Food & Recipes
The Girl's Guide to Eating Green
By Jenny Bailly
The Low-Maintenance Greenie You know the healthy-eating basics: Refined
carbohydrates, bad. Fresh vegetables, good. But you work long hours and barely
have three minutes to nuke a Lean Cuisine, much less sauté an herbaceous medley
for dinner. While you like the idea of buying more organic food, it sounds
pricey—and you haven't gotten a raise in almost two years.
WHERE TO SHOP:
No need to ditch your favorite grocery store. About 75 percent of American supermarkets carry some organic food, and many of the big chains boast their own affordable organic brands (e.g., Safeway's O Organics, Stop & Shop's Nature's Promise). Stick to the periphery of the store—the most heavily processed foods are shelved in the middle. Imagine you're trolling the aisles with your great-grandma in tow, suggests sustainable-eating guru Michael Pollan in his book In Defense of Food (required reading for the au naturel set). If she wouldn't recognize something as food—read: Gummi Bears or Cap'n Crunch—think twice before picking it up.
YOUR GREEN GROCERY LIST:
Organic meats and dairy foods. The pesticides that collect in the fatty tissue of conventionally farmed meat products are fat-soluble, so they can stay in your body for years (unlike the pesticides on produce, which we eliminate relatively quickly). Plus, nonorganic meats and dairy products are loaded with antibiotics and growth hormones.
Domestic produce. "Chemicals banned in the U.S. often get sold to other countries and sent back to us as residue on fruits and vegetables," says Jennifer Sass, a scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council. Last year, Congress passed a law requiring country-of-origin labeling on all produce. Look for it. And play it safe: Even if an apple is from New York, wash it well—and peel it, if possible.
Whole-grain foods. Most have fewer additives than processed white pastas and breads. Even Saltines contain high-fructose corn syrup.
The Up-and-Coming Greenie You're a Daily Green denizen hungry for some serious dietary changes—both for your own well-being and the Earth's. Proof of your commitment: Your freezer is packed with Boca burgers, and you always recycle (well, at least paper and plastic). Although going übergreen will consume more of your time and money, you're willing to go the extra mile—or maybe another block or two.
WHERE TO SHOP:
Make at least one trip per week to your local farmers' market. They have more than doubled in number over the past 15 years, to more than 4600 nationwide. (Visit localharvest.org to find one near you.) In addition to fresh meat and dairy, these markets sell produce that was likely picked within the last 48 hours. Just don't assume all of the offerings are organic. It's expensive to get certified by the USDA, so small farms can't always afford to. When they do, you'll probably notice that investment reflected in their prices. If you don't see an organic seal, ask the farmer whether she uses pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or antibiotics. In other words, "Shake the hand that feeds you," advises Pollan.
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