Only slightly long winded (seriously, it's a talent of mine!), it's time to end this series on how to lay the best nutritional foundation by starting with the foods you use. I'm hoping to end it with a bang, and leave you with something entirely, utterly practical and helpful!

I wanted to compile as many resources as I possibly could to help give you a bit of a jump start in your search for better, local sources. This list is not complete (not by a long shot!) but I think that it's a great start, and I'm very much hoping for your help in continuing to add to it!

General Resources:

Local Harvest (Excellent US resource for farms, CSA's, farmers markets, co-ops, and more)

Eat Well Guide (Includes product and location searches, as well as local guides for each US state and Canadian province with long lists of farms, markets, delis, etc. and even a tool that  helps you plan your next trip to include wholesome, local eating- this is definitely worth looking at!)

Grass-fed, free range meat and poultry:

Eat Wild (primarily USA and fairly extensive Canadian listings)

Seeds of Health- Grass Fed Meat Producers (UK)

Grass Fed Meats Online (seems to bring together producers from all over the US, and is actually run through Amazon.com, so I assume they ship anywhere Amazon ships, though it may possibly only be US).

Thundering Hooves (all kinds of pasture-finished meats and poultry- they will ship by UPS, or deliver to Puget Sound, WA area- thanks Michelle!)

Raw, grass-fed milk:

Real Milk (though I have searched and searched, this is the main site I have been able to find. Fortunately, it is quite extensive, and includes Canada and international countries, mostly in Europe, Australia and New Zealand)

Local Harvest (there isn't a big focus on raw milk, but from the homepage, you can do a type "raw milk" into the product search, and see if anything comes up for your local area- again, this is US)

Naturally grown, organic and/or local produce:

Eat Kind (directories for Canada, USA and some international- provides links to smaller, more focused directories for CSA's, farmers markets, organic growers, health food stores, etc.)

Local Harvest- (excellent resource for finding farms, farmers markets and CSAs)

Canadian CSA List 

General Grocery Items (teas/coffee/herbs/spices/oils,etc.)

Frontier Coop (seasonings, flavor extracts, food mixes, teas, body care, etc. Also, they have a wholesale site. Thanks Michelle!

Hummingbird Wholesale (sweeteners, oils, spices, grains, beans, nuts and seeds, etc. Thanks Michelle!)

Mountain Rose Herbs (herbs and spices, oils including coconut oil, teas and more- Thanks Michelle!)

Cafe Mam (fair trade coffee- wholesale- thanks Michelle!)

Grocery Co-ops and delivery services:

Spud.ca and Spud.com

Azure Standard (excellent source for bulk grains, baking supplies, general groceries- well, really anything bulk!)

Coop Directory Service (American- extensive list of co-ops by state)

Food Coops and Other Coop Resources (mostly American again, with just a few international listings- Canada, Australia, Europe)

Ontario Natural Food Co-op (this is the only co-op I could find for Canada- surely there are more out there? Where are they?)

Ethical Superstore (UK- not much for bulk sizes, but they do carry a lot of organic groceries for delivery)

Suma (natural foods co-op in UK)

Organic Grains, Beans and Legumes:

Paul's Grains (wide variety of bulk grains- seems to be only US shipping, though I can't tell for sure- does anyone know?)

Anita's Organic Graing and Flour Mill (Canadian- can be picked up at Chilliwack, BC store or shipped directly. Some lower mainland stores carry a small selection).

Azure Standard (specifically great for their bulk grains and other pantry staples)

Bob's Red Mill (awesome selection of whole grain and often organic grains, beans, seeds, cereals, etc and lots of options for those with allergies, too! Often availble through co-ops or in your local stores, but also through their online site. Thanks Leslie!)

Rancho Gordo (located in CA, but available online for US shipping, they have a great selection of heirloom dry beans, plus amaranth and quinoa, and other Mexican-inspired herbs, seasonings, chilis, etc.- thanks again Leslie!)

Where you live:

This is my attempt to pull together some of the places where we (you and I) really shop, week to week. They are listed alphabetically, by state or province. I've started it with my own local resources. If you have a resource to pass on, just leave it in a comment and I'll add it to this post!

Canada

British Columbia

Anita's Organic Grain and Flour Mill

Ennis Farm Meats (small, local meat shop specializing in natural and grass fed meats and poultry, where they also make some of their own sausages, sandwich meats, pepperoni, etc. with little or no preservatives)

2 EE's Produce Market (amazing, year round market, where they grow much of their own produce naturally/organically and the prices are incredible- located in Surrey)

Home on the Range Dairy

Ladybug Organics (organic delivery service)

Ontario

Ontario Natural Food Co-op (this is the only co-op I could find for Canada- surely there are more out there? Where are they?)

USA

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Food Co-op (grass fed meats, produce, eggs, even house items- all natural or organic. One time fee of $50 to join. Thanks Megan!)

Oregon

Local Buying Club (purchases from Hummingbird Wholesale, Frontier Wholesale, Mountain Rose Herbs, Cafe Mam, Thundering Hooves- Thanks Michelle, and I think you can find out more by contacting her as well!)

Washington

Thundering Hooves (pasture finished meat and poultry- available for delivery to Puget Sound area, or through a number of local buying clubs in WA and somewhat in OR- thanks Michelle!)

You're next...

If you have local resources that you want to share, please, please leave a comment (or email if you prefer- keeperofthehome (at) canada (dot) com) and I will try to add your resources to this list as quickly as I can! I would love to see this list become much more extensive and useful of a resource, so let's help each other out by sharing what we know!

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More from Keeper of the Home

• Nutritional Foundations- A tour of my pantry and cupboards | Keeper of the Home
• 14 tips for eating healthier on a budget | Keeper of the Home
• Q&A: Online sources for whole grains | Keeper of the Home
• You Tell Me: How Do You Make a Whole Foods Diet Work on a Budget? | Keeper of the Home

I'm going to weave through the aisles as they are in my local store, trying to hit up all of the major topics and food categories that I think might matter to you, or that I think are applicable. I'll make some comments on some good (and bad) buys, and let you know some of the items that I regularly purchase from these aisles as well.

Though I wish that I could take the time to explain everything that I'll be talking about in this post, it's just not feasible. This post is already long enough as it is! I'd love to give you the ins and outs and rationale behind every suggestion I'm making, but it would take me weeks (or months) to do it! If you have a specific question, please ask me and I'll do my best to answer!

As well, rather than becoming redundant throughout this post, just assume that everything I mention is better organic, if it's available to you. If not, then the suggestions I'm making are for whole foods that are as natural and unprocessed as possible. Let's get started, shall we?

