Food !!

When I was a little kid, I was a very picky eater. My mom had to take me to my pediatrician because I basically refused to eat anything except for crackers and cheese. Over the years I slowly began to open up to a whole new world of food and today can say that I would try just about anything... I LOVE FOOD! I enjoy eating but what I mostly love is how food brings people together. If you know anything about Puerto Rican culture, know this -- we cook and we eat! The two are very important which is why I started learning to cook at a very early age. I still enjoy trying out new recipes and cooking for my family... there is just a pride in this that I feel and can't quite describe. I love food!

About two years ago though, I saw the movie "Food Inc." and my relationship with food has changed. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Anyway, I learned how our food gets from the farm / manufacturer to our supermarkets and I was incredibly shocked! The "choices" that I thought I had when going to the supermarket are not really choices at all - just the same thing labeled differently. I saw how animals are treated and though I am not a vegetarian nor do I ever see myself becoming one, it still made me sad. There are studies that prove that the quality of life of an animal affects it's nutritional value for us once it is killed. To see the way chickens are raised in filthy conditions and injected with all kinds of hormones, steroids, etc. was very difficult... and I can't describe the feeling any better than simply saying -- I lost my appetite!

Since then, I have made small steps to eat better and support farmers who are still doing things the natural way. One really great thing I have discovered are FARMER'S MARKETS! I live in the Bronx and though most of the markets I go to are in Westchester, the city has some incredible farmer's markets too. Hunts Point Market right in the heart of the Bronx is great! There is also a pretty famous one in Manhattan (Union Square) and I recently was walking down Madison Ave. near 38th street and found a Farmer's Market Truck!! It's just like an ice-cream truck except with vegetables, pure maple syrup, and all kinds of goodies. It doesn't get much better than that!! By supporting Farmer's we can stand up to the big manufacturers and "food producers" ... we can hopefully over time show them that there has to be a change.

I try to buy all organic animal products although this can get pretty expensive. I'd love to go full on organic but our budget simply won't allow it. Even if a product is not organic, my rule of thumb is basically to go with the most pure, simple ingredients I can. Which means no more shopping based on price or what is on sale! I spend time in the supermarket reading the labels and deciding what I can live with and what is not going to be negotiable for me.

Here are a few things that are non negotiable:

BUTTER - I need the stuff that just says "Sweet Cream and Salt" nothing more! Parkay margarine for example contains things like partially hydrogenated soybean oil and sodium benzoate to preserve freshness. NO thank you!! If I wanted to spread that crap on my bread I would melt a Tupperware container. Only real butter for this lady please! And yes, it is high in saturated fat so it should be consumed in moderation.

SUGAR - I'm sorry I just can't jump on the Splenda/Equal/Sweet and Low bandwagon! Sugar substitutes contain a fun ingredient called Aspartame that has already been linked to several types of cancer. After learning that, the "no calories" just doesn't seem worth it to me. Again, it just needs to be consumed in moderation. I also love the RAW sugar... it's sort of a light brown color because it is unrefined and contains minerals that are usually stripped from regular refined white sugar.






MILK - As a milk lover, I have to say that organic milk is the best thing to have happened to me! It tastes soooo much better and I always look for the ones that are certified organic from free-range cows. I think a happier cow, makes better milk. Stop and Shop has a great brand called "Nature's Promise" that I love.







MEAT - this is where things can get expensive! When my budget allows, I must buy free-range, no hormones, no steroids added chicken. Out of all the types of meat, that is the one that affected me the most when watching Food Inc. Then, it's cow. BJ's has some really great deals on organic meat and it's always a great idea to buy in bulk. Then I simply separate everything into Ziploc freezer bags and freeze!




EGGS- Same concept because of the chickens =) And I just feel like they are yummier.



BEVERAGES - I will be the first to tell you that I don't enjoy drinking water. I need some flavor in my beverage! But please believe me when I say this -- Soda is the devil!! LOL.. I love the taste of Pepsi but refuse to put the stuff in me. It contains my biggest enemy - High Fructose Corn Syrup! So do most juices.. This is probably the place where I read labels the most. I try to go for all natural, 100% juice and the simplest ingredients possible. Apple & Eve has some great juice and when you mix juice with sparkling water it is just as good!

SYRUP - I hate the high fructose stuff with maple flavors (aka Aunt Jemima) so I really try to go for plain old, pure maple syrup. It tastes so much better on your pancakes or french toast! It's just really expensive for some reason. I buy it when I can.







If you haven't seen it yet - go out and rent "Food Inc." and then I'd love to hear what your non-negotiable food list is.

Now, I'm hungry! Off to make some yummy french toast for myself and Baby Picon :)