - includes apples, bananas, peaches, pears, and oranges, as well as exotic fruits, such as kiwis and carambola. Because they are very rich in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, and fiber, fruits provide valuable resistance to heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

(4) The legume group - includes foods that come in a pod, such as beans, peas, lentils, soy, tofu, and tempeh. These foods are excellent sources of fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein, and minerals.

 

Good point, Jo. Free range is supposed to be they spend most of their lives roaming freely on a certain nice size portion of the property where they are raised. There is a place in Calverton, NY  that has free range turkeys. I know they are legitimate. Boy are they good.

We eat organic as much as possible. It's healthier for us as well as the planet. We also check the ingredients on products for MSG. I get migraines from MSG.

It makes perfect sense that milk is not considered an essential food: we're the only animals who drink the milk of another species. There's absolutely nothing natural about humans drinking the milk of cows. That said, I LOVE cheese and ice cream and butter, and I thank God the man-made concept of turning the milk of another species into human food was developed.

I have bought organic foods in recent years, but not necessarily because they are organic. I've had to look for foods that don't cause my children to cry until 3 a.m. saying that their bellies hurt, and therefore began cutting out any foods that seemed to bother them, including gluten (wheat, rye, barley, sometimes oats), casein (milk), eggs, nuts, citrus, high fat content, and two of the three kids cannot handle eating anything with corn in it. Many of the foods that do not have those ingredients and are produced on dedicated gluten-free lines are also organic. I've had to contact numerous manufacturers about ingredients and it seems that the organic manufacturers tend to be a bit more educated about gluten. I have a really hard time paying for these specialty products.

I found that I actually liked the organic macaroni noodles made from corn better than the regular ones made from wheat, but we all have different taste buds, I suppose. Some of the specialty products I've tried that are free of all the ingredients listed above have been downright nasty. I tried this vegan cheese one time that NOBODY would eat. I threw it in the back yard expecting the neighbor's cat to eat it before the next morning. A week later, I finally sealed it in a ziplock bag and tossed it in the garbage. It's too bad I wasn't doing reviews back then--I have no idea what that brand of cheese was, but I feel sorry for anyone else wasting money buying it like I did.

Oh, I've tried dairy-free "cheese", too. It's like eating plastic. It never, ever melts, tastes awful, and has a very disgusting consistency. And they have the nerve to print on the label: "compare to cheddar!" Yes, I compared it, alright, and it came up pretty damned short. On the other hand, I LOVE chocolate soy milk. It doesn't get me congested, the way cow's milk does, but it's full of chocolatey goodness. I'm not at all deluded into thinking it's a health food, but it goes down easier, tastes great, and has no cholesterol. As for the cost of organic foods: it may seem that it would be cheap to farm organically, but it's incredibly labor-intensive. And, while farmers no longer need to pay for chemical insecticides, they do have to pay for a lot of man-power to do manually what chemicals are often relied on to do, other plants, which they plant alongside their standard crops, organic alternatives to chemicals, and even buying in bulk things like insects that are the natural enemies of other insects who pose a threat to their crops. Add to that the high cost of getting legally certified organic, and it's no surprise the cost is passed on tot he customer. The bright spot in the whole thing is that large-scale organic farming is becoming more and more popular, which is making organics cheaper. Believe it or not, Walmart is the world's largest buyer of organic cotton. Since they now have a range of organic clothing, they contract lots of farmers to grow organic cotton. The result is that those same farmers are forced to keep their land organic all the time (in order to remain certified) and they're now growing organic fruit and veggies between cotton crops. I know people tend to hate Walmart but the truth is, they're going to be the ones responsible for organics being affordable for the average American. In fact, their range of organic cotton clothing is really good and really cheap, as compared to anywhere else. And the big, Super Walmarts, with groceries attached, sell low-priced organic food.

We try to buy things we eat most organic, but overall I consider our family to be much healthier eaters than an average American household. I find it bizarre that drugs injected into US cows are banned everywhere else in the world, including Europe. Why is it alright here? I think the corporations are much more concerned with stuffing their pockets than with our health.