Baking Supplies:

• 
  Flours- Some good options that are usually available are whole wheat, whole grain rye and sometimes oat or brown rice flour (if you can get spelt, kamut or barley, lucky you!). Unbleached is preferable to white, though still not ideal. There are some flours out there that claim to have all the fiber and nutrients of whole grain, but still taste like white (such as NutriFlour). Though these do have more fiber, they only contain the bran and not the germ, so please don't believe that they are as good as true whole wheat flour.
• Leavening- When buying baking powder, be sure to look for one that is aluminum free. Baking soda is baking soda, so that's an easy one. As well, yeast could be an important ingredient if you will be baking your own bread. It's much cheaper to buy it bulk, not in the little packages, and be sure to store it in your fridge or freezer for best results.
• Nuts and seeds- Avoid the bulk bins, if at all possible. Though I love the concept of less packaging and cheaper prices with bulk, most nuts and seeds bought this way are already rancid by the time you bring them home. Stick with the ones in well-sealed packages.
• Dried fruits- Most store-bought dried fruits have sulphites in the ingredients, including raisins and dates. If you can find a brand without this chemical, fearlessly indulge in this tasty snack (but realize that dried fruits still have a very high fruit sugar content and shouldn't be eaten in excess)

Oils and Vinegars:

• For an excellent overview of the different types of oils and their uses, see Lindsay's posts, The World of Oils Part 1 and Part 2. Though I won't get into it, I don't recommend using canola, safflower, corn, or sunflower oil as your regular cooking or baking oil.
• 
  I buy my Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the grocery store in 3 L tins. It is best to buy oils in dark colored glass or in tins, as the more light that they are exposed to, the faster they go rancid. It is much more cost effective this way as well, and I simply pour a little bit at a time into a small glass bottle that I keep in the cupboard beside my stove.
• I also do use just a bit of organic sunflower oil to make homemade mayo, as per the suggestion in Nourishing Traditions, but that's the only thing I use it for (because it is high in omega-6 fatty acids, and most of us consume too many already and need to tip the scale over towards the omega-3s) . I buy it at my grocery store, though most probably do not have organic.
• If coconut oil is available to you, looking for extra virgin or cold pressed, and organic if possible.
• Most stores now carry flax oil in their refrigerated section, near the yogurts. Make sure that it stays in your fridge, as it is a very heat sensitive oil. It cannot be used for cooking, though it can be good to use in salad dressings, smoothies, for dipping bread, etc.
• Rather than white vinegar for cooking (though it's great for cleaning!), use apple cider vinegar. Look for a brand that contains the "mother" (a cloudy sort of substance on the bottom), or one that is not filtered or pasteurized. Balsamic vinegar is so tasty, but use it very sparingly as it has sulphites in it. If you can find a brand without, enjoy!

Drinks:

• Avoid all artificially sweetened drinks! I can't stress this enough! 
• Avoid sweetened juice drinks and "beverages" and cocktails. Honestly, they are more sugar water than anything, and really unnecessary.
• If you really enjoy having something besides water, a bit of 100% juice is an alright option. We buy it very occasionally, and really enjoy mixing it with club soda for a sparkling juice that is so much more refreshing and tasty than pop
• Herbal teas are one of the best choices for hot beverages- try chamomile, peppermint, ginger, fruit flavors, etc. Rooibos is a wonderful option for a stronger tea, naturally caffeine free, and also nice with cream and sweetener. Even better than the tea bags are loose teas, though I know that most stores don't carry them.
• If you like a drink with more kick, try a green or white tea (lots of antioxidants), an organic black tea (less caffeine than coffee), or a little bit of organic or fair trade coffee (most stores carry this now, though this should be kept to a minimum in our diets). If you'd prefer to avoid caffeine, please don't use a conventional decaf coffee. Look for a Swiss Water Process decaf, to avoid most of the nasty chemicals used to make decaf.

Treats and snacks:

• Honestly, there are few good options in these aisles. Most are just full of sugar, trans fats, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colorings and more.
• A few that we will sometimes indulge in:
  • organic tortilla chips (we try to stick to organic corn products, as corn is often GMO)
  • Kettle Chips (one of the better chip brands- make sure to look for MSG in the ingredients)
  • popcorn (popped at home, using real butter or coconut oil and sea salt, and personally, we like it with nutritional yeast- tastes a bit cheesy)
  • Ice cream (I'll admit, we love it. We're learning to make our own and LOVE Kimi's coconut ice cream. But if you do buy it, we look for one that has real cream, not altered milk ingredients, and real sugar, nothing artificial, and a minimum of other additives). Rice Dream is also decent, with no added sugars except what is naturally occurring in the brown rice.
• Kids snacks- As I said above, most are sadly filled with just awful ingredients that I would never feed my kids. It would be much better to buy the ingredients to make your own homemade goodies, such as muffins, cookies, granola bars, applesauce, smoothies, etc. The dried fruit bars (like Sunripe) aren't too bad, as is unsulphured dried fruit, whole grain crackers or unsweetened, natural yogurt (flavor it yourself at home).

Canned Goods:

• Due to the information that has come out in the past year about BPA being found in canned foods (from the inner lining that is leaching into the food), I would suggest trying to avoid canned foods as much as possible. Besides the BPA, canned foods are also not nearly as nutritious as fresh or frozen produce, and quite often have added preservatives.
• Though I don't buy many items anymore, here's what I still buy:
  • Tomatoes (diced, paste)- I get organic when I can, as a few of the organic brands don't have the BPA in the lining (though some do)
  • Salmon- It makes quick and easy meals for us (salmon melts, on top of salads, etc.) and is a cost effective way to get in this fish which is full of good fats!
  • Coconut milk (though I also buy creamed coconut in a box, to use in recipes where texture isn't as important- I get mine in my ethnic foods aisle). Check your coconut milk for preservatives, as they are in some brands.

Pasta:

• I covered this in my discussion of grain products in this post.

Crackers:

• I haven't seen any crackers yet that I think are all that great. None of them will have proper grain preparation (soaked, sprouted, etc.). Many have bad oils or trans fats or unnecessary sugar or preservatives or are high in salt (salt is okay if it's sea salt, but not the highly processed table salt in most products). As well, most are made with white flour.
• There are a few that are multigrain or stone ground whole wheat, etc. These are somewhat better options if your family really can't give up crackers. Another option is to make your own. I don't do it often, but they're really yummy.
• I used to think that rice cakes were really great alternatives, until I read that the process by which the grains are puffed up is really not so great at all, and may even be toxic. There are differing views on this topic, but I would lean towards thinking that this makes sense, as these foods are definitely highly processed.

Cereals:

• Sadly, most cereals would fall under the same category of being puffed or highly processed, and are really quite difficult on our digestive system (which also means we're not getting much in the way of nutrition from them, if anything). Not to mention added sugars, coloring, preservatives (hmmm, funny how often all these words keep coming up!)
• Best bets for breakfast cereals are:
  • Hot cereals, like Red River or oatmeal (stick with plain rolled oats rather than quick oats, or try steel cut or Irish oats for a chewier, less mushy oatmeal). We love ours with milk or cream, honey, cinnamon, fresh or dried fruit, etc.
  • Muesli or granola (though these are not soaked), with yogurt to help improve digestion. With granola, be sure to watch out for hydrogenated oils and high sugar content, as well as sulphured dried fruits. A great option is to make your own (hat tip to Lindsay for this recipe).
  • If you must do cold cereal occasionally, a brand like Kashi has pretty decent ingredients (though there's some soy, and some brands are definitely puffed). There may be other brands, but I'm a bit out of the loop as far as cereals go, since we don't eat it anymore.

Baby Food:

• Quite simply, it's not necessary! Making baby food is so completely easy and feasible, there's no reason to buy it (for a fortune, I might add) and when it is so much fresher and more nourishing when you make it yourself. Here's my photo tutorial for how I make cubes to freeze for convenience.
• Other than the cubes, I use a handheld stick blender to quickly whiz up a portion of what I've made for our meal to give to the baby (especially now that he eats mixed foods like stews and soups). Foods like sweet potatoes and bananas can be easily mashed with a fork. Applesauce is simple to make and either freeze or can yourself. Avocados are the ultimate convenience food for going out. Grains can be soaked overnight, then cooked and blended up, and stored in the fridge for a week. I take out a small portion in the morning to reheat. Scrambled eggs are quick and simple, as is a bowl of plain yogurt. It doesn't take long to get the hang of preparing simple, nutritious foods for your baby in your own kitchen!

