Here is the schmattering of a new blog – work with me here because I am starting in piecemeal, enthrawled from an article I just read in the Times Magazine – Getting Real About the High Price of Food. If you haven’t read it, do it. Now. If you have read it, I am curious as to your reactions. Mine were strong. This is what I have been saying to my husband all along, everytime we go grocery shopping. Why is the food that is better for us, more money? How is it that if we stuff our grocery carts with pop tarts, ring-ding’s and cheetos (I must admit, I am pregnant so some of these items may have slipped through the cracks) we actually spend less money than if we were purchasing organic veggies, fruits and meats. This actually makes me really angry. Angry enough to do something..but what?
After losing my job this past winter and finding out we were expecting, our expenditures were examined under a microscope. Our once $180 grocery bill at Hannaford, became $120 at Walmart. Shameful – but our focus shifted from organic food to a lean wallet.
The thrill of seeing how much we could save on our grocery bill was – almost like a game, or a high. So we substituted all our perishable items for the “store brand” – and did not once bat an eye over the ingredients listed in each item (as I would have 6 months ago), bought bargin meats and anything that was on sale or the cheaper brand. Low and behold – I noticed a change in my attitude, sleep patterns and overall happiness – I didn’t feel as good as I once did. Of course you are thinking, “Um, Kate..you are 8 months pregnant. How WOULD you feel as good?” To which I retort, pregnancy is not the entire package, here people. Your body knows when it isn’t in synch. And mine isn’t.
And here it frustrates me even more that during my pregnancy with my first daugher, I am forced to chose lesser food items on the todum poll than I would have generally – had we not been in the perdiciment that we are – because it is cheaper.
I get it. Organic food and produce take more power, more energy to produce, hence why from farm to table – we get hit with the premiums. Not to mention the increase cost of gas to ship the products to us. But really? I selfishly want a cost break for doing my part to a.) support local farmers b.) do our part to save the environment and MOST importantly c.) save ourselves from a host of illnesses.
So why is it that the family of 7 that I see every Sunday morning at our local Wal-Mart, has a cart loaded up with junk, smiling at me through powered sugared grins, is probably going to save more money on their grocery bill. Shouldn’t the government tax the heck out of all that high fructose, fake food?? Shouldn’t the clerk smile at me and say, “Since you bought 95% organic foodstoday, Ma’am, we are pleased to inform you of a $20 savings on your bill today. Enjoy your healthy life.”
Ok, so from here I ramble onto another topic, related, don’t worry. Have you seen the movie, Sicko? Yes, the one by controversial documentarian Michael Moore. I don’t care what they say, he gets your attention and certainly got ours. Health insurance is a luxury for Americans. If you don’t have it, you are screwed. And the interesting part of the movie, is they correlate the governments nonchalant attitude about food production, preparation and overall health to a possible link to health care. “Oh, Mrs. Jones. We are so sorry to tell you that your husband died because of a triple heart attack caused from umpteen years of McDonald’s abuse and channel surfing. Oh, and we couldn’t save him because you don’t have any health insurance.” Awesome. But secretly, it seems that from Michal Moore’s point of view, the government wants this. Quality control? Survival of the fittest. Nope – just keeps us lowly humans from jumping the line.
Canada seems nice, I have been there a few times. I know from experience that they don’t put lard in their OREO cookies. Anyone from Pierce reading this will laugh. I have not researched their FDA laws extensively, but that is my next project. I have some time.
Maybe we’ll move, who knows. In the meantime, I’ll just nosh on some expensive organically grown, pesticide-free apples, waiting for Ella to arrive, while unable to put gas in my car because I blew it on healthy food and habits. Seems fair to me.
