Have you decided to make the switch to better groceries – whether you're looking for organic, non-GMO, pastured, more nutrient dense, or anything else? Having made that decision, are you now struggling with where to find them?
There are many reasons you may face a shortage of quality groceries. For me, I've always lived in a more rural and agricultural area. Most of my life, I was in a town of 1800 people with a single grocery store, and even now that I have two large grocery stores and a smaller, more natural-minded one to choose from, I still struggle to find the quality of food I want.
Furthermore, in agricultural-focused areas, few people seem to think twice about spraying Roundup and other poisons around their gardens or feeding antibiotic-laced feed to their healthy animals, so sometimes, even products from the farmers markets or local gardeners might be a compromise.
If you're feeling my pain, don't worry – I'm going to lay out exactly what I do to find the quality groceries I want, starting with the best option and working my way down.
Grow Your Own Food
Truly, the best way to guarantee the highest quality food is to produce it yourself to your standards.
I fully realize this isn't possible for everyone, and even those who produce some of their food likely can't produce everything they need. However, the more you can grow or raise, the less you have to worry about sourcing elsewhere.
Get creative! Some people live in apartments and grow vegetables in containers on their balconies. There are also indoor systems that could allow you to grow food in your basement. Look into community garden plots. Many cities allow backyard hens. Find a nearby farmer who will let you buy a share of a hog or steer or some eggs or milk each week.
If you live outside of town, decide what to prioritize with the space and time you have – vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, meat? Each has different requirements, so decide what works for you and expand as you're able.
Source Food from Responsible Local Producers
Farmers markets can be a great place to find healthy groceries. My local one goes beyond just vegetables and includes locally grown meats, eggs, and more.
You do need to be careful and ask the producers some questions. For instance, I can't get grass-fed meats at my farmers market, and I don't know of any local producers who raise pastured meat. I will buy from the local producers now and then, but I don't buy the bulk of my meat there.
For vegetables, ask how they grow them — if they use any chemicals, how they control bugs and weeds, etc.
You should be able to find a local gardener who matches your views, but if you can't, buying local is still better than buying at the store. Fresh produce is full of enzymes that help your digestion. Those enzymes begin to die as soon as the produce is picked. Grocery store produce that has traveled across the country and sat in the grocery store likely has no enzymes left.
Grocery Delivery Services
I get most of my healthy groceries delivered. This includes pastured meats, organic produce (during the off garden/farmers market season), and all my staples.
At first, I was leery of having groceries delivered. I wasn't sure what kind of condition they would arrive in – especially produce. However, I have been very pleasantly surprised. Sure, there have been a few failures – I discovered my produce subscription service because some produce couldn't stand up to the shipping methods of the bulk grocery company I use. But overall, it has been a great experience and has allowed me to get so many good-quality groceries I wouldn't otherwise be able to find.
Local Grocery Store
Don't get me wrong – I LOVE shopping and supporting local businesses. However, when they don't offer what I am looking for, I don't feel obligated.
Despite getting the bulk of my groceries from other sources, going to the grocery store is still a regular occurrence. There are times when I run out of an ingredient and need it right away – which is the biggest downfall of my other shopping methods. There are also items that I only buy at local stores – such as my dog's food, toilet paper, and Bubbl'r.
But if all goes well with my grocery planning, I can usually go a good couple of weeks between trips – which is about how often I have to buy my dog's refrigerated food.
You must be careful with shopping in the store, though. Even the "natural" grocery store in my town carries a lot of products that aren't at all natural – things with food dyes and seed oils, "cleanwashed" brands like Seventh Generation, and cheap (fake) essential oils.
If your local stores have more quality options, by all means, support them! But for me, they're my last stop.
Figuring Out Your System
That might seem like a lot to digest, but in reality, it's pretty simple.
Grow what you can. Learn to make foods from scratch – sourcing good-quality flour is easier than sourcing good-quality bread in my experience, and it gives you complete ingredient control.
Form relationships with local producers who share your values – check out your farmers markets for produce, buy a share of a meat animal, find someone local who sells their extra eggs or milk.
Once you have those systems in place, start replacing what you don't like at the grocery store with delivered options. It's okay to start small. My first bulk grocery deliveries were only the minimum $50, but now, they're more than half my grocery budget.
Remember, every step you take, no matter how small, is one step further on your journey. If you only ever buy eggs from a local producer and get everything else from the store, you're still better off than if you hadn't taken that step. However, I hope that one step will inspire you to take more!
Need some help or advice? I'm here to help! My contact info is at the bottom of the page – feel free to reach out!
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