Other Grains:

• Brown Rice- there are so many great varieties out there, and this is such an easy healthy food to buy at any grocery store! If you're trying to adjust to brown rice, try basmati brown for a nice intro.
• Millet- Some bulk sections carry millet, and this extremely nutritious grain makes a good rice alternative or a hot breakfast cereal. It can also be ground to use for baking.
• Barley- Look for hulled barley if you can find it. Otherwise, you can use pot barely, for adding to soups or stews, to make a really amazing risotto, to add to casseroles or in grain salads.
• Quinoa- Most stores don't carry it, but I have sometimes found it in the bulk section. Check and see if it's available where you shop! This is another incredible alternative grain, that also works well instead of rice. My husband loves it!

Whew... there was more to say than I thought! I apologize for the length, but I hope that helps to give you a better idea of what other nutritious foods are available in a regular grocery store, how to use them and how to choose between different items.

Does this freak you out? Does it sound like you can't eat anything that you usually eat? Which items are the hardest to give up or do you find the most difficult to find?

Next week, I'm excited to compile for you a post full of info and links to fantastic sources of high quality, often local foods, beyond your grocery store! If you have any resources you'd like to pass on to me (farmer's markets, meat shops or delis, farmers selling grass fed meat products, CSA's, etc.) please email me at keeperofthehome (at) canada (dot) com, and I would love to include your information as well as give a little link love

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• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
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• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 4 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 3 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 6 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 5 | Keeper of the Home

Whew... the next time I start a series with such a loooong title, can someone just email me and say "Steph, seriously, what are you thinking?"

This series will be drawing to a close fairly quickly, and not a moment too soon, as I have other series ideas just bursting at the seams, but I can only juggle so many series at once (there's also my PCOS series, which has a long ways to go yet). This week, I'm tackling the bakery section and grains products in general. Next week, I'll move on to those pesky inner aisles of the store.

Finally, I'll spend a week compiling all of the resources I can possibly come up with, to help you move beyond the regular grocery store and start exploring the alternative sources of fabulous, frugal, local and natural food that you just don't know about yet! On that note, if anyone has any great websites or resources to pass on to me for that post, please start emailing them to me now at keeperofthehome (at) canada (dot) com and I'll be sure to include them in my post, and give you some linky love as well.

Anyhoo, let's get on with the topic at hand... the Bakery!

For those who read my blog or other "Nourished" bloggers (aka Kimi, Lindsey, Michelle, Donielle, etc.) you may wonder if baking your own bread and baked goods is the only possible option. Let's explore that for a few minutes.

The three basic concepts that should inform our choice of bread and other such grainy gifts of God (yes, I love carbs!) are that they be:
1) Soaked
2) Sprouted
3) Sourdough

If you're wanting to know more about the why's behind this, I would read this article, and then also this post and this one.

I can tell you straight away that you won't be finding soaked grain products in your local store, so let's just clear that option right off of the table.

Sprouted

Moving on to #2, we've got something that we can begin to work with. I don't know exactly what's available in the conventional stores that are local to each of you, but I'll tell you what we have where I live, and also in Washington, where I shop fairly frequently.

Sprouted is the new whole wheat, or so it seems. It's not good enough just to be brown, but now lovely loaves of sprouted, "flourless" or Squirelly bread are popping up everywhere. This, my friends, is a very good thing! Yes, they are still made with wheat (but whole wheat). Yes, some of them still have oils in them that I wouldn't favor, some preservatives and quite possibly some sugar to boot. No, they're not as fresh as if you made them yourselves, and many of them aren't organic (though happily, many of them are!).

I would, however, take these breads above a plain old whole wheat loaf (regardless of how wholesome and hearty it is) any day, and here's why. The fact that the grains are sprouted means these breads are far more digestible than your average grocery store bread. In fact, I know many people who don't really do well with most wheat breads at all, but these sprouted grain breads actually sit pretty well with them.

They are easier on your system, allow more nutrients to be absorbed and retained by your body, and are often not accompanied by the sluggish digestion, bloating and other signs of food sensitivity that many have when they eat wheat bread (you might not recognize that these things occur, but in actuality, it is quite likely that your body isn't doing as well on yeast-risen whole wheat bread as you'd like to hope it is).

Sourdough

What about option #3? Again, this will depend on your store's bakery section, but many of the stores that I know carry a few varieties of honest-to-goodness sourdough bread. It's often hearty, dark rye, or rye mixed with wheat (though I'm blessed to also have a spelt/wild rice option at my local Superstore). Sadly, the white bread labeled "sourdough" is usually not a real sourdough, though I do admit, I used to really love the stuff.

What you want to look for is a bread that is using a sourdough starter, or natural leavening, and that doesn't include yeast in the ingredients (it will usually just have flour, salt, water and not a whole lot else). If it does have yeast in it and if it's quite light and fluffy, then the sourdough is usually for flavoring only, and it has been made in the quick-rise style of regular yeast breads. What we're going for here is bread that has been made in a more traditional sourdough method, which include very long rising periods (usually something like 12-48 hours).

Beyond bread

Again, based on these criteria, if you can find any bagels or English muffins or tortillas or anything of that nature that fit the bill (as in, sprouted or sourdough), consider yourself blessed! Naturally, as always, organic is a better choice than not. Do the best you can do with what's available, and know that sticking to sprouted and sourdough will at least ensure that what you're buying is as nourishing and easy on your digestive system as possible, whether it's organic or not. 

Pasta

So sadly, pasta falls under the category of grains that are prepared improperly. However, this doesn't mean that you have to get rid of pasta entirely, and there may be a few options even within your local grocery store.

Rice pasta is probably one of the best and most available options out there. Compared to most grains, rice is generally must easier to digest (without going through the soaking or sprouting process), making this a great compromise. With the rise in gluten free diets, rice pasta is becoming much more accessible. My favorite brand is Tinkyada, hands down. It comes in every shape and size, and keeps a much nicer texture than most, though any rice pasta will do, nutritionally speaking. Another great option, though it's not available everywhere, is a sprouted grain pasta (made with wheat, not rice), such as the ones available from Food for LIfe. If neither of these are available to you, you could consider just purchasing whole grain flour and making this recipe that I'm dying to try. 

If none of these options are available, and you're just not willing to give up pasta (or make your own, and seriously, I wouldn't blame you if you weren't!), what can you do? I would choose a good quality whole wheat or organic pasta (whatever your local store offers), eat it infrequently, and when you do, make sure that you're including some other foods that will assist in your digestion (fermented or cultured veggies or dairy, bone broths in a soup or pasta sauce, a glass of water with apple cider vinegar or lemon before you eat, etc.).

Did I cover all of the grain products that you're wondering about? I will also touch on flours when I get into the grocery store aisles in my next post in this series.

What types of bread and grain products are available at your local stores? Any brands or stores to recommend to fellow readers?

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
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• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 2 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 3 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 4 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store (Inner Aisles) | Keeper of the Home

Eggs

Egg Beaters or any similar egg replacement: Avoid! These are basically egg whites, with some coloring and spices. Don't buy the lie that egg yolks are to be avoided. This is where the bulk of the nutrients are found in the egg! Instead, we should be looking for whole eggs with rich, dark yellow yolks, bursting with goodness!

A step above regular: Omega-3 eggs (more nutrients than regular eggs, but still kept in confinement and fed things they shouldn't be eating, like soy products)

Better: Free-range/ Cage-free/ Free-run (they get some outdoor time, so their diet includes some grass foraging and insects, though they still receive other feed which is not organic and are likely still confined much of the time)

Even Better: Organic Free-range (the above pluses, and no pesticide's in their food)

Best: Straight from the farm of a farmer you trust or the backyard of someone who raises them well. Just take a drive in the country, and you'll likely see many signs in driveways saying "Eggs for sale". Check out the living conditions, ask how they're fed. I know this isn't a grocery store option, but I just had to mention it.

