Should You Be Prioritising 'Quality' Foods?

Should you be buying organic/grass fed/wild caught/quality foods? As with most decisions, it depends.

In my opinion, the benefits far outweigh the negatives, however, there are certainly plenty of considerations to take into account and the best way to start is to get educated and be a ’smart consumer’ so you don’t get sucked into spending your hard earned $$$ on poor quality products with attractive marketing.

Below are some potential benefits and downsides to consider before/whilst prioritising quality foods;

Benefits to prioritising quality-

  • Potentially better nutrient profiles and/or more nutrient dense.

  • This is the big one- Less/no pesticides, toxins, genetic mods, antibiotics, growth hormones, grains. All of which are likely to have a negative affect on your health, especially over years of consumption. “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, EATS”

  • Sustainability and caring for ‘ the Earth’

  • Overall taste and enjoyment.

  • The mental aspect of knowing you’re taking care of your body.

  • More humane conditions for the animals. Not only can you take a little more comfort in knowing that animal cruelty is reduced, but the animals being brought up in a lower stress environment may lead to better quality meats/produce, again, potentially improving your overall health and well being.

Potential Downsides:

  • More expensive

  • Shopping for seasonal produce makes some foods harder to get.

  • Harder to source and acquire quality foods. i.e. less ‘convenient’

  • Some foods spoil faster

  • More time prepping and cooking foods. i.e. minimal pre packaged ‘ready to eat’ foods.

  • You may not get what you paid for. Unfortunately, big companies have big budgets and may market sub par foods/produce as ‘organic’ or ‘healthy’ when they are in fact, RUBBISH.

  • There are organic pop-tarts. Organic doesn’t equal healthy.

My suggestion would be to eat the best quality that your budget allows. Trying to prioritise quality meat products. i.e. Grass fed, Wild caught, organic, free range.

In terms of fruit and veg, if more budget conscious, check out the ‘Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen’ list

(www.ewg.org/foodnews/)

Condiser prioritising quality on the ‘Dirty Dozen’ foods. As a general rule of thumb, if the food has a thick skin (bananas, avocado) then you should be fairly safe.

Dont stress too much though if budget is tight!! Sticking to whole, unprocessed, single ingredient, nutritious foods is the key. Even frozen packaged veggies are better than no veggies!

Below are a few tips that will hopefully help you navigate your next shop and hopefully make some sustainable, beneficial habit changes that will improve your lifestyle, health and well being, over time.

Buying tips:

  • Stick to whole, unprocessed, single ingredient foods, wherever possible. Consider prioritising quality meats, dairy and produce

Pass on the ‘organic muesli bars’.

  • As above, check out the “organic dirty dozen” for a list of produce you should consider buying organic.

  • Get educated. Learn to understand labels and be a smart consumer.

Big companies (think our big supermarket chains) have budgets large enough to create their own ‘ certifications’ unfortunately, its not governed closely enough and ‘certified organic’ can not mean a whole lot except for a big price tag. Do your homework. Learn about a brand’s farming practices and learn about label regulations.

  • Consider shipping at your local farmers markets. Ask educated questions and learn how the animals are fed, treated etc. Same for your fresh produce, how is it grown, is it stored, is it sprayed? As above, Do your homework.

  • Buy local and in season. Small, local farms may or may not be organic (as it costs a lot to be ‘certified’), however, many are or are less likely to treat their animals and crops poorly and are passionate about growing and supplying quality, amazing food.

  • Buy in season for lower cost as well as ensuring the food hasn’t been stored and preserved; sacrificing quality, nutrients and potentially sprayed with harmful chemicals to prolong shelf life.

Consider getting educated and consuming quality food as a long term investment into your health and longevity. “You wouldn’t put cheap fuel in your Ferrari”.

Mitch Davis