Food Rules #13: Eat only foods that will rot

Processed foods were created to extend shelf life by removing the amino acids and nutrients that eventually break food down and cause it to mold. Processed foods are no longer "alive", if you will (and remember, tend to be found in the middle aisles of the supermarket). The longer something will sit around on a shelf, the less nutritious (and probably satisfying) it is.

Most (I can't say all, but it's pretty darn close) of the food we carry at the shops is free of processing & preservatives. From time to time someone will return a jam or other small-batch item that's started to mold - not fun to see after you've spent the money on it and brought it all the way home - but in a way, that should be reassuring, right? [insert smiley face] Look at it this way - we are fortunate to have the stock on our shelves rotate frequently enough that mold SHOULDN'T be an issue; however, the foods we carry are handmade products that would never use any type of added preservative, so sometimes it'll happen. Of course we're happy to replace the product, but I think we are so NOT used to seeing mold on food that sometimes it can be really off-putting, and certainly surprising!

Here's an idea: how about eating food that is the freshest possible, that's not treated chemically or inhumanely or in a large factory? Canning & preserving certain foods at their seasonal peak were created to help us eat those foods year round, but in general, eating with the seasons will help us get closer to any goal of eating the freshest & highest quality. Following this philosophy if any way, shape or form will be better for our health, our environment, small farms and local economies. It may seem daunting (and expensive!) but it gets easier and if you cook, it's actually not always as expensive as you may think. Cheers!

Food Rules #12: Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle

"Processed foods dominate center aisles of the grocery stores" says Pollan. Fresh foods are around the periphery of the stores, although even some dairy products now contain HFCS. I'd agree with this, but I challenge us to stay out of the big supermarkets entirely if you can. Shop at independent grocers (shameless plug) and farmer's markets for local produce (yes, I realize this is difficult if not impossible to do in January in Chicago). Year round you can find local meat & other locally-made products at these venues as well.

Remember my note from last week about the study the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture did, comparing prices of local and non-local produce in Iowa during the growing months of June, July and August 2009? The study concluded that the cost of buying local produce was less per pound. We all need to support our local, sustainable food systems anyway. We can have an impact on the prices of these foods by supporting them with our dollars. Keeping local businesses around & contributing to small food entrepeneurs will help them create and sustain a business that's bound to impact prices (right?)!

I also challenge the notion that buying foods predominately from the interior grocery store aisles is in fact, less expensive. I'm thinking specifically about how these foods fill us up and leave us with little satisfaction, craving more; about the environmental impact of the processing, packaging and waste these foods create; about the future health problems we could encounter surviving on a diet of mostly processed foods. We'll pay in one way or the other I guess.

If you are interested in reading the entire Leopold study, you can find it here: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubs/staff/prices.html

Thanks for reading! Let me know how you like these posts so far or if you have any additional thoughts.

Food Rules #11: Avoid foods you see advertised on TV

Since the biggest food producers have the largest advertising budgets, and since over 2/3 of food adverts are to promote processed foods, Pollan cautions against eating products advertised on television & automatically avoid eating 'edible foodlike substances'. Now there are definitely exceptions: California fruit growers for example. But for the most part, what we're seeing on TV ain't real food.

Some of the hardest working and cool people I know I met thru being a vendor at the Logan Square Farmer's Market. Some of the vendors there I've gotten to know very well and I can vouch for not only the quality of everything they bring to sell there, but also of their work ethic and their determination to make our little part of the country great. They work extremely hard and certainly aren't getting rich doing it. Needless to say, they have no marketing budget. (their stands at the farmers' markets ARE their marketing budget, and then they rely on word of mouth after that...). You'll never see them on TV promoting their heirloom tomatoes, pastured chickens or kohlrabi. The best thing we can do to help these small farms grow is to go to farmers markets (or independent grocers!) and start talking to them. Ask questions, visit the farms, buy the produce, cheese & meat and decide for yourself what you like best. Then tell your friends, your families & colleagues about your new discoveries, the great recipe you tried and nice farmer you met. That is the best we can help them with their marketing and hopefully give them a fighting chance against the big food companies.

Food Rules #10: Avoid foods pretending to be something they are not

Real food. I believe that real food tastes better, that it's better for you, that you eat less of it. But real food costs more. Preservatives and processed foods/ingredients are cheap: they've been designed to be produced in large quantities and to be cheap. That's why you can spend $1 on a burger at many drive-thru places. That way, there can be food that sits on store shelves for unknown amounts of time and still be edible. We can feed a family of four with a big pan of lasagna from the frozen aisle for around $7. I read that prior to World War II Americans spent close to 30% of their income on food. Now, the average is something like 6%. I'm well above the average. Yes, I love food, but I make a point to buy local, real food w/o preservatives, HFCS and other ingredients. I don't buy margarine, but rather real butter. It tastes way better, doesn't it?