Meat

Look for brands that advertise: pastured or grass fed, no animal by-products, no hormones, no antibiotics, organic feed, etc. The more of these items that are indicated, the better!

Here is a helpful website I found, called US Natural Beef. This site lists 18 different beef brands, that claim to be "natural". To find out exactly what this means, you need to visit the website of each brand and fish around a little. I've researched two of these brands to give you a bit of an idea of what they're about.

For example:

Creekstone Farms- Their natural brand of beef (they have a conventional line as well) boasts the following protocols:

• No Antibiotics – EVER!
• No Added Hormones – EVER!
• No Growth Promoting Drugs – EVER!
• No Artificial Ingredients – EVER!
• 100% Vegetarian Diet
• Sourced Verified to Ranch of Birth
• Humane Animal Handling Practices

To find out where their products are carried, you can check out this link, and see which stores in your state have Creekstone beef. I check out Washington, and this beef can be found at Haggen stores, which is a regular grocery store.

Certified Angus Beef Natural Brand- This is also distinct from their conventional brand. Their website claims that in raising this beef, there are:

Never any antibiotics. Producers ensure antibiotics are never used.

Never any hormones. Cattle are never given hormones to enhance performance or growth.

Never anything but all-natural feeds. Cattle enjoy a vegetarian diet of only top-quality grains, forages and essential nutrients – just as nature intended.

To find a store, visit this link. Make sure you look for the "Natural" brand icon, to know that the particular store you have found actually carries the natural, not just conventional brand.

These are just two examples, but there were many more on the US Natural Beef site. It may take a bit of researching and looking around, but chances are you can discover a more natural brand that is carried by one of the stores that you shop at or have access to! Though grass-fed beef from a local farmer would be the ideal, this can be a great way to compromise and do the best you can with what's available to you!

Poultry

Sadly, I could not find any sites that listed poultry brands together, so it's a bit of a tougher area to really dig through. You're looking for the same types of words that I mentioned above, under Meat (no antibiotics or hormones, grass-fed, no animal by-products, etc.) Here are a few brands I did find on the web:

Smart Chicken- from what I can tell, this is a step above conventional chicken. Not a really big step, but even a small step in the right direction is a good thing! It seems as though this chicken may be available at some major retailers, but you'll need to call to find one in your area.

Petaluma Poultry- this brand carries both free-range and organic poultry, but is most likely carried at co-ops and health-food style stores. I would check their retail index, though, just to be sure.

Shelton- Same as Petaluma. Looks good, but not carried at most major retailers, unfortunately.

Since I had a hard time finding sites that offered what I was looking for (and I spent a looong time looking, which I'm sure you don't really want to do!), here's what I would recommend doing. Next time you go shopping, bring a pen and paper to the store with you, and write down all of the brands that are available to you.

Take this to your computer, and look up each brand to see if they have a website. If they are more conscientious about how they raise their poultry, they will talk about it, as they do at Smart Chicken. If they are not, and it's completely conventional, they will talk about quality and safety in vague terms and mention nothing about how their meat is raised- for an example of this, see the Lilydale site.

Beyond chicken breasts and ground beef...

Let me quickly address a few specific types of meat that you might be wondering about, in addition to the basic cuts.

Sandwich meats:

Quite frankly, I would recommend not purchasing any sandwich meats at all. All deli meats like this contain preservatives, specifically sodium nitrite (which is carcinogenic). In addition, they often have corn syrup, colorings, smoke flavorings, MSG (which is linked to neurological damage), hydrolyzed proteins (which is actually a way to hide MSG in a product) and other chemical preservatives. The only sandwich meat our family eats is from a local, natural deli that doesn't use these preservatives or other ingredients (I can tell, because the meat doesn't last long in my fridge and doesn't have the strong flavor of other sandwich meats). Learn to read the ingredients, and you will see that unfortunately, there isn't much in the deli section of the store that doesn't include these sorry ingredients.

What to use instead: Cooked, sliced chicken breast or leftover turkey is perfect for sandwiches or in wraps. Another great option is cutting thin slices when you make roast beef. We also like to make salmon or chicken salad, using either canned salmon or chopped up chicken, a bit of mayo, seasonings, perhaps onions or celery. Fried eggs are actually quite good in sandwiches. Any other ideas?

Other deli meats:

Hot dogs, sausages, bacon, pizza meat, pepperoni sticks, etc. Sadly, it is all full of the ingredients I mentioned above under sandwich meats, including sodium nitrite (seriously, in everything. I can't think of an example of anything that doesn't have it). Not to mention, much of it is made of undesirable animals parts, ground up so that you have no idea what you are eating. Not particularly appetizing, is it?

What to use instead: On our pizzas, we use chopped up chicken or ground meats. For sausages, we have been able to find some more natural brands, without the preservatives and MSG. A few grocery stores are beginning to carry them, and Costco is one great place to find them (I like their natural chicken sausages a lot). There are even many recipes for making your own sausage or pepperoni (note- avoid the Morton Tenderquick salt, as it has nitrites. Use sea salt instead). If you do still want to buy these meats, make sure to read the ingredients, and stay away from the above mentioned items. Seriously, I would just avoid things like hot dogs and pepperoni. If you absolutely must, choose 100% beef hot dogs with the shortest ingredient list, and keep that and the bacon really, really minimal. Please.

Ultimately, the best choices that we can make at the local grocery store include simple, basic cuts of meat. As always, the main conclusion is to go back to whole foods, that have not been processed, altered or packaged. Food that are as close to the way that they are found in nature. These are the foods that will nourish you and your family!

Any more questions about buying meat at the store? Do you have any brand preferences or great finds to share with us? What are your thoughts on all of this?

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More from Keeper of the Home

• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 4 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store (Inner Aisles) | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 3 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 6 | Keeper of the Home

Today, we jump into the topic of purchasing meat, poultry and eggs...

Here are a few reasons to be concerned about what's being sold at your regular grocery store:

• Grass fed is preferable for meat, and foraging on grass and insects for poultry, however most animals are cooped up in buildings and not given any access to pasture at all, let alone the ability to freely roam and forage.
• Often antibiotics are given to the animals, for infections that develop in too-tight living conditions (cooped up tightly, usually without naturally light or access to pasture, next to animals that are ill, beaks cut off so they don't eat their neighbors, etc.)
• Some have been given hormones, to force them to grow faster or produce more than they normally would
• All are fed with feed that is sub par (eating things that are not ideal foods for them, such as grain for cattle, rather than hay, silage and root vegetables when fresh grass is not available), often genetically modified (such as corn and soy) and pesticide laced

All in all, it's enough to make you want to seriously reconsider purchasing from the regular store, eating animal products raised in unknown (and often downright terrible) conditions.

I've even more recently seen advertising that makes the packaging look more natural, or using the word "natural" in their brand name or calling it "natural chicken breasts". Unfortunately, this doesn't mean a thing, as there are no true standards for what equals "natural" food. When it comes to meat and poultry, it simply means that there are no artificial colorings, flavorings or preservatives in your chicken breast or roast (well goodness, I would sure hope there aren't!), and has nothing to do with how the meat was produced.

