Whole Paycheck

Really, must I?

I've eaten fairly well for a long time. I've always worried about organic vs non organic products. Shopped at coops. Tried to buy locally produced small business items. And all of this is expensive. But, as I learn more about food and stop and think about everything I am putting in my body, I'm stepping up my game in more and more food groups and the expenses seem to mount. For example, the happy animals. Happy animals are much more expensive than unhappy animals. And then I start thinking, well, not only do I need free range, but organic too. And then I start looking at what the animal is actually eating. And every step I take, is another expense level.

Lately, I have been thinking about my accessory items - nuts and oils mostly. Fat items are where animals and plants store their toxins. So, it seems you need to be extra careful about the fats you eat. That means organic nuts and butter that's from the same happy free ranging organic cows that I would eat meat from. I made myself scrutinize the butter packages the other day, and ended up buying a half pound of butter that cost more than the pound I usually buy. (I have to say it's MIGHTY TASTY!) Oils too, should be organic. And then you have to worry about oil oxidation because that's BAD. So ideally you should buy smaller amounts because that stuff isn't supposed to sit around. When does it end?

And then, one can start to worry about the whole omega 3 vs omega 6 thing. It seems Americans get way way way too much omega 6 oils in their diets. And it's really important to get omega 3s. You can get omega 3 from things like happy cows. Eggs from chickens that have been running around eating happy food (yes, not only to the animals have to be happy, they have to eat happy food). Macadamia nuts, those are good sources of omega 3s, but have you ever checked out the prices on those puppies. Lord.

Anyhow, the more I learn, the more I seem to make myself spend. But, hopefully, it will make me a happy organic free range animal, even in the poor house!