Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping.

First a history lesson.

I live in a city where the natural and organic food options went from slim options to moderate options over the course of a few years. At first we had to go to one of two grocery stores for organic foods. One only had a few vegetables and some organic shelf-stable options were mixed in with all the other non-organic food. The other store has its own Natural Foods section, which has always been a decent little corner in the store, and had more organic produce options than the other store. Or you could go to Walmart, which had a lawsuit several years ago about putting organic labels on conventional produce to make a higher profit. I have major trust issues with Walmart. Basically, we had slim pickings. The produce was rarely ever fresh. It had to be shipping in from so far away. The only way to get fresh produce was to go to farmers markets. The type of produce sold there was limited, and there were only a couple of vendors. I also have a super rough time with mornings, and that's when they're happening.

Then a few years ago our city opened a Community Food Co-op. Finally! A place to get local organic/ non-sprayed produce with greater options for other organic groceries! They also offered locally sourced grass fed beef and lamb that never ate grains! It was a miracle! I was really excited about this. The problem is that this co-op has had a really rocky few years since opening. The meat department started out fantastic. They had a choice of local cuts, they made their own smoked meats, made their own sausages, and kept a variety. They slowly stopped carrying any fresh (non-frozen) local meat. That deteriorated into no fresh non-packaged meat. Now their meat cooler only has prepackaged options from regional brands, and then a freezer with local beef, pork, and lamb. They have always carried Smart Chicken, which I like, but they used to carry local whole chickens. I haven't seen those in years. Their produce section didn't have it quite as rough as the meat department, but there were some rough patches. Overall they have still had the best selection of fresh organic foods in town, and most of the time I'm happy with my produce from them. Local means fresh! But not always - not when people don't buy it fast enough and it sits there too long. It's not their fault.

I work a health products store (Terry's Health Products) that sells frozen and shelf-stable foods. We have made a strong effort to make our food section good, and I can get a lot of my regular staples there. We don't carry any fresh foods, but there's plenty else we carry. I'm not being biased by saying that the store I work at has been a saving grace for my city for many many years. It has always filled in gaps in the local market, thankfully! If you live near me then I strongly encourage you to consider us as part of your grocery shopping stops, because we have things no one else in town has.

So then Natural Grocers decided to come to town. They just opened last month. I can't tell you how many people were really excited that they were coming - acting like it was an answer to all the grocery problems in this city. Having shopped there when I lived in Boise, I knew what to expect, and the store turned out to be exactly what I expected. It's probably a miracle store for some types of shoppers. But I am not the kind of shopper the store is targeted to. Their produce is not local, and has the same problem as the other stores: it's not as fresh as I want because of the shipping time. Their produce section also focuses heavily on fruits and potatoes... starches and sugars, just like what most shelf-stable foods focus on. The typical American diet. They do not have a meat department, just some pre-packaged options that they have been mostly or entirely sold out of the 3 times I've been there. The one thing they carry that I can't get anywhere else in town is organic turkey deli meat without any sugar, carrageenan, starches, flavors, or other additives. It's just turkey and salt. Unlike Applegate, who just cannot seem to ever get it right (potato starch - seriously!?) I was hoping that their frozen vegetable selection would offer some variety. Nope, not really. It's just more of what every other store carries, plus some frozen mushrooms and okra (I can't have either.) So... do I really have much reason to shop there except to stock up on deli meat? An entire natural foods store, and as an organic health foodie I can't find much there that fits my standards. This is a normal problem for me.

Now that you have my history lesson, I want to explain how I shop. I get asked this often, so I'll enlighten you.

I do not eat any sugars, starches, dairy, grains, fruits, nightshades, pork, most fish, sulfurous foods, carrageenan, enriched foods, artificial ingredients, or anything with added vitamins. I also avoid most non-sugar sweeteners and natural and artificial flavors. This is not about preference, it's about my health. I don't have much choice - my body will make that clear if I try and cheat.

I eat pasture raised organic meats, certain vegetables, certain nuts and seeds, and certain oils. That's it.

Basically, I don't eat 95% of what is offered in any grocery store. Just because it's organic and "clean" doesn't mean it's good for me, but these stores like Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, Kroger, and Trader Joe's and the like will try to make you think it is good for you. There are a lot of people out there who just care that their food is natural and organic, and they'll still buy the typical cereals, sauces, pastas, energy bars... you know, the same foods they would buy at Walmart, just the organic version. If that's the type of shopper you are then these stores are perfect for you! That is not the type of shopper I am. Anymore. I used to be that type of shopper, and I was like a kid in a candy store in these types of stores. But my health doesn't allow me to eat any organic food I want to (that I'm not allergic to) anymore. 

