"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.
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