Balance of Food

Canada election 2019 is underway and food policy should be discussed

The Canadian election cycle is a lot shorter compared to the United States. The election period started on September 11, a mere 40 days away from the election on October 21. Regular readers know we love when politicians actually talk food policy. The United States doesn't talk much but says a lot with laissez-faire food regulation and policy.

The Canadian election cycle won't produce a whole lot of conversation, but let's find out what they should be discussing.

Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer attacked the new Canada Food Guide in July. Scheer claimed the newest version “seems to be ideologically driven by people who have a philosophical perspective.” His basic concern was that water replaced milk as a "beverage of choice."

Scheer made the attack while speaking to a group of dairy farmers.

"The Canada Food Guide is based on evidence, based on science, based on research," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in response to the Scheer attack. "It is there to serve Canadian families. It has nothing to do with politics."

New Canada Food Guide offers true steps to better nutrition and eating

Farmers benefit more than consumers with Canada supply management

That passes for a food policy discussion in North America. The idea is that politics really shouldn't go into a national food guide. That would arguing that more Canadians should eat poutine to use up Quebec cheese curds.

The supply management element of dairy production is a third-rail topic in Canadian politics. Maxime Bernier, the leader and only member of the right-wing People's Party of Canada, wants to get rid of supply management for the dairy industry in Canada.

Canada picks food industry over consumers on added sugars

Eat Think Vote from Food Secure Canada worked during the 2015 Canada election to help change the Canadian food system. The organization is working in individual ridings as well in 2019. 

In a recent example, Eat Think Vote hosted a talk with the candidates in the Halifax riding (Nova Scotia) at the Halifax Brewery Market on a Saturday morning.

Liberal candidate Andy Fillmore (incumbent) and Green Party candidate Jo-Ann Roberts were at the event while Conservative candidate Bruce Holland and NDP candidate Christine Saulnier did not attend the event.

Backbenchers (not the prime minister or in cabinet) don't usually have too much power in the Canadian parliamentary system. Getting a backbencher to be aware of an issue, such as food policy, is helpful. Who knows, maybe backbenchers helped get the new Canada Food Guide off the ground.

CBC News introduced a new Face to Face segment where 5 undecided Canadians get 5 minutes to talk to the major party leaders.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May drew a couple of people who brought up food in terms of climate change.

Danny Ottenbreit, 35, is a 4th-generation grain farmer in Saskatchewan. Danny talked a lot about agriculture needs to be involved in climate change, how Canada has huge forests and farmlands. He was clearly nervous and didn't have any specifics.

May helped out by talking about soil quality to keep carbon in the ground. That is better for the nutrition of the crops and better since the carbon isn't being released into the atmosphere.

May spoke of the concern for "carbon miles of our groceries" and how more food grown in Canada should stay in Canada. She cited local gardens, rooftop gardens, and self-sufficiency of agriculture.

As a negative example, May pointed out a package of wild British Columbia smoked salmon. The label said product of Canada but processed and packaged in the People's Republic of China. May spoke of the carbon footprint of processing so far away.

May noted that some of that self-sufficiency involves more milling of flour, presumably from Danny's grains. She says farmers are most at risk for climate change.

Think food prices are high? Try the northern territories of Canada

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

May reinforced the small local backyard gardens as well as more geothermal energy to heat more greenhouses in the north in a conversation with Shirley Frost, a 62-year-old mother and grandmother from Whitehorse, Yukon. She noted that the food prices in the north are a scandal, a real problem. We have written on this topic in the past.

Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau had an undecided voter bring up supply management for the dairy industry. Trudeau promised there would be no more concessions on supply management in further trade talks.

Food topics did not come up in the segments with other leaders.

(You can find Danny's segment at 9:45 in the video; Shirley's segment at 16:30 in the video.)