But it's funny: so "real food" (that is, food w/o preservatives, chemicals and sugar/corn syrup) is more expensive on our grocery shelves, BUT we pay the cost later: health problems, money spent on research to create a pill to cure the symptoms caused by eating fewer fruits & vegetables, factory-farmed beef & chickens full of antibiotics & corn, subsidizing farms growing corn that will be used to make HFCS and go into countless "edible foodlike substances", money spent to clean up environmental waste & water-supply runoff...are there hard statistics that show us what we REALLY pay in the end? I honestly don't know, but I do know that as a nation we are faced with these issues & I know that a lot of dollars that end up being spent on them.

So, with regards to the 30% vs. 6% of income being spent on food: I think the intent of the Nixon administration to deal with rising food costs was good...it obviously was on the minds of people enough to be made national policy. But it got away from us. We as a nation have a very distant relationship with food. But it's changing. More people are getting to know their farmers, are asking about the provenance of what they are consuming, attendance/sales at farmers' markets continues to grow (oh, and big companies like Monsanto are changing their marketing strategies, which really doesn't count...). People are starting to demand change. They are talking with their dollars and their questions and I think we and our local economies, our small farms and our health will all be the better for it.

Food Rules #9: Avoid foods w/the terms "lite", "low-fat" or "nonfat" in their names

Pollan makes an interesting point: We've gotten fat on low-fat products over the last 40 years. I've long thought it was odd that if you compared people in pictures, movies, etc. from 40, 50 or more years ago to those in today's culture, movies, etc. we are so much bigger & taller than we used to be! Does anyone else find it strange that some middle schoolers are nearing 6'? Or the rate of obesity has risen as much as it has in the last 20-30 years? Call me crazy, but it's GOT to have something to do with our food supply and the way food is produced, doesn't it? All these "lite" and "diet" foods seem to have more carbs, are more processed and contain more chemicals (& we are eating MORE of them).

A friend of mine runs a non-profit called Purple Asparagus, which works to bring families together through food, but also does a lot of work with childhood nutrition and getting into schools to teach kids how to cook, the value of eating fresh, local foods and avoiding 'junk' foods. This is a terrific and probably the best way to work towards getting us as a nation healthier and to decrease our rate of obesity, diabetes and other diseases. It may sound cliche, but start them young...by teaching kids the importance of cooking and eating well (not to mention how fun it is to cook & eat with your family or a group of friends!) we're instilling in them good nutrition, and we'll no longer reach for the 'lite' versions of foods. This may also start forcing the large food producers to start offering healthy alternatives for our kids, for the vending machines and for ourselves.

Food Rules #8: Avoid foods that make health claims

Pollan makes an interesting point: the food companies with the largest marketing & packaging budgets make the most health claims. It's funny how there could be a 'formula' for making you more healthy, thin, happy...I really believe it's all about balance. I mean, if you're only eating processed foods, you're going to feel awful, rundown and probably have more health problems. I'll be the 1st to admit I'm not 100% processed-food free, but I don't get wierded out by red meat, butter, fat, raw cheese (stuff that at times have all been warned against). I just feel that personally if I can maintain a sense of balance in my diet, that that is a healthy way for ME to live. So I'm still getting my veggies, whole grains and the 'good' fats, but I'm trying to balance those more with the more-than-occasional fried food and other 'bad' things in my diet. Now I just need to exercise a bit more...

Food Rules #7: Avoid foods containing products a 3rd grader cannot pronounce

Easy enough to understand...see my comments under Rules 2, 3, 6...

Food Rules #6: Avoid foods with more than 5 ingredients

Pollan's rules are pretty straightforward and simple. I gotta say, though, that while yes, it's getting easier and easier for me to eat the way I think is healthfully, socially and financially responsible, it's still hard sometimes. I think about road trips I've been on. When you're on the highway in the middle of nowhere and get hungry, you're left with very few options: fast food or gas station food. And most of the choices there I'm sure contain lots of ingredients we don't want or need. But that's the rub: in a world where so many of us work so much, eat meals in our cars and have a jam-packed schedule, it's daunting to try and plan our meals enough where we can avoid the crud and eat well. In today's world I guess planning is key.