As well, many packages have been touting lovely brown images of grains, promoting this image that anything containing a grain might be healthy. Unfortunately, grain fed animals are NOT the ideal, and just because the package looks "natural" doesn't mean that what's inside it really is. Companies pay big bucks for marketing companies to help them compete in today's market, where more and more consumer are demanding naturally raised foods. As I mentioned above, we want our animals to be raised on pasture, foraging on grass. In the winter, cattle (for example) should be consuming hay (dried grass) and/or silage (fermented grass) or root vegetables. Not grains!

To give you a bit of food for thought, considering reading these articles to go more in depth on the subject:

Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Products

Splendor from the Grass

Now that I've told you what you don't want, you may be wondering...

How do I actually find good quality meat to serve my family?

We are most definitely going to get to this question in a few weeks, when I give you as many good resources for finding high quality food sources as I possibly can (and I'm going to ask for your help, by having you share all of your own resources with the rest of us!). Personally, I do not buy it from the regular grocery store, so I am going to help you find out where you can locate a source of good animal products near you!

Is it ever okay to eat this regular meat?

If it is all that you can get, then yes, but less often than you might otherwise. That is simplifying it quite a bit, but that is my basic thought on the subject. If you cannot get better quality meats and poultry, I don't think that you need to take them out of your diet entirely, as I don't really care to promote a vegetarian diet. High quality or not, I don't believe that animal products are to be avoided, as they contain many essential nutrients, including an excellent source of protein. However, they are not nearly as beneficial to you when poorly raised, and when consumed too much, can actually be detrimental to your health, which is why I would caution you to eat less if that is your only option.

In my next post, I'm going to look at a few different brands of meat and poultry, and help you to compare their quality, so that when faced with the meat options at your local store, you can make the best choices possible. You may notice I don't include pork- that's because I don't think that it is a wise choice, nutritionally speaking (if you really want to know why, ask me and I'll post about it sometime- it's far too big for this post!).

What compromises can be made?

Back when we had a whole lot less money in our grocery
budget, I purchased as much good quality animal protein as I could
afford to buy (which wasn't a lot). After that, we went vegetarian (probably 3-5 nights a
week). I stretched what I had through careful meal planning, and
learned how to make complex, interesting and filling vegetarian dishes, with lots of whole grains, beans and legumes, and some dairy and fish. We ate yogurt and high quality eggs with breakfast whenever we could. And that was that. Though we eat much more meat and poultry these days, as our budget allows, I think that our previous diet was very reasonable and we did well with it.

I have also since learned (through Nourishing Traditions) that consuming homemade bone broth (beef, poultry or fish broths) are excellent for diets that are lower in good quality animal protein. They have a protein sparing effect that helps our bodies to make the best use of whatever animal protein we do eat. Adding broths a couple times a week, particularly to vegetarian meals, is an excellent way to get around not having as much meat or poultry.

Another great compromise is to eat meats other than beef, chicken and turkey. Lamb is generally of high quality (not always, but most of the time) no matter where it is found, so that is often a great alternative. As well, if you can find game (buffalo, bison, moose, deer, etc.) these also tend to be good quality, so buy and eat freely! Wild birds, such as wild duck or pheasant, are another option, if you're able to find them.

So, which choices are better than others when I'm in the store and I still want to buy something?

Let me answer that on Friday, with some specifics of what to look for in, brands, websites, etc. I want to get even more practical on this topic and give you some tools to use in this area!

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More from Keeper of the Home

• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 5 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store (Inner Aisles) | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 3 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 6 | Keeper of the Home

Dairy

This is a tough one. The dairy at our local grocery store has unfortunately been dealt with rather poorly. First off, it has been pasteurized:

Not to mention, also being homogenized, which breaks up fat globules and may be a major contributing factor to heart disease and high cholesterol, in addition to the fact that it adds unnecessary processing to what is otherwise a whole, natural food.

So, what types of dairy are worth purchasing as we seek out a whole foods diet?

Ideally, raw milk is one of the ultimate "health foods" out there (along with other dairy products made from it- raw cheeses, cultured dairy such as kefir, yogurt and buttermilk, and beautiful yellow butter). I am all about creamy, unadulterated raw milk, straight from the farm. To find out if there are any sources of this liquid gold near you, you can check for it's availability by location.

What if raw milk isn't available to me?

If your only shopping options are conventional grocery stores (or even health food stores, depending where you live), chances are good that buying raw milk just isn't an option. Here are my suggestions for some of the healthier compromises:

Don't drink conventional milk

Now this is a difficult statement for many people. There are many foods that I would still encourage people to consume, whether they can get organic or the best quality or not. Unfortunately, milk is not one of them. If you cannot find unpasteurized milk (even if it's organic), I would suggest removing it from your diet in it's standard form (ie. straight from the jug).

What about alternatives? I know of only two alternatives that I feel good about. Soy milk is definitely NOT one of them (read this to find out why). Rice milk is also not such a great option, because it doesn't offer anything more than rice and water mixed together (and most of us eat plenty of grains as it is).

Almond or other nut milks (hazlenut, brazilnut, etc.) are one decent option. They offer some good protein, fat (yes, we need good fats!) and calcium, along with other nutrients contained in nuts. The only problem is that commercial nut milks are not made correctly. Nuts should be soaked or sprouted before being consumed, or they are much more difficult to digest, and contain phytates which inhibit mineral absorption. Making your own nut milks is a good possibility, as I have done and had good results with.

Another option I had not heard of until recently is Coconut Milk Tonic. Though I haven't tried this, it seems to be a great alternative, and has much to offer nutritionally. 

Focus on cultured dairy

If milk is out of the question, then make room for more cultured dairy in your diet. This would include yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, and even sour cream. The reason these products are more acceptable is that they have added bacteria cultures, which promote good digestion and a healthy intestinal tract, and are not associated with the same problems as drinking regular cow's milk.

Back in the days before I found raw milk, we ate a good variety of cheeses and sour cream, had plenty of yogurt in smoothies and for snacks, and I used buttermilk to replace milk in my cooking (sometimes yogurt makes a good substitute as well, if you water it down a bit).

Since the cost of my raw milk is rather insane, I still buy organic pasteurized milk (when it goes on clearance due to it's expiry date) and use that to make all of my yogurt and kefir (because culturing the milk adds back in many of the benefits that the pasteurization removed). I can even stock up on it and make huge batches (both keep well in the fridge) or freeze the milk to have on hand for later.

When buying cheeses...

I prefer to stick to white cheese, to avoid the food coloring that goes into orange cheese. It's just totally unnecessary, and most good cheeses come un-dyed (you can get incredible white cheddars).

I tend to avoid standard cream cheese, as it's rather fake and not a very close cousin to the real, traditional cream cheese. I do buy cottage cheese sometimes. I never, ever (and recommend that you don't ever, ever!) buy processed cheese slices or spread, any Velveeta or Cheese Whiz or anything like that. They are, quite simply, very processed and no longer offer the nutrition of regular cheese (but they do offer a host of other things your body doesn't need or want!).

Say no thanks to margarine

Along with it's hydrogenated fats and trans fats, margarine is made up of rancid vegetable oils, as well as soy protein and other additives and coloring that are completely unnatural. There is nothing redeeming about margarine.

Butter, though it has been made out to be a villain, is full of healthful nutrients (Vitamins A, D and E), plus anti-oxidants, good cholesterol, beneficial fatty acids, iodine (for healthy thyroid glands), and more. If you're not convinced yet that butter is, in fact, not the enemy but rather a healthful food to be embraced, read this article, Why Butter is Better. Another good read is Kimi's post on butter and good sources of the best butter.