Canadian Senate suggests food policy changes U.S. should copy

Economic insecurity isn't exclusive to the United States. Canada has had a great economy by the national numbers. On the ground, credit card debt, soaring housing costs, and tariffs from south of the 49th parallel add up to insecurity.

The territories in the Canadian Arctic suffer greatly from food insecurity and availability on a whole different level. Most food is shipped north by airplane leading to severely inflated prices.

Nutrition North Canada is a federal program designed to subsidize the costs to make food more affordable. The criticism is that the money goes to the stores and not the people who need the help.

One intriguing twist came up in an edition of The House from CBC Radio One about a year ago. Some people were using Amazon Prime to get non-perishable food sent to the North. Customers could get free shipping for the $80/year membership fee.

An example given in the podcast was a 340g can of diced tomatoes. The can would cost $8.69-$8.89 in the stores in the north vs. $1.89 by delivery.

Fixes to Nutrition North have been a struggle. There have been a few stories on greenhouses in that part of the world. The traditional seal hunt isn't as productive since the United States bans the import of anything made from seals.

What's Tempting: Canada's approach to improving food supply

Soda taxes aren't a part of the dynamic in Canada. Groceries, including soft drinks, are more expensive in Canada than in the United States.

The regular beverages have glucose-fructose, which is high-fructose corn syrup.

There were a few federal MPs (members of Parliament) in the Liberal caucus in Ontario who were pushing for a soda tax. The proposal ranked 18th out of 19 items on the list of caucus platform priorities.

A draft proposal suggested a 20% tax. The revenue from the new tax would have gone to create a national school lunch program. Canada is the only G-7 country without a national school lunch program.

The federal Green Party is proposing a soda tax in its platform. The Green Party in Manitoba proposed a 20% tax leading up to the provincial election last month. The Greens have made strides in other parts of Canada but didn't win a seat in the provincial election.

BalanceofFood.com Canada food policy coverage

Canada has the official commission debates next week: Monday in English and Thursday in French. The politicians have had a pair of smaller debates in the last few weeks.

The chances of food policy coming up in the debates is as likely as the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup (streak goes back to 1967). The government in charge does set the tone for policies, including ones that relate to food. The Canada Food Guide is better than it might have been under the previous government.

If you live in Canada, ask questions of the MP candidates in your riding. Hopefully, you will get a significant response.

Get out and vote!!

You can find out more about Canada via our sibling blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

photos credit: Canada Food Guide/Government of Canada; Eat Think Vote/Food Secure Canada
video credit: Face to Face/CBC News

Prime time for a LT sandwich; bacon can wait

A BLT — bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich — is a wonderful late-summer treat. This is also the sweet spot for the LT sandwich.

"Bacon makes everything better." True. This doesn't mean you have to put bacon on everything every time.

Is a LT sandwich — lettuce and tomato sandwich — just a BLT without bacon?

What's Tempting: True price of cheap bacon

Bacon goes well on everything, even a veggie burger

Lightly toasted bread, mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, lettuce, and tomatoes belong on a LT and a BLT. Bacon is missing in a LT. The LT is missing something that bacon won't cure. Let's take a look at a few good options:

• Salt — Salt enhances the taste of foods. When added at the end, you might taste salt more than tomatoes, the central ingredient in a LT.
• Pepper — Pepper really makes an impact in an otherwise bland sandwich. This should be on top of the mayo-covered toast.
• Smoked paprika — This can add the semblance of smoky flavor from bacon without the bacon.
• Baconnaise — Jon Stewart just did a spit take. Baconnaise doesn't have bacon. Still shouldn't have Baconnaise.

A LT sandwich bumps up the tomato to be the star. Lettuce is the Ed McMahon or Andy Richter of the sandwich. Mayo and the toast can be a Doc Severinsen or Reggie Watts.

The tomato can be like the guest host back when Johnny Carson had guest hosts. You could get a Garry Shandling or David Letterman (great tomatoes) or a John Davidson (tomatoes that taste like they traveled a great distance). Modern talk show hosts don't have guest hosts too often.

