One of the biggest crimes of our highly processed food system is the detachment that it encourages, both to real food and to real people. When at least 60% of the nations calories are consumed in the form of ultra processed food, it allows a cataclysmic separation from the people who tend that food. We don’t even consider what the initial food that went into the food product is, let alone whether one person was involved in producing it or one thousand people were involved. Everyone from farmers and field workers, meat packers and truck drivers, grocery store clerks and waitstaff, to name a few, help to keep this country and the world fed. We have created a largely invisible work force around an element that we literally cannot sustain life without. I have a hard time even wrapping my head around that and yet, we live it all the time. So…now, here we are…in a pandemic. I hate that we need really horrible things to happen in order to shine light on reality, but that’s the world we live in. I hope that we’ll collect compassion and education as we travel this heartbreaking path…I want to take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge the people that are in the fields, in the trucks, in the processing plant, in the grocery stores, in the cafeterias, and in the restaurants that have gone unnoticed in our country for far too long. We wouldn’t be here without you. You are seen and you are valuable. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I know that there is a lot of suffering surrounding this illness and I also know that it is only going to get worse for a while. Another thing that I know is that, through all the struggles and suffering, we will have to eat. In the interest of playing my favorite silver lining game…SO MANY PEOPLE ARE TAKING THE HELM IN THEIR OWN KITCHENS!!!! I’m obsessed with everyone’s photos and the progress that they have made. That might sound a little condescending, but it’s not. A lot of my friends actually didn’t cook…ever…at all…and now they’re garnishing tea sandwiches with herbs and longing for more elegant ingredients. It’s fucking awesome. I might never tire of new sourdough bread bakers!!

I love a grocery store trip and I mean, I LOVE a grocery store trip!! Since I stopped going to bars, grocery stores have become my new haven. It’s okay to laugh at this. I fully own my weirdness and I have no shame admitting how much I love the colors, the variety, the neatly stocked and organized shelves. I love to meal plan, read ingredient lists, and people watch….Truth talk: I love to secretly spy on what they have in their carts. I know! I know I should mind my own business, but can you relate? In my defense, I don’t judge…FOR REAL, but I had to practice at first. To curb it, I made a promise* to myself and the consequence I have to pay is steep…I have to buy their groceries…because this is a REALLY important one. I used to find myself judging everyone’s cart until I really paid attention and admitted that’s not who I want to be. It’s important for me to constantly acknowledge, own and curb my privilege. It’s unfair, counterproductive and just really shitty in general to judge other people for how they are living or what they are buying. I digress… I totally use their carts to build delicious ideas, though, because if you keep your eyes open, there is inspiration to be found even in the mundane and especially in the processed! So many packaged foods are really delicious and with some cleaning up and a little balance, they can totally make life easier.

The beauty of cooking is that there are a million entry points, but for the most part, all of us have to start at a grocery store. If you’re saying, “or a farmer’s market”, I agree wholeheartedly. If you’re saying “my garden, farm, etc.”, I love you, but I’m envious…. Moving on…I order some dry goods from Amazon for the convenience factor and I am also a member of Thrive Market. This allows me to have some consistency on the road and obviously leaves more room for produce on the bike here at home.

The reason I like to walk or bike is two fold. I like the activity and I don’t own a car. I have a HUGE transportation carbon foot print, so I like to cut where I can. Equally as important…maybe more so these days, I need all the activity that I can get. Walking is great and, since I moved to Atlantic Beach, I am much more comfortable on my bike again…I’m even really good at channeling my inner kid and riding with no hands just for fun. When I’m on the road, I typically walk or run to the grocery store and I go at least twice a week. Sometimes, I go every day, if it’s close enough… It can be nice to splurge on some heavier items, like a watermelon every once in a while.  My city dwellers, I know you feel me. As in most aspects of life, one must prioritize…Anyway, once you have a few trips under your belt, you really get a sense for what you can manage and how to pack it up.

Native Sun Natural Foods Market is my new favorite grocery store. Located just about two and a half miles from me, there are three cash registers, five aisles and all of the produce is organic…You read that right. ALL of the produce is organic. The reason I buy organic is less about me and more about how I wish the world could live. Keep in mind, I definitely think that a conventional fruit or vegetable is better than NO fruit or vegetable and I know that there are still chemicals involved in organic farming. I know that just because it’s organic, it doesn’t mean that the soil has as many nutrients left in it as we would like and I know that often the upfront cost is more. I don’t think that you should live outside of your means. I can, and so I do, buy (99%) exclusively organic at the grocery store. Unless I know the farmers/grower, I think this is the best way for me to control my environmental impact in the food system. While we’re on it, I only buy grass-fed, pasture raised, certified humanely raised livestock and poultry, wild caught and sustainable fish; eggs from pastured chickens; and dairy from grass-fed, pasture raised cows and goats. Organic produce is negotiable, but my guidelines for animal products that I purchase and consume are not. These rules are written in stone. If I can’t find products inside these guidelines, I suddenly practice being vegan. I’m that woman… and I’m here to tell you that it feels SO good. It’s annoying to some, but better for me, the farmers, the food system workers and the environment. One has to make the best choices that they are able to make and most of these choices are hugely complex and personal. Trust me, I know. I’m in a different city almost every week, so even if you just want to talk access, I get your perspective. Again, I’m privileged enough to be able to make these choices and I am grateful for every bite. I’m not telling you how you should live, I promise.  

---

So, what do I buy at the store?

To give you a sense of what’s typically in my bags and deliveries, these shots are a mix between my different shopping options…Farmers Market, Misfits Market, Native Sun, Thrive Market and Publix (which I now boycott because of a resistance to signing on to a workers rights position).

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

*For more information on the method of promises/consequences that are helping me “human better”, look here: Handel Group.