What if you can't get organic

Naturally, organic is ideal and many grocery stores are jumping on that bandwagon these days. Dairy that is not organic most likely contains hormones and/or antibiotics that have been given to the cows who often get sick, have infections and are expected to produce much higher quantities of milk than they can naturally produce. In addition, it does not contain the same spectrum of nutrients due to the inferior diets of conventionally raised cows (who receive very little, if any, pasture time where they are able to eat fresh, green grass).

If yours store doesn't carry organic dairy you can still enjoy these products, knowing that the items I have mentioned above are a reasonable compromise. Personally, I would encourage you to limit your dairy somewhat if you are not buying organic, and find other ways to get more of your protein, calcium, good fats, etc. Nuts and seeds (especially almonds and sesame seeds), dark leafy greens (including cruciferous greens like broccoli), and free-range eggs (no calcium, but great protein and fats) are excellent ways to boost your diet without dairy. (Edit: I should have added Cod Liver Oil to this list, for it's amazing Vit A and D content, as well as essential fatty acids!)

This series will take a short hiatus while I'm on vacation, and will pick up in a few weeks as I continue to work my way through the conventional grocery store... I'll be tackling meat and poultry and eggs, the bakery, and those pesky inner aisles, so stay tuned!

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More from Keeper of the Home

• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 6 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store (Inner Aisles) | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 4 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 2 | Keeper of the Home

This week I'm going to begin to take you on a more detailed tour of the store, working through each department individually and offering some suggestions and tips (once I'm done this, I'll start working on individual questions that have been asked). Let's get started!

Produce

 I know that this is one area where conventional grocery stores can wildly vary. One may have it's own organic produce section or carry lots of fresh and local vegetables and fruits.

Others may be more isolated, perhaps up North, and you may be lucky to find wilted iceberg lettuce, the only peaches you ever see are canned, and they think Kale is a trendy boys name. That's okay. There are still plenty of things that you can do to maximize the nutritional benefit of the produce that you are buying for your family!

Use the Dirty Dozen

I've linked to a previous post of mine, where I outline how you can use this list of the most highly sprayed vegetables and fruits to help you prioritize your buying decisions, and make the most of your budget. Read the post- I think you'll find it helpful, especially for those of you who do have some organics available (for generally ludicrous prices), but also for those who would like to know which foods to avoid or eat less of if organics aren't available.

Keep your produce colorful

Fruits and vegetables come in a dazzling array of colors, and the beauty of it is that it's not just for aesthetics. The color pigmentation in produce are an indication of the nutrients (the vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, etc.) that the food contains.

By making sure that your family eats a wide variety of colors, from the purple of beets and cabbages and the reds of peppers and tomatoes, to the greens of spinach and broccoli and the oranges of sweet potatoes and mangoes. The more colorful your diet, the more likely that you are getting a solid balance of the nutrients your body needs for abundant health.

Wash it well

See this post for a detailed discussion on the why's and how's of washing your produce. When you are only able to purchase conventional process, washing it well and peeling when necessary is very important to avoiding pesticides and other toxins.

Go darker

When you're given the option, choose produce that is darker in color, rather than lighter. A good example of this is lettuce and other greens. The darker the leaf, the higher the nutritional content. Grapes are another one. Choose dark purple grapes over the green variety (and additionally, choose domestic over imported, as the imports tend to use more sprays, and ones that are more highly toxic).

Antioxidants are your friends

These amazing nutrients and enzymes actually help your body to protect itself from the effects of damaging free radical cells, which cause disease. The more that you can include in your diet, the more that your body will be able to defend itself against free radicals (which can come from things like pollution, toxins, alcohol, cigarette smoke, etc.).

Vibrantly colored produce tends to have the highest levels (for example, cherries, blueberries, kale, broccoli). See this post for some more information on antioxidants, and a great list of which foods to find them in.

Consume liberally

Regardless of whether you are able to buy fruits and vegetables that are organic or not, they are a crucial part of a healthy diet, because they provide important vitamins, minerals and fiber. Make every effort to learn to include as many as you possibly can in your families meals and snacks! I aim for a solid 5-7 servings of fruits and veggies per day. We have our off days, but generally I would say that we eat close to that amount, so I know that it's very possible!

Seafood

There are so many contradicting opinions on seafood out there these days, and I don't feel that it's worthwhile to get into the various arguments and debates for the purpose of this post. However, I will say that although I think it is necessary to use discretion with some of the options that exist, in general, fish is an excellent source of protein and good fats, and should definitely have a place in your diet. We aim to eat fish a minimum of once a week, and try to change up the types that we eat whenever possible.

Here are a few basic guidelines:

Avoid farmed fish-- There is really nothing redeeming about farmed fish. It usually has contaminants and toxins, may contain dyes (to make salmon more pink, for example), and does not have the highly beneficial fatty acid content of wild fish. If a package does not specify that the fish is wild, then assume that it is farmed.

Unfortunately, we cannot even fully trust the labeling that tells us a fish is wild. Check out this article. I liked the article's recommendations to consider whether you are buying the fish off season (my local grocery store only carries wild west coast salmon in the spring and summer- otherwise it's the expensive Alaskan salmon, or else it's farmed), and also if in doubt, you can purchase canned sockeye (red) salmon, because it is always wild.

More than one type of wild

To continue with this thought, it's worth mentioning that not all "wild" fish is created equal, so to speak. Wild fish that has been caught further north, in more pristine and unpolluted waters (such as Alaskan sockeye salmon) is a healthier choice than your typical wild pink salmon. However, it is also prohibitively priced for most regular families, including ours. I will very occasionally splurge on it, but we often stick to the wild pink. Sometimes, you just have to do the best you can. If you can afford to buy the better quality stuff, do it as often as you can, and watch for sales!

Frozen is fine

I know that many of you do not live in places where there is fresh fish in abundance. If you can find wild frozen fish, this is a perfectly fine substitute, practically as good as fresh. The only thing is to check whether the frozen fish has preservatives added. I was in denial that there was anything added to my frozen salmon filets I had been purchasing, until a friend mentioned it one day. I had been trusting that it was just plain old salmon, but when I read the ingredients I realized I was wrong. Check the ingredients, and avoid any sulfites/sulfates or any other preservatives.

Avoid shellfish

I'll likely get comments from people telling me they disagree (probably because they don't want to give up their shrimp and lobster!), but here's my personal opinion, based on much research and reading. There's a reason that God made shellfish off limits in the Levitical food laws. The basic reasoning is that shellfish are like vacuums in the ocean. Put them into contaminated waters, and they will purify the water. Guess where the toxins go? Into the shellfish. This is likely why so many people are either highly allergic or sensitive to shellfish, and why so many people get food poisoning and other illnesses from eating them. I'm not saying they don't taste good. I'm just saying God is smarter than us.

What to buy?

Whole salmon (fresh or frozen) and canned salmon usually top my list (though recent BPA concerns in canned foods have minimized my use of canned fish). I personally avoid tuna due to high mercury levels, but that is a debate with many loud voices on either side. We eat plenty of white fish as well- trout, cod, snapper, pollock, halibut- the possibilities are endless! Fresh fish prices are a bit exorbitant (although it is wonderful if you can get it), so I usually buy frozen and get fresh only when it goes on sale or just for a treat.

We usually either bake the fish with a sauce or herbs, lemon and butter, etc. or simply fry it in a pan with a bit of butter, salt and pepper, and maybe some spices. Sometimes I make a homemade tartar sauce, which is delicious. Sometimes I add fish to a curry, or to a chowder. Any way you do it, fish can be a wonderful addition to a healthy diet!

Next week we'll continue on with the grocery store, taking a look at the deli and dairy sections. 