A LT only works with quality tomatoes. An average bacon can be okay in a BLT; an average tomato ruins a LT.

Appreciating the elusive great tomato

Can baconnaise be part of the balance?

Temptation of the Week: Part-time vegan

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

I've had bad BLTs in restaurants. Barely cooked bacon, sad tomatoes, and borderline iceberg lettuce. We talk about foods that are better done in restaurants. A LT sandwich needs local lettuce and tomato, a nice mayo type substance, and good bread. Doing a LT at home is a great sandwich. Not better than a BLT, but the LT as its own unique summer delicacy.

photos credit: me

The trouble in tracking your favorite foods

I experimented with whole wheat spaghetti years ago. This was a time where whole wheat spaghetti was a rarity. I would fall in love with a brand and soon that brand would disappear. There is a gut punch when you lose a favorite food item.

This doesn't happen with most mainstream brands. If you love Chef Boy-ar-dee, this column might not be for you.

My favorite butter supplier isn't gone: the company still exists. Getting their product used to be quite easy, showing up at the major summer outdoor farmers market. I am there anyway for other foods so picking up butter was as smooth as butter.

My butter supplier is no longer at the market. I would have bought multiple containers if the butter supplier had given warning.

There are outlets in the city but none of them are convenient or nearby. Sacrifices will be made. Butter is too valuable.

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

Eating well can require such sacrifices. I could buy European butter at grocery stores that are more convenient. I want to support local vendors such as my butter supplier.

We all make shopping choices: local, organic, convenience. There are options here; I still miss my elk vendor from the same market.

If you have a sacrifice to share, please feel free to share them in the comments section.

photo credit: me

Make the move to bring containers to farmers markets

For cold weather places, the 2019 farmers market season is unfolding. The farmers will be ready with wonderful produce with hopefully not too much damage from a polar vortex or two over the winter.

People who go to farmers markets are usually ready with canvas bags to hold all the great food they find at farmers markets. You should take one more crucial step when going to a farmers market: bring containers to hold the fruits and vegetables.

We've heard a lot about the use of plastic and the damage to the environment. Excessive packaging that isn't biodegradable can fill up overflowing landfills.

Leaving avocados and oranges whole encourages learning about produce

If you are going to buy a pint of strawberries this spring, they usually come in a pint-size carton. The farmers market worker takes the pint-size carton and wraps that up in a plastic bag. You then place the plastic bag in your canvas bag. The strawberries are already struggling to stay in the carton within the plastic bag so you are doing no favor for the strawberries.

You get home and you pull out the strained containment system, hoping the strawberries are still in good shape. You then put the strawberries into a container and put them in the crisper or elsewhere in the refrigerator. You then throw away the carton and the plastic bag.

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

Let's try this in a simpler way:

You go to buy a pint of strawberries in a pint-size carton. You present your container and ask them to put the strawberries in that container. The farmers market worker takes the pint-size carton and pours the strawberries into your container. The worker gets to keep the carton and plastic bag. You have a better container to keep the strawberries in passage.

You get home and put the strawberries already in the container and put them in the crisper or elsewhere in the refrigerator. You have nothing to throw away.

A few helpful pointers:

• Fruit usually comes in pints and quarts. A pint is 16 oz. and a quart is 32 oz. Know how much you can put into a container before you bring the container to the market. You may have lost the information on your container. If you don't know how much the container holds, fill the container and weigh accordingly.
• Most vegetables can go straight into a canvas bag without needing plastic. Vegetables can touch each other. If you are concerned about dirt or moisture, you can bring several bags to not push mushrooms next to wet lettuce. Mushrooms do best in brown paper bags.
• Buy some containers if you don't have containers. You will save money if you have control over the health and viability of your produce. The better you store them, the longer and better they will last. You might be tempted to buy huge containers but getting containers in many sizes gives you flexibility for shopping and refrigerator space.