One thing worth mentioning about rule #6 is that recipes w/more than 5 ingredients are not included in this rule. It's more about pre-packaged, processed food that may come in a tiny wrapper, but with a LONG list of ingredients. I actually think Pollan would applaude anyone who makes time to cook from a recipe with more than 5 ingredients. Cooking and eating a meal with others (or just yourself) can be relaxing, affordable and very rewarding. Sure, easier said than done sometimes, but if you are intimidated by cooking your meals, I highly recommend taking a cooking class from somewhere like Chopping Block or Wooden Spoon to learn some 'basics'. It's really very easy to come up with some simple meals that take less than 30 minutes. We've got lots of great things at the shops we can recommend to you, just let us know! (shameless plug, but it's all about following the Rules! :) )

Food Rules #5: Avoid foods that have some form of sugar/sweetener among the top 3 ingredients

There are over 40 types of sugar used in processed food. Yikes! Since label ingredients are listed by weight, this rule speaks for itself. Food scientists at ADM & Monsanto have surely tapped into our sweet gene. I've heard that sugar is as addictive as heroine (it releases the same chemicals in our brain that heroine does) and we are sugar junkies!

Pollan does give exception to 'special occasion' foods. Of course birthday cakes, Valentines candy, cupcakes at school or a decadent dessert once in a while never hurt anybody, right? His argument is to "treat treats as treats". But it's the day to day food we eat that contains hidden sugar (ketchup!) that impacts the rate of diabetes and obesity. I try to read ingredient labels alot more closely so I can make more-informed decisions.

Rule #4: Avoid food products that contain HFCS

HFCS: High-fructose corn syrup. A highly processed product, used as a substitute for sugar. Is it any worse than sugar? Who knows? But much of the corn we eat is genetically modified to make us/animals fat and I don't necessarily want HFCS in my bread or mustard. Part of my buying strategy at the shop is to avoid products that contain HFCS. And honestly, 1 or 2 products we sell DO have it, but we try to keep it to a very bare minimum. I think a lot of small grocers keep that in mind. I'm sure Cassie at Green Grocer and Lisa at Southport Grocer analyze their products and in their support of the local food system, try to avoid those w/HFCS.

To that point, there was an interesting article in today's Huffington Post that talks about farmers, the farming profession and the small grocer you may find interesting. See, it's all tied together...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steph-larsen/addressing-all-the-compon_b_415389.html?view=print

Food Rules #3: Avoid Food Products Containing Ingredients that No Ordinary Human would Keep in the Pantry

Ah, yes the 15-letter ingredient. No one's ever waxed poetic about a food memory where calcium propionate (the perservative used to keep bread & baked goods from molding) was involved, have they? I may have gotten a little ahead of myself in yesterday's entry re: Rule #2 with the "foreign" ingredient stuff, but a lot of Pollan's rules overlap and you may find me repeating (or contradicting!) myself.

So, with regard to industrialized ingredients that I can barely pronounce and whether to eat them: ask yourself if you'd rather have a strawberry milkshake from some fast food place that is essentially a laundry list of ingredients that are thrown together to TASTE like strawberry, or if you'd rather wait until those first tiny strawberries are ready at your local farmer's market and eat those? Sure, you can't have them year round, but won't that make eating them that much more special and enjoyable? I think about walking around the farmer's market and getting really excited about the first berries, or tomatoes, or asparagus and how they are going to taste and what to do with them. I love that feeling and thought process!

I just opened by signed copy of the Alinea Cookbook and there is actually a section devoted to the special (industrial, to be fair) ingredients that Grant Achatz and his team use in the kitchen to create their works of art. (and I believe I'm not exaggerating when I call them works of art. I've had the extreme fortune of eating there, courtesy of my good friend Colleen and it's pretty mind blowing). Ironically enough, Alinea lists 30 ingredients in the book that allow them to heighten your culinary experience there, to create a "pure" explosion of flavor, that are mostly really chemicals. Voted one of the top 10 restaurants in the WORLD, and they're using "Pure-Cote B790" and "Ultra-Tex 3"? Hmmm. But I would argue that there is a difference between going to Alinea and eating a dish of white beans with Guiness foam, possibly the best beans I've ever tasted (because of the Ultra-Tex?) and a large factory processing beans that have been genetically modified to taste like beans, sprayed and stuffed with chemicals to keep them tasting good and stockable for months - no, years!- on the grocery store shelves that will NEVER have that same texture no matter how long I cook them or puree them. And, dining at Alinea is not how I eat on a regular basis, or how most Americans eat at all. But we DO eat food that comes from that factory pretty much every day and probably would not choose to eat it if we knew what those chemicals are or do to our health.

