Grocery Economics 101

Grocery economics are quirky: the more industrialized the product is (i.e., enriched, refined, processed), the cheaper it is. The more untouched the product is (whole, unadulterated, organic), the more expensive it is. In any other industry, the equation would be flipped; when it comes to food, however, less does cost more.

Most of us (including me!) can’t afford to go 100% organic. So what’s worth the extra buck?

Dairy products. Bear in mind that the higher up on the food chain the animal is, the more toxins it has eaten. This means that the pesticide-sprayed corn has had a chance to linger for a while in the industrial dairy cow’s body. Her milk will be affected by her diet. Since whole milk contains more fat (i.e., cream) than skim does, there will be a greater level of residual by-product in the whole milk than in the skim. Whipping cream will have higher levels than whole milk. Butter–which is pure cream–has even more. Most industrial dairy cows are also treated with a hormone to increase milk production. The FDA says that this practice does not affect humans who drink the milk, but I would rather skip the possible chemical side dish. With all this in mind, I choose organic milk, goat milk, or a non-dairy milk made of rice, nut, or grain. I’m also willing to shell out more change for organic butter.

Beef. Cattle are supposed to eat grass, not corn. Feeding them corn, however, fattens them up more quickly. It also causes them to have stomach ulcers and other sicknesses that stem from eating a food they’re not biologically equipped to eat. To keep them sufficiently healthy for the day when they become T-bones and porterhouses, they’re treated with heavy doses of antibiotics. The nutritional content of their meat is also affected–rather than containing high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (which they would have if they were eating grass), they contain omega-6s. Current medical studies show that humans need to have a balance of omega 3 and omega 6 to maintain optimal health. (These acids are called “essential” fatty acids because our bodies cannot manufacture them; we need to consume them.) With the current glut of omega-6-heavy industrialized corn-fed beef and the high omega-6 content of modern oils such as soybean and corn, most people consume far too much omega 6s. This can lead to a host of health issues, from obesity to high cholesterol. Due to the current deplorable state of industrial cattle feedlots (I wouldn’t call them “farms”), I avoid cheap beef and choose lamb instead, which is not only generally pastured (grass-fed) but also has higher levels of omega 3s. I’m more than willing to splurge and buy the occasional (read: expensive) cut of grass-fed beef. Even grass-finished beef is worth the extra money–studies have shown that allowing cattle to graze for the last three months of their lives makes a tremendous improvement in the quality of their meat.

Eggs. Modern hen-houses are a sad state of affairs. Rather than pecking at insects (i.e., protein) outside in the dirt, hens are cooped up and are only allowed to eat, poop, and lay eggs. These eggs are not nearly as nutritious as the eggs from free-range hens with protein-rich diets and clean living conditions. (Again, the free-range eggs contain much higher levels of omega 3s.) The free-range organic eggs, however, are much more expensive. Which eggs I choose depends on what I want to do with them–if I want to use them raw (in Caesar salad dressing or chocolate mousse) or if I want to make a dish prominently featuring eggs (such as a frittata or omelette), I opt for the tastier and healthier free-range organic eggs. If they’re playing second fiddle as part of a muffin or cake, I go for the cage-free variety, which are a step up from the industrial hen-house eggs.

Fish. The same higher-up-more-toxins rule applies to fish: the flesh of the predator fish contains more mercury than their lower-level counterparts. Because of this, organizations like seafoodwatch.org advise avoiding predator species such as king mackerel, swordfish, and shark. Their website lists which fish to avoid based on toxins and on sustainable farming/wild-fishing techniques (or lack thereof).

Produce. The basic rule of thumb here is that you’re better off buying organic fruits and vegetables whose skin you consume rather than the ones that you don’t. So buy standard bananas, mangoes, and oranges in favor of spending the extra change on peaches, strawberries, and apples.

Oils. As with everything else, the less processing, the better. Refined oils have been heated to strip them of much of their flavor (consumers generally prefer bland oils rather than ones whose taste will affect the final dish) and to standardize the resulting appearance and texture. Unfortunately, the heating process oxidizes some of the nutrients present in the oils and makes the fats (poly- and monounsaturated in particular) go from being beneficial to being harmful. (For a really thorough breakdown of this subject, read Nina Planck’s Real Food: What to Eat and Why.) Unrefined oils are therefore preferable to refined ones. A few words of warning, though: unrefined oils are difficult to find…and they do have a much stronger scent and flavor than refined ones. They can also be much more expensive. The good news is that cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil is good for you and not too pricey. (“Pressed” means that the oil has been extracted by pressing the nut/seed/fruit/vegetable rather than extracting it with the use of chemical solvents.)

I hope you’ll feel a little bit less lost in the grocery store after reading this. No matter what you choose, the important thing is to know what you’re choosing.

Happy exploring!

Tags: dairy, eggs, fish, grocery shopping, meat, oils, organics, produce