Buying containers can seem like a sacrifice for people who are freaked out by the costs at a farmers market. The containers will help whether you buy produce at the grocery store or a farmers market. The difference is that grocery stores generally don't let you employ this practice while farmers market vendors will love you for doing this.

Farmers markets can add to a community's bottom line

Good nutrition requires spending a bit more money on yourself. Throwing out less food waste will save you money, time, and headaches.

Your better health is worth an investment. Your environment is worth an investment. You can use those containers for other food items in the winter.

Chances you have grown used to carrying around canvas bags. Adding containers to the list won't seem so extreme.

photo credit: me

Romaine lettuce can't be a liability in the food supply

The commercial would start out with a black-and-white version of the above photo with an announcer asking us, "Tired of throwing away romaine lettuce over possible e-coli."

Then the commercial would be in color with the solution to help you rid you of e-coli to protect your romaine lettuce.

There is no such product that can help with this sadly off-and-on food safety issue.

While the latest outbreak hit Canada in Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick, that lettuce and the lettuce in the United States came from the United States. We're #1??

We can't blame Yuma, AZ in the latest outbreak. We have a vague direction of the Central Coastal growing regions of northern and central California. You can track a purchase from Amazon but not the origin of your lettuce.

There is actual talk of labels with a harvest location by region for romaine lettuce products. Even then, the labels won't prevent the e-coli madness but can lead to fewer romaine lettuce heads being thrown out.

If you really are tired of throwing out perfectly good romaine lettuce, here are options for you.

• Stop buying bagged salad. Just stop. Mechanically chopped lettuce is becoming a problem for the potential spread of bad diseases. Tearing apart leaves of romaine lettuce can be done even if you are tired. You will be using fresher lettuce that tastes better.
• Look into hydroponic or greenhouse-grown romaine lettuce. Neither of these were linked to any outbreak. The lettuce will be local and available year-round. Or buy from a trusted local farmer. The lettuce may be more expensive but you'll know where it comes from and has no chance of e-coli runoff from factory farms.
• Don't replace romaine lettuce with iceberg lettuce in those moments. Unless you are eating a wedge salad ironically, you have no need for iceberg lettuce. Discover some really great lettuces. Turns out green leaf is the best friend to any sandwich.
• Badger your Congressperson and senator. Tell them you want to invest in food safety in the United States. Maybe your Congressperson will be someone new in January. Make sure you get that name correct.

"Ill people in this outbreak were infected with E. coli bacteria with the same DNA fingerprint as the E. coli strain isolated from ill people in a 2017 outbreak linked to leafy greens in the United States and to romaine lettuce in Canada. The current outbreak is not related to a spring 2018 multistate outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections linked to romaine lettuce."

BalanceofFood.com farmers market coverage

This CDC directive refers to multiple recent outbreaks involving lettuce. Lettuce is supposed to be a safe vegetable as a welcome base to salads everywhere. We need to work harder to return to a world where lettuce is safe once again.

Editor's note: This was one of 2 heads of romaine lettuce that I threw away. Food waste is bad but not as bad as getting e.coli.

photo credit: me

Ugly produce has beauty in the eye of the beholder

Thinking about the Island of Misfit Toys might seem a bit early but those misfit toys come to mind when thinking about ugly produce. The fruits and vegetables have been judged to less than ideal but they still deserve a home.

The wrong shape, a minor bruise, not red enough: produce that grocery stores won't carry, won't put out on shelves to be bought by consumers.

Companies such as Imperfect Produce are trying to play Santa to give these misfits a home.

If you do most of your produce shopping at grocery stores, you might think "ugly" produce is ugly on the inside. You would have to be convinced that ugly can mean beautiful and that ugly is worth buying.

Being trapped in the corporate world means you likely have seen a fruit tray with absolutely gorgeous strawberries completely out of season. They look so good but when you taste them, they have no taste.