There are so many ways to look at it; I could argue in either direction all day. But instead what I'll do is look at labels more closely and try to make an informed decision about what I will and won't put in my body that day. This weekend it MIGHT be canned beans to mix up with the Cedar Valley ground beef for chili. But I will surely think through it before I do.

Food Rules #2: Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.

Forget great-grandmother not recognizing today's food...I am convinced my grandmothers would not recognize half the stuff on most supermarket or convenience store shelves. Corn syrup is in everything! (it's cheap) Preservatives are in everything! (food has to travel an average of 1500 miles to get to the grocery store then sit on the shelves for who knows how long before it gets in our bodies) Phthalates are in our food containers. (gotta have the mayo & ketchup come from a handy squeeze bottle) Sulfites, sugar, ah! (and I should mention if you are worried about sulfites in your wine, there are actually more ppm [parts per million] of sulfites in O.J., dried fruits and cured meats than wine!) And then you look at a label like Rare Bird preserves or Milk & Honey Granola. Apples...almonds...oats...wheat germ...lemon juice...salt. Real ingredients that were definitely around when grandma was. She would recognize those ingredients (and yes, probably still be impressed with the pretty packaging!) and feel good about eating them. Pollan has a rule (#6) of not eating anything with more than 5 ingredients, so technically Milk & Honey Granola would lose, BUT I say let's give 'em a pass, since it's granola for pete's sake, and I know what each ingredient actually looks like & tastes like in it's raw form. Besides, I don't think that is what Pollan is getting at: if you're eating a cereal that has 14 ingredients and you can only understand 2 of them, something's wrong.

All this talk about edible foodlike substances is making me hungry...

Food Rules #1: Eat Food

So I created this blog for the shop almost a year ago, I guess in part because "everyone's doing it". I also wanted another free avenue to promote my business and reach out to people who prefer not to be on our email list and also those who tend to navigate to the FB/blog/Twitter way of communication. For almost the last year, the blog has been mostly about certain products in the shops; many entries have been written by the staff, who each get excited about different things, so why not promote those differences? For some on the staff (including me at times, admittedly), it's been more of a chore - who has time to write a blog? Who's going to read it? What the heck do I write about?

This year, while I will still have members of the staff (sorry, you guys aren't getting off that easy! :) ) contribute to it, I am going to try something different as well. I think I got the idea from watching "Julie & Julia" recently, where one of the main characters cooked her way through Julia Child's cookbook and blogged about it daily. I recently picked up a copy of Michael Pollen's "Food Rules, an Eater's Manual" and finished it in almost an afternoon. He really inspires me and I have often said that his book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" changed my life. "Food Rules" lists 64 ways we can choose to look at food differently, change our food habits and ultimately live healthier lives and have a healthier relationship with food. So, for the next few months (sorry, I can't commit to blogging everyday just yet!), I'll write a short(er) blog entry about each "rule" and how it affects me, or my business, or maybe just tell you what I think. We'll see how it goes...

And to get back to my earlier comment about "Omnivore's Dilemma", it did change my life, but in some surprising ways. I feel like although there is still the lazy 60+ hour a work week me who will eat Potbelly's or other takeout a couple of days a week, at least I'm doing that less often and I feel more aware of what I am putting in my body. And there have been those days: I find myself stopping more and more often to critique what it is I'm eating, how it's made, where it comes from, how far away it comes from, what the ingredients are. And even more surprisingly, "Omnivore's Dilemma" empowered me as a business owner. I own a small grocery that sells mostly small-batch foods, artisan foods, with real ingredients you can pronounce. Many if not most of the items are created using sustainable and/or organic methods. Many are produced within 300 miles of the city of Chicago. Part of my buying strategy when bringing products in is to ask those same questions noted above (how is it made? where is it from?, etc. as well as: does this item fit into the store's philosophy?) and after reading these 2 books, I have a better understanding of why it's important to sell the products I do. Though I'm sure some people disagree and would argue "but who can afford to eat that way?"

Well, if they make anything near the salary that I make, I can definitely understand where that question stems from. My answer to that is part 1 and 3 of Michael Pollan's mantra: Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not too much. I really do believe that you can be frugal and still eat according to this. Food full of flavor doesn't require that you need to eat a ton of it. Choose real foods, made without chemicals or other fillers/preservatives and eat to enjoy. It will take time, but personally I believe there is such a value to it that to me it's totally worth it. And I know it's become easier as I've learned more about which foods to choose and as more and more options have become available. I meet more small food entrepeneurs every year I am in business, attend farmer's markets, talk to my colleagues and customers who share this same value and the variety and choices ARE growing. It needs to.

Stay tuned for Rule #2. Thanks for reading!