What types of produce and/or seafood do you purchase from your regular grocery store? Any tips to share with the rest of us on buying foods with the most nutritional value? Any particular issues you'd like to me to address?

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• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 6 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 3 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 4 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 5 | Keeper of the Home

Reality check- This isn't a perfect world, and when it comes to finding the right foods to buy for our families, we very often just have to make do with what's available and cultivate a thankful heart for what we do have, and not what we wish we had!

When we lived in Japan, I had my first taste of really trying to navigate the murky waters of a conventional grocery store (one that was completely foreign and in another language!), during my first year as a wife and homemaker. I really wanted to learn to buy and prepare healthy food, but it was definitely a challenge! Over the course of the year, I slowly found other places to purchase my food, as I researched and asked around like crazy. In the meantime, though, those regular stores were all that I had and I had to make the best of them!

How glad I was for that experience when we returned to Canada, and although I desperately wanted to start finding better sources for our food, I had no car to use during the daytime, little money for gas anyways, and was left with one major option: Hoof it (you know, the old fashioned way!) to the grocery store, with my little darling in her stroller, and learn to do the very best that I could with what I had!

Over the next two posts, I'm going to share with you a few of the things that I learned as I scouted out the stores (and learned every nook and cranny of them!), while also fastidiously studying nutrition and frugality whenever I could. Did I ever mention how grateful I am for that first year back home and my little $150 grocery budget?

Tip #1

This is my biggest tip and I absolutely cannot stress it enough.

Shop the perimeter of the store! Do not enter the inner aisles (at least, not until we talk through this whole thing just a little bit more...)

What's so great about the perimeter exactly (and so gravely dangerous about the aisles)?

Allow me to walk you through a very brief tour of your typical grocery store. You enter, and navigate your way past the lost leader items (very rarely healthy!), and then inhale deeply as you push your way through the tempting floral section. You arrive in the produce section- a very good place to start! Moving on from there, you make your way back to the deli, where you might find some lovely cheeses (skip past the sandwich meats, though) and fresh olives.

Beyond that is the fresh and frozen fish, another perfect place to pause and add to your cart. Next, you delve into the meat section. Though we know this meat isn't of the highest quality, it sure does beat the breaded and deep fried varieties in the freezer section! Beyond that, the bulk bins are calling to you, full of dried beans, lentils, seeds, and spices. The dairy section is fast approaching, and while this needs some careful thought and attention, it is not entirely void of possibility. Lastly, you round the corner to the bakery, where you might find a loaf of sourdough rye, to round out the items you have gathered in your cart.

Did you notice the absence of boxes and cans? Of cartoon characters and artificial colors? Of instant this and reduced-fat that?

Now, I know. Not everything I mentioned is the ideal. Perhaps your store doesn't carry many organics. Maybe yeast bread is all there is, and the options for whole grains are pretty slim pickings. The beef has never even seen the light of day, let alone had the opportunity to actually use it's muscles. Those would be things to start considering, as you research the options available in your area (and I will be addressing the how-to of that research in an upcoming post).

In the meantime, though, the best place to begin is with a truly whole foods, unprocessed diet. Next time, I will take a closer look at the different elements of the store (and even those pesky aisles!) to see how to make the very best choices out of what is available!

I'm curious- how many of you feel sort of "stuck" with a regular grocery store, either for all or most of your shopping? If so, what are your particular concerns or questions about what to buy? I'd love to take the time to answer some specific questions on deciding between the options available, or trying to adapt what's available to a healthier diet (at least, as much as I'm able to!).

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More from Keeper of the Home

• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 4 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store (Inner Aisles) | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 3 | Keeper of the Home
• Nutritional Foundations- Making the best of the regular grocery store, Part 5 | Keeper of the Home

Just as I did last week in revealing the contents of my pantry, I share what I purchase to give some ideas as to what it might look like to purchase a whole foods diet, where it might come from, how it fits into the budget, etc. I still have elements of my shopping and food choices that I want to improve, and some that I am currently happy with. I continue to tweak my methods (and madness) all the time, as I try to get the most nutrition for my dollar, and do the best with what I have.

So let's jump in, and I'll explain as I go along...

Raw Milk:  $50 a month

This is a major portion of my budget, unfortunately. Though I am thrilled beyond belief to have this milk available to me, it is eating up far more money than I wish it did. As food prices rise, I may have to reconsider and purchase a little bit less milk for the family (or we may have to bite the bullet and just up our budget more). This amount purchases me 3 litres of raw milk per week, giving us a total of 3 gallons per month (yep, do the math- that's over $16 a gallon!!!).

I purchase it through a cow share at a farm in a nearby community, which we had to purchase shares in (giving us partial ownership of a cow). Each week it is delivered to a drop point, where one of us goes to pick it up.

Meat and poultry: Approximately $50 per month

I purchase most of my meat and poultry from a small, local meat shop out in the country. I try to go there about once every month or two. This spring I made my first big purchase of 1/4 of a cow. I also buy boxes of frozen chicken breasts, sandwich meat and occasionally pepperoni or jerky, and sometimes sausages or beef bacon (we don't eat pork). Most of their products are nitrate/nitrite free (and I only buy the ones that are).

The rest of my meat comes from two places. Several times a year, I purchase a box of 3 whole chickens from Azure (Shelton brand), and I've also bought chicken legs as well. When I go down to Seattle to visit my MIL, I also often buy the natural chicken sausages that the Costco there carries (hormone/antibiotic free, no nitrates, no msg). Those costs are taken into account below, with Azure and Costco, rather than in this category.

Produce: Approximately $80 per month (we spend extra in the summer to stock up on summer fruit)

I love my produce market! I've been going there for over 3 years, and would not consider going anywhere else! They are an independent, locally owned family business. They grow much of their own food, some certified organic, the rest unsprayed and naturally grown. What they don't grow, they bring in, getting organic when it's available for a good price. The quality is amazing, the selection is great, but really the prices are one of the things that keeps me so loyal. I like to memorize food prices (I know, I'm strange), so I know that I am getting the best deal there, and with so much of it natural, nowhere else compares.

Costco: I'm not really sure how much I spend, as it really varies, but it's probably not more than $50 or so.

Though I used to buy more items from Costco, my shopping habits have changed and they are no longer one of my favorites. When I go to Washington, I still shop there as they carry organic butter, natural sausages, cheap cheese (when I can't get my raw cheese from Azure), a massive bag of baking soda and the odd other thing. At home in Canada, I buy my large bags of non-GMO brown rice, organic corn tortilla chips, cases of tomato paste and diced organic tomatoes, maple suryp, organic peanut butter, almond butter, 100% fruit jam (though this year I'm making my own), and pure vanilla.

Azure Standard: Between $80-120 on average

I am continually grateful that I have access to this incredible whole foods co-op! Through them, I purchase so many great things- all of my bulk, organic grains and dry beans, dried fruits, Bragg's (like soy sauce), organic apple cider vinegar, sea salt, natural cleaning supplies, stevia, raw cheese, sometimes free-range eggs and organic dairy, some toiletries (toothpaste, lotion), teething tablets, baking supplies (carob powder, coconut), frozen natural berries, seeds, supplements, etc.

Conventional Grocery Store (for me, this is Superstore, as it is close to my house, has a natural foods aisle, and is the cheapest in my opinion): The remainder of my budget, probably around $50-100 is spent here.