Less than ideal produce has the opposite problem: Cinderella before the ball. Beautiful on the inside but no way to show her outer beauty.

Slider Bites: MSNBC focuses on food waste

What's Tempting: Ugly fruits and vegetables

There is a level of criticism that groups such as Imperfect Produce make a profit off of less than perfect produce leaving fewer items to be donated to food banks.

While some of the criticism has legs, ideally there would be plenty of options to give rid of this level of food waste. And more people hired to pick that produce that can be saved.

Second Harvest in Canada collects surplus foods and donates that food to social agencies. The organization's Web site — foodrescue.ca — helps join businesses with food with Second Harvest to find a better home for that produce.

Saving food is half the battle. The other half is changing the perception of less than ideal fruits and vegetables.

We have no issue eating applesauce, even if some of those apples are less than ideal. We have no issue for babies eating strained carrots, even if some of those carrots are less than ideal.

We have previously mentioned about asking (politely) farmers at farmers markets if they have any less than ideal produce. Your spaghetti sauce won't know the difference if you used less than ideal looking tomatoes.

Less than perfect produce can be donated to food banks and food pantries, though you should check their local rules to see if they were take produce. Their clients, well everybody, should get guidance on how to make the best of their newfound beauty.

In the world of supermodels and lists of the most handsome men, convincing ourselves to make good use of less than ideal produce is a significant challenge. Lower costs would be a primary reason to buy less than perfect produce.

The telenovela Betty La Fea, later adapted to the U.S. TV show Ugly Betty, showed us that ugly was often more beautiful than pretty was. We could have a TV show called Ugly Produce with braces on peaches. The Food Network and/or Cooking Channel could run promos in between shows on advantages to using ugly produce. Give ugly produce a PBS show. Have people brag about how their excellent dish was made with the ugliest produce in similar ways to people who brag about thrift purchases on a dress or coat. What if the Great British Bake Off adopted Great Ugly Produce Baking?

The idea of the Island of Misfit Toys was that yes, the toys were not ideal but a water pistol that shoots grape jelly, a cowboy riding an ostrich, a Charlie in the box, and a spotted elephant had some value. The less than ideal produce has some value. Maybe that produce, like the toys, are only misfits in perception, not reality.

photos credit: me; FoodRescue.ca

Eating like summer means more than hot dogs and hamburgers

When we think of summer dining, the temptation is a grill and plenty of meat, buns, and condiments. Eating like summer means enjoying the bounty of the gardens and farmers markets.

You can alternate between fruits and vegetables. Prepare a huge salad. Present 3-4 fruits on a large plate and have your loved ones take their share.

Make those fruits and vegetables the stars of your summer dinners. Eat fresh and local and outdoors, even if that is on the patio or the front porch.

Summer is what you make it in eating better

End of summer, yes, but not end of eating nature's bounty

Summertime taste of sweet pickles comes only from sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup

Summertime great for fruit, smarter choices are in abundance

Appreciating the elusive great tomato

Podcast: Summertime indulgences, good and bad

What if you want to use the grill?

Peaches are great on the grill. Romaine lettuce, especially locally grown, tastes really good on a grill.

What if it's too hot to grill out? Never too hot to eat fruits and vegetables. You don't have to turn on an oven or a stove to eat fruits and vegetables.

Incorporate fruit into desserts. A bit of shortbread goes well with berries and other types of fruit. Fresh carrots can become carrot cake.

Having a picnic? Take fruits and vegetables along. Even with a basket of fried chicken and something salty to snack on, fruits and vegetables provide a taste contrast and fiber you will want on that summer picnic menu.

Let us know in the comments about ways you use fruits and vegetables to liven up your summer evenings.

photo credit: here

Farmers benefit more than consumers with Canada supply management

"And they buy our milk at Sam's because Canadian milk is very expensive. True story."

This quote came from a Detroit-area woman who commented on Canadians for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2013 as Al Madrigal hosted a segment on the (now-named) Gordie Howe bridge.