My health has improved immensely since we started eating more organic foods and quit on processed stuff from the freezers and food with all kinds of unpronounceable additives. I used to not tolerate milk at all, it gave me cramps and indigestion, that all changed once we switched to milk from cows not treated with rBGH/rBST (hormones), in many years I can finally enjoy milk. I never had these problems in Russia either, milk was natural without any hormones.

I can go on and on about how I feel better. Hey, even if it was all in my head and I felt great just because of that - it is worth it! I don't even go to the doctor anymore, they know nothing but how to prescribe a pill.

Thanks to Trader Joes we can afford organic food, otherwise i don't know if it would be possible. With a baby on the way, there is defenitely no way we could afford Whole Foods.

You are smart to change what 98% of Americians put in their bodies. Americans pay more for healthcare and have more medications than any other nation in the world, yet we are the sickest nation on earth. We have so much more cancer, heart desease, and sickness because of the food that we choose to put in our bodies. We need nutrition education and application now more than ever. We get some of our supplies such as: coconut oil (for frying), etc., xylitol (a natural sweetner made from birch tree), (instead of sugar),(which is also killing America), along with misc. items that we cannot find in grocery stores, from individual health food distributors. We do shop Earth Fare for the right meats and raw cheeses. Ingles food chain also has a health food section. But know how to read your ingredients, (very important). When shopping in grocery stores, only purchase along the outside walls of the store, never aisles, this is where all of the processed foods are that is killing us and our children. America wake up, you are what you eat! We also drink raw milk that we purchase from our farm dairys from nearby. If America would stand up for nutritious foods again, our grocery stores and providers of our food would change. The nutrition education that we have gotten over the decades has been hog wash, (low-fat), and artificial sweetners. The fats that we consume must be good fats, like whole non pasturized and non homogenized milk, raw whole fat cheeses, eggs, nuts, seeds, veggies, berries, and some fruit. If the majority have been right, then why are we so sick?

Quote by Thomas Edison: The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.

When will we listen?

God did not create man to be all-plant eaters. It is not the meat itself that is killing America, it is the hormones and antibiotics that the meat is injected with that is the killer. The same is with dairy. The processes that it is put through takes all of the natural nutrition and enzymes out of it. What is left is what we eat. Raw milk will cure certain stomach and digestive conditions, according to some doctors. And they recommend those patients to drink it.

I switched to cage-free and free range products, mostly because of health concerns I have related to pesticides and hormones - cancer rates around WWII were 1 out of every 50.  Now, one out of every 2.3 people receive some forms of cancer diagnosis. Scary!!!  I am also trying to purchase more fair trade items.  I'm as concerned about how our fellow human beings are treated as I am the chickens!  It can definitely be more expensive to buy the organic and fair trade items, but I have been blessed with a comfortable life and feel  have a responsibility to support people who are trying to provide healthy products and those who are trying to eke out a subsistence in poorer regions of the world.  This is my first year's attempt to have my own organic garden...I may be running back to Whole Foods before the end of the summer.  LOL!

This is a really fascinating discussion, you guys!

 

 We don't really know why "suddenly" red meat started making me sick, and I'm not talking about queasy, I mean violently ill, sometimes for more than a day. One guess was hormones in commercially produced beef and pork, but it is more likely that I never ate enough of it to begin with and so my body just nixed the necessity of the enzyme that breaks down meat proteins.(The latter is what my MD agreed with) Whatever the case, I haven't missed it (except that I have myself a rather large scale whine and cheese party whenever someone eats crispy bacon in front of me. LOL) I've not had any red meat since 1994.

 

 That said, my husband, a native of these Pennsylvania hills, is totally a meat and 'taters eater, and I took him off "store bought" meats a few years back. We are fortunate in that we have plenty of farmers here who sell organic and free range, and both the meat and poultry do indeed just taste better and somehow "fresher" (is that a word?) We buy our eggs from a local farmer, and produce, good heavens, there are so many big gardens around here you can purchase in a couple of shopping trips enough in the way of can-able produce to last throughout the year. I know that's not easy for everyone. It's one of the "perks" of living rural.

 

 I'm not actually into the "movement" of organic, but gosh, if you can get meat without the addition of hormones, produce without the scary pesticides, why the heck wouldn't you? Thanks for a really interesting and thought-provoking discussion!