I use this store to help me fill in the gaps. It's close, it's cheap, and I've learned what I can and can't buy here (or rather should and shouldn't). I never, ever use it for meat, buy very little of my produce here (though they have a few things they carry organic that I buy if they're nice quality, which they often aren't), and a few other more random items. Sometimes the one brand of bread that we like/approve of. Sometimes spices. Some nuts. Often fish. Free-range eggs. 3 L tins of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Discounted organic (though pasteurized) milk for making yogurt and kefir. Cheese when I run out of raw cheese. Natural food items that I run out of in between co-op orders.

Putting it all together

It's taken me several years to sort out this careful balance of where I buy my food from. You may be thinking that I spend all month shopping, but it's really not true. Despite the number of different places I acquire my groceries from, I usually only go shopping ever two weeks (I try to stick to 2 stores max), aside from picking up our milk once a week and seeing my MIL to get my Azure order.

It takes a bit of research to find the right places that will work for you,a bit of work to learn which grocery store truly is cheapest and which carries the best whole foods options and some careful thought and planning to organize how you will buy what you need from a range of different places, and how you will make the budget work (and some months, I still hit the second to last week and realize that I haven't planned carefully enough and money is running low). It's well worth it, though, to know that you are buying the highest quality of foods possible, and getting the best deals that are out there!

I think it's worthwhile to take a close look at the regular grocery store and discuss exactly how to use it to our advantage (or if it's the only option available to you), and how to avoid the foods that really should stay on the shelves where they belong. I'm going to tackle that next, as well as show you an example of a shopping trip that I might do at one of these stores, just to give you an idea of which items they are useful for.

As well, I want to look at ways to research sources for raw milk, good meat and poultry, fresh/local/organic produce, bulk dry grains and beans, etc. and I will create a post with as many great links and places to start your search as a I possibly can (if you know of any, please email me with them!).

Do you shop from more than one place? What type of places do you get your food from? How did you find those stores/companies/markets, etc?

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This week I bring to you an incredibly detailed tour of the innermost workings of my pantry and food cupboards (this is an old picture of my pantry- the contents are similar, but it's currently much more full than this!). I do this for several reasons:

1) When you don't know where to start, sometimes it helps to see exactly what someone else is doing. Personally, I loved Heavenly Homemaker's series on real food, and the glimpse into exactly what she spends her money on. It was helpful to see what was similar to me, and what wasn't, and how a mom with older and more children (and all boys!) was doing it.

2) It helps to take some of the things I talk about and make them real. Now you'll know what is really in my kitchen, and if it's ambiguous or unclear, I'll try to let you know what it's for or why I buy it. It may help you to understand exactly what we do and don't eat (and you'll even see a few of our weaknesses!).

3) It may help to paint a picture for you of what stocking a kitchen with real, whole foods might look like. Some of you may be very surprised. Some of you may think "hey, that sounds like my pantry!" Many of you may fall somewhere in between.

By no means do I believe my kitchen or style of cooking to be perfect or exemplary in any way (far, far from it!), but we have made a journey over the past 6 years to eating almost entirely whole foods that are homemade, and perhaps this little glimpse it worthwhile for those who are a bit earlier into their own journey of eating healthier! 

So, what's in my pantry?

Bottom shelf-- Non-refrigerated produce, dry beans, oil.

• Bag of organic potatoes, bag of yellow onions (sometimes organic, sometimes not), bag of sweet potatoes (in the winter I would have squash, too)
• 3 L tin of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Big bag of salted Kettle Chips (see how early the weaknesses come out?)
• Big bag of organic corn tortilla chips (we really enjoy Mexican food)
• Large bags and bins of dry beans: chickpeas, black beans, refried bean mix, red adzuki, red lentils, kidney, navy, pinto

Next shelf-- Grains/baking

• Large bin of brown rice
• Organic steel cut oats (2 lg. bags)
• Bit of org. oat flakes and spelt flakes, and a small bag of organic oat groats
• 1 gallon raw wildflower honey (which I use for all my baking)
• 1 bag unbleached, wheat flour (for the purpose of baking or making meals for others)
• Tub of bulk rice pasta (Tinkyada brand- our favorite!)
• Lg. bag of organic spelt berries for grinding into flour (this is my primary baking grain)
• Lg. bag of organic unhulled buckwheat (the dark kind- I bought this by accident), and one of hulled buckwheat (the light kind- this was on purpose- I mostly use it to sprout and make into granola, or to grind for baking)
• Large container of dried, shredded coconut
• Bag of organic quinoa
• And usually, I have millet, but I need to re-order some

Next shelf-- Cans/more pasta/random

• Box egg replacer (for me- I am trying to avoid eggs, as they seem to exacerbate my eczema- this is incredibly sad, as good quality eggs are such a powerhouse of nutrition!)
• Box of Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain spaghetti noodles, and a box of Tinkyada rice lasagna noodles
• Jars of raspberry preserves
• Large box of croutons, bought nearly a year ago for making lunch for those who helped us move into our house- think they're still good? Hmmm...
• Case of cans of tomato paste
• Bag of homemade sprouted, raw buckwheat granola
• Cans of wild pacific salmon (alaskan is better, but much pricier)
• Bottle of Knudsen prune juice (cause you just never know when someone will need it!
• Small jars containing: green lentils, lima beans, organic popping corn
• Bag of pot barley (for soups, stews, etc. though I prefer unhulled barley for baking and pancakes)
• Small bag of wild rice

Next shelf-- Dried fruit/more cans/random

• Large bag of dried dates (I use these in baking and smoothies, and my kids eat them like candy)
• Large box of organic raisins
• Seeds for sprouting: clover and broccoli
• Last can of a case of organic diced tomatoes
• Renegade bag (large one, too!) of semi-sweet chocolate chips- now what bad girl bought those and snuck them into my pantry? Or better question yet- who was it that ate a handful of them while making the list of all the healthy foods in her pantry??? Oh wait, that was me!

Top shelf-- Mostly extras

• Couple cans of club soda that don't fit in the fridge (one of my hubby's favorite drinks is concentrated apple juice mixed with club soda- a much healthier alternative to pop!)
• Extra bottles of Bragg's Liquid Aminos and organic apple cider vinegar
• Extra baking powder and raw carob powder
• Extra cod liver oil (mint flavored- yum!)
• Bag of white pasta for guests or to bring meals to others
• Bag of organic yellow corn meal (did you notice that all my corn products are organic? This is because corn is most often genetically modified these days, not to mention highly sprayed. Best to eat it organic, or not at all)
• White sugar (for making kombucha, and baking for others)

Upper cupboards-- spices, baking, oils, etc.

• Food coloring (only for playdoh, never for food! I use fruit/veggie juices to color instead), and birthday cake candles
• Baking powder (aluminum free)
• Blackstrap molasses
• Bag of Orgeon Spice Ranch Buttermllk Dressing powder (one of my few convenience foods- I love to use this to mix up a quick veggie dip with yogurt or sour cream)
• Remnants of a bottle of organic Sunflower Oil (used for making homemade mayo)
• Bag of Redmond's RealSalt (sea salt from Utah)
• Extra bottle of liquid Stevia, and a box of Stevia packets
• Raw carob powder (I use this in place of cocoa)
• Bag of kelp powder, and a container of nutritional yeast flakes (though I'd group together two of the weirdest items, just for fun- sounds strange, but we love the yeast flakes on popcorn!)
• Spices galore! Interesting whole foods cooking is best with lots of variation in spices!
• Organic virgin coconut oil (for frying and baking)

Was that detailed enough for you? Phew! Questions? Comments?

For those who feel that they have a lot to purge and a long ways to go towards having healthy foods stocked up in their kitchen, what are some of the first items that you think need to go or be added? What sounds most feasible to you? (And remember, my pantry is not the ideal- it is just an example. This will look a bit different for everyone!)

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

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