I haven't bought much milk in Canada but I can tell you Canadian milk, in bags or in jugs, is expensive. Canadian eggs and poultry are also quite expensive.

Canada supply management has come up in NAFTA negotiations and the tariffs battle between the United States and Canada. Canada limits production, mostly for internal use, and allows farmers to get a good price for their output.

The American subsidies help consumers more than farmers; the Canadian subsidies help farmers more than consumers. The surprise is the Canadian approach isn't supply management or subsidies, but that they make average Canadians pay. No wonder Canadians cross the border for cheaper American milk.

Balanceoffood.com Canada food policy coverage

For more details on this story, check out this story from our sister blog, CanadianCrossing.com.

video credit: YouTube/pincstuff
photo credit: Dairy Farmers of Canada

Peterborough Farmers Market loses perspective on the value of farmers markets

Know your farmer.

That was our opening line last October when CBC Marketplace went undercover to discover that several vendors at the Peterborough Farmers Market in Ontario were lying about where their produce is grown.

Justice should have been served as the vendors who were deceptive would either be kicked out of the market or required to post signs that stated the truth about their produce.

Turns out the farmers who were deceptive got to stay at the Peterborough Farmers Market and the 5 vendors, who grew all of their food on their farms, who complained got kicked out of the market.

CBC Marketplace story reminds us to be diligent about farmers markets

The Peterborough & District Farmers' Market Association (PDFMA) sent out a letter kicking the legitimate farmers out of the market: "speaking publicly about the PDFMA and portraying it in a negative manner" was a factor.

They spoke up to make sure the farmers market had more credibility and that consumers weren't being deceived.

"The opportunity to sells goods or produce at the Peterborough Farmers' Market is a privilege," the association said in a statement. "It is of paramount importance that vendors work as a team and treat each other with respect, courtesy and fairness."

The farmers spoke the truth. They didn't want the deceptive vendors to be kicked out, just to have signs declaring the honesty of the source of their food.

The association branded the farmers who spoke up as "dissident members" and that not kicking them out meant the "campaign of malice continues."

The PDFMA's overreaction has led to what they didn't want, which was more bad publicity.

Peterborough wasn't the only place in Ontario that had deceptive vendors. That was the point of the CBC Marketplace episode last October. Our steps back then included asking farmers about how their food is grown.

Balanceoffood.com Canada food policy coverage

As perfect as farmers markets might seem, they are run by human beings. Most decisions most farmers markets make are positive and help make things easier for consumers. Sometimes, a farmers market makes a poor decision. The PDFMA certainly made a number of very bad decisions that may permanently damage the reputation of the market.

"We contribute to the sustainability of agriculture by enhancing access to fresh, local Ontario produce and goods, and by fostering a lively and diverse market that inspires relationships between farmers, entrepreneurs and the community."

That is from the PDFMA Web site. Kicking out actual farmers and keeping deceptive vendors does not foster "relationships between farmers, entrepreneurs and the community" especially when you aren't sure all the produce is "fresh, local Ontario produce and goods." 

Due diligence is not an ideal way to shop, but even at a farmers market, you still have to ask questions.

photo credit: CBC Marketplace

Organic or conventional, you still have to eat fruits and vegetables

Eating vegetables have many barriers: Texture, raw vs. cooked, cost, taste. Pesticides are a concern but they shouldn't prevent you from eating vegetables.

A dietitian friend of mine had a social media post that said people were not eating enough fruits and vegetables. I would argue that fruits aren't as much of a concern, but we all agree that we aren't eating enough vegetables.

The next part of the post puzzled me: the Dirty Dozen, Clean 15, and other lists were scaring people away from eating fruits and vegetables. I responded online that people weren't being scared away from fruits and vegetables because of the lists.