What these stores don't do very well is cater to people like me, who are on restricted diets. There is some effort to cater to the Keto and Paleo diets, but I haven't been impressed with most of those efforts. Paleo granola still has bananas, honey, or maple syrup. How is that Paleo? Why is it a fundamental requirement that all pre-packaged foods have a sweetener in them? Where are the Paleo granolas without starchy nuts (cashews) and without sweeteners added? I can find Keto friendly breads without the grains and sugars, but then they're full of tapioca starch. Ummm... that's not Keto. Sorry, nice try, but starches will pull you out of ketosis. Especially when people eat those Keto-friendly processed foods on a regular basis. If you're not trying to stay in Ketosis and you can tolerate some starches then these breads are AMAZING. Seriously. They're very good. But they do not work for me... can you tell I tried? My gut told me to stop eating them. My actual gut, not my intuition.

So.

My main food is meat. I need to eat protein every two hours. I need a lot of protein to be stable. I order a quarter cow at a time directly from a local farm. It's certified organic and grass-fed, and they never eat grains (except some of their cows will be fed organic oats in the winter.) I pay around $800-1,000 for my quarter cow, and I buy a quarter 2-3 times a year. I have to buy my free-range chicken and lamb from the local co-op, and I probably buy $25 of chicken per week from them. You might think this is crazy expensive! Keep in mind that I'm not spending my money on other groceries - I put my budget into these quality meats and don't buy tons of other foods.

My second main food are vegetables. Non-starchy, non-nightshade, non-sulfurous vegetables. My options are fairly limited, but cheating and eating other veggies hurts. A lot. Sorry, broccoli is not good for me at all, which royally sucks because it's delicious and has great texture. Because I'm so restricted, I can't sign up for a program through one of the local organic farms where they send me a box a week. I'll get too many vegetables I can't eat, but I love those programs for other people so much. I can't get to the farmer's markets due to the times they are at, sadly. But this is where the local food co-op is a huge blessing for me. They have fresh local organic produce. They don't have every thing I want, but I am happy with what they do have. I stop there on the way home from work (it's on the way) and load up on veggies and Smart Chicken and lamb a couple times per week.

The store I work at has the nuts and seeds I can eat. Sprouted pumpkin seeds, sprouted sunflower seeds, pine nuts, and occasional sprouted almonds. All organic. I also get my jerky, vinegar, coconut aminos, coconut wraps, paleo avocado oil mayo without yolks (sulfur in the yolks), frozen veggies, collagen creamer for my tea, tea, and my spices there. I probably spend a lot of my paycheck on groceries there, ha!

Now I'm adding in Natural Grocers as a 3rd store, but really just for my deli meat. I went there today and wandered around a lot, not seeing anything else for me. That doesn't make them a bad store. They're just not catering to me.

I also shop on Vitacost.com as needed. They used to carry a lot that I couldn't find in town, but this year I've been able to find more of what I need in town. Sometimes it's way cheaper to buy from them and I'll choose them anyway.



Is the issue here me, or is it an issue with the industry? Both.

There are brands doing it right. I love those brands, I support them, and I encourage others to eat them. There are brands that are doing it right who I recommend, even though I can't eat their products due to certain ingredients.

But there are a lot of brands who just want their food to be the best tasting option. They don't care if that means they have to add sugar and starches. They don't care if that means they have to use a less healthy oil or cooking method. The ingredients might be organic, but that doesn't mean it's healthy or of the highest quality. Foods like this make up most of the industry. If you're like my husband, then this is a very good thing. He wants to only eat delicious foods and just prefers that they're organic. He loves the convenience of a can of hearty soup full of cream and potatoes and with lots of thickeners. :) I cannot be like my husband, even if I want to be, because I'll get sick eating that way. I'm far from the only one with my types of restrictions too. There should be a much bigger market for people like me.

I would probably eat a lot more packaged foods if only they followed my rules. Broth in glass without nightshades, yeast, or sugar. Paleo crackers without starches or too much vinegar (vinegar is sulfurous). Jerky without nightshades. Olives in glass without red wine vinegar. Frozen mixed vegetables without corn or nightshades and preferably in waxed paper packaging . Sunflower seed butter without sugar and with salt (I need the salt!) Paleo bread without egg yolks and starches, and maybe using a mix of nut flours beyond just almond flour (I can tolerate some, just not often.) Paleo protein powder bars without erythritol and cashews (I'm looking at you, Bulletproof - get rid of those cashews please!) You get the idea. There are a lot of products that are almost right for me.

Maybe now you understand why I don't get too excited about the organic industry. I love that the industry exists and I'm passionate about food. This industry is very very important. But I don't trust it. I find companies within the industry that are trustworthy and I stick with them. Most organic brands don't make anything for me. I am extremely judgemental and critical of foods, but I think that protects me and is a healthy thing.

But as you can see, I'm able to eat well. I'm able to find what I need. I'm able to not settle for less than what is right for me. I just had to have the determination to figure out how to shop and the willpower to stick to it. It's been working for me!