Thoses reasons is why I will buy some organic but not others.  buying local seems to be the only way.  

 True confessions- things we like that are not organic/healthy- Kraft mac and cheese, breakfast cereal-all kinds, Drumstick ice cream cones, frozen pizza, white buns for Morningstar veggie dogs, vegetarian baked beans, ice tea drink mix, chocolate milk, candy, ice cream, condiments with suagar/salt/preservatives, fruit snacks for little kids, granola bars, Hellman's mayo for cheese and veggie sanwiches, that Matzo ball soup mix in a box, cake mixes for the kids to make, instant pudding, marshmellow fluff, cocoa mix, etc.

I used to eat more healthy and organic when it was just me, or me and oldest dd. Dh and 6 more kids have changed our diet! I don't anticipate some of these things as a permanent change, they are our current family menu items, for our family with various aged kids.  As they get older things will drop off, and we'll get a little healthier, I think.  

I try to buy locally as much as possible. Not only is it healthier because it didn't take days to ship to my location, plus it didn't use tons of fossil fuels in shipping. If we all ate locally and in season we could save so much gas!! Plus the prices would come down because there would be no shipping costs.

 I read a book called, "Animal, Vegetable,Miracle" By Barbara Kingsolver. It was an eye opener in some areas. It is about a family trying to live off their land for 12 months, or if they buy things it has to be locally. Fun, read, plus some great info. I encourage you to read it. I got it from the library and have read it twice!!

Julie

lol tracy lots of that stuff is on our list too! drumsticks with caramel inside don't last, I eat the whole box pretty fast!

Have you had the mint drumsticks with extra thick chocolate coating? 

Also there is nothing better on a cold January night in MN than a big cup of Swiss Miss cocoa with a giant dollop of marshmellow fluff, after skiing or shoveling, or just a commute in the ice and dark.  Good post basketball treat for tired kids. 

How about microwave popcorn?  It's not healthy, but frugal on sale, and not so bad for you.  Is that an okay snack, Falcon?  I know it has way too many ingredients, but, like the rest of my list, tastes mighty fine to us, and doesn't seem too bad, is it?  

"It's not healthy, but frugal on sale, and not so bad for you.  Is that an okay snack, Falcon? "

It's not for me to say okay or not okay to other folk's food choices. Everyone eats different things for different reasons, and while eating locally and sustainably has ecological, economical, and nutritional impacts, it's not always possible. The truth is, we can't support the populations of our larger cities, for example, on the 100-mile diet. Our population is simply too large, which is a fact that a lot of eco-groups seem to forget to take into account.

As I said in my last post, food is a personal decision. DH and I happen to really enjoy most foods that are whole, local, and organic; but, that doesn't mean everyone has to feel that way. I do have the unfortunate biology of becoming sugar-addicted quickly, so I have to watch that pretty carefully, and we don't keep many types of snacks in the house for that reason as much as anything else. Also, just because a food is organic and local does not automatically mean it's healthy or good for you. I can make all organic, mostly local no-bake peanut butter and chocolate cookies--they are decidedly NOT good for me. I will also eat the *entire* batch if I make them, because I simply can't stop, and I'll be sick for days. So, I don't make them. In my case, I find that I can more effectiverly satisfy my sugar cravings by eating some blueberries, which I have far more control over, actually like more, and don't feel like poo after eating. For me, this works, as it does for my DH (there are many reasons we're together, but our common beliefs and appetites regarding food is definitely in the top 10). It may not for some people, or they simply may make different choices.

Regarding microwave popcorn specifically: we don't eat popcorn at all, but it's because neither of us like it (it's like coffee for some folks, I love the smell, but hate the taste no matter if it's organic and local or not). I never liked it as a kid, either, though I am not sure if DH'd distaste for it reaches back quite that far. Generally, from a strictly nutritional standpoint, most microwave popcorn (as opposed to pan or air popped) isn't great. The HFCS most contain, and the chemicals, are not what most nutritionists would put at the top of an ideal snack list; however, it's also not at the bottom, and some brands are better or worse than others, which is true of almost all foods. However, again, there are many facets to this. If a person is trying to lose significant weight and eats the appropriate type of microwave popcorn, the benefits gained by lowering their overall calories might outweight the "negative" nutritional issues by a good margin (I am not going to argue ecology, as everyone has their own ideas on what benefits justify what price and this is not the forum for it). If a person has aggressive cancer, the balance may very well tip the other direction. And there's a huge area in between. Each individual has to weigh their own situation's positives and negatives. Mostly, I am just an outspoken advocate that they have the information to do so.

Julie T:

"Animal, Vegetable,Miracle" By Barbara Kingsolver

Funny, the library just emailed me this morning that this is on hold for me. Finally, I should say! I started out 6th in the queue to get it lol

I'm reading "In Defense of Food; An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan at the moment.  I recommend it highly, its really changing my perspective on what really is healthy eating. Not what the government and nutritionists say is healthy eating. The effects of industralized farming and food production on our bodies and culture is amazing in a not-so-good way.

 Falcon, thanks for info- also very interesting the 100 mile and urban area concept.  I think what you say about the balance of food choices is also very true for the origin of food.  for example, for us, it makes sense to go to a grocery store, and not drive tons of miles to get some items locally.  It also doesn't make sense for us economically to say all organic, or all local.  The cost of milk alone, if we bought organic, would be most of the food budget.  There are resources and organic stores that are cost prohibitive.  

How is your no sugar or almost no sugar diet going?

Glad to hear people are reading interesting books on nutrition.  Sadly, read a book or two , and you probably know more about nutrition than your doctor!   Hopefully some decade we get into more preventative care, but that is a whole 'nother topic, although related.

No tracy haven't tried those don't think they are up here.  not big on mint chocolate, dh is.    safeway has a sale on their ice cream this week. prefer theirs over other brands. so got myself heavenly hash and tin lizzy cheesecake .mmm..  ice cream sandwiches, revels etc just don't last with me. eat them too fast!!

love marshmallow creme too. mmm  dairy queen used to have marshmellow cream sundaes.

latenightleader:

Glad to hear people are reading interesting books on nutrition.  Sadly, read a book or two , and you probably know more about nutrition than your doctor!

And more than nutritionists too, apparently. I'll post a review once I'm finished, it should be today. Its a shorter read, and I'll pass it along to DB to read before it goes back to the library.  Eating local from non-hybrid & non-GMO strains give you the most nutrients, as the push for plant yield over quality has really done a number on the nutritional value of even "fresh" produce in the stores.  I want to research it a bit more, and the book gives a lot of references from other books and medical studies that I'll probably read also.