To clarify, the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 type lists break down which fruits and vegetables should be bought as organic vs. conventionally grown. The lists are also helpful in what isn't on them. They suggest buying organic for certain fruits and vegetables. If a fruit or vegetable isn't on that list, then the lists tell us you don't have to be as concerned. The lists should increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables by giving consumers information to make safer and better choices.

The reply was that people were scared and this study was the proof.

"We surveyed 510 low-income shoppers to learn about their attitudes about organic and conventional fruits and vegetables (FV) and what would happen if we provided them with information about organic and conventional growing practices from a variety of sources. In general, participants preferred organic FV; however, cost was a significant barrier to purchase them. Informational statements about organic and conventional FV did not increase participants' likelihood to purchase more FV. In contrast, messages naming specific FV with pesticides shifted participants toward 'less likely' to purchase any type of FV regardless whether organically or conventionally grown. The results provide insight about how low-income people view FV and how communications may influence their purchase intention."

The study focuses on the impact of communications on purchase intention. The flaw in the study is that the information is incomplete and without context. Let's look at 3 major areas of concern:

• People are scared of the idea of pesticides without knowing a whole lot. Let's start with a dose of reality: conventional-grown produce has pesticides. Organic produce can and often has pesticides. The difference is which pesticides are used, how much of the pesticide is being used, and whether or not those pesticides are outlawed in other parts of the world.
• Farmers markets sell produce that often is grown to organic standards without being certified organic in part due to cost and tedious paperwork. Produce at those markets are usually cheaper than certified organic products in a grocery store. Some farmers markets take food assistance funds (food stamps) as payment.
• The study doesn't address hydroponic vegetables grown in warehouses without a speck of pesticide.

"In general, participants preferred organic FV; however, cost was a significant barrier to purchase them." We hear this quite often that "organic" means "too expensive." Sometimes, this is true but the marketplace has shifted quite a bit. Trader Joe's, for those who are near one, and even conventional stores carry organic foods at more reasonable prices.

The U.S. consumer complains about high food prices. In a world comparison, U.S. food prices are pretty low compared to similar countries but U.S. wages have been stagnant in terms of buying power for 40 years. The cost difference between conventional and organic may seem too high for some consumers but may depend on accessibility to cheaper organic food.

You have to develop your own system for buying fruits and vegetables that fit your nutritional, physical, and psychological concerns. You might want to support local farmers. You might not care where your fruits and vegetables got their start. The marketplace is large enough for all types of decisions.

You might enjoy rinsing and cleaning your fruits and vegetables and figure this is the price you pay for buying relatively cheaper produce. You can choose to follow the clean organic lists such as the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 for some produce and be more open in other areas of produce.

You might not have enough time or money to do anything more than shop in one huge place where organic is a pipe dream. Everybody in all these scenarios and more have an obligation to themselves to consume fruits and vegetables.

Frozen or canned fruits and vegetables can be a wonderful option for consumers. With canned fruits and vegetables, rinsing canned fruit (for ingredients that aren't juice) and vegetables (too much sodium) is a really good idea. Fresh fruit and vegetables can be an amazing supplement when in season whether growing them yourself, getting them at farmers markets, or at the local supermarket.

The ultimate reason you will eat those fruits and vegetables is taste. People who pick organic or farmers markets usually find that the taste of fruits and vegetables is better. They might pay more but they are more likely to eat those fruit and vegetables. Nutrition only counts if you eat what you buy.

For those 510 low-income people in Chicago (a significant scientific flaw in the study for using 510 people all from one location: Chicago), we have good news. You can use food assistance funds in select farmers markets. There are beautiful hydroponic vegetables growing in warehouses in your city without a drop of pesticides.

The United States makes food shopping rather difficult because of the Wild West mentality that food companies can try to sneak things past you that you don't want in your family's food supply. Being diligent has to be a part of the food shopping process. You have to learn about what is out there and make your own smart decisions that work with your core values. And yes, you have to eat your fruits and vegetables.

photo credit: this site