Day 7 - New Flavahs! But at a Cost.

Last week, I didn't have time to really do some major grocery shopping in order to find what I would need for the week, so it hasn't been very diverse in flavors. Yes, I'm so in love with the flavors that I repeat them, but I'm looking forward to a new week with some new recipes. This week has been a real exploration in the initial "detox" from the normal things that go into my body: margarine (oils), fats, additives, preservatives, sodium, chemicals, all found in the normal things we eat. All "hidden" in things you wouldn't expect. (read a label... it'll burn you to see what's added!) Oh, but my beloved cereal is beyond suspect... even the "all natural, organic" has one or two ingredients that "help retain freshness".

I understand that additives & preservatives go into foods because they have to last from the processing plant to your supermarket. I get it, OK? Sadly, not only do we have to pay for the processing, but the shipping as well, and the packaging. And if it's name brand, we pay for the advertising. Once it's at the market, they have to have a mark-up in order to make a profit, keep their people working, pay for all their overhead, and stay in business.

That's a lot of cost above and beyond the food grower/producer. And every ingredient in that box of Shmokie-Jax is produced somewhere, then sold to the Shmokie-Jax maker, so there's MORE business that has to stay in business. Think about it!! Our reliance on processed foods is detrimental to the business and the profits.

I'm not on a soapbox. I'm not judging. I just am refusing, for the next 23 days, to fall for it anymore. (do you think anyone will lose their job because I'm not eating their product?)

Now, here's the kicker... Fresh, Organic, and non-processed foods are far more expensive in the supermarket. Why??? Seriously, why? Can someone teach me, because I DO want to learn. Why does it cost more to buy something that takes less to make? Why is a gallon of organic milk (free-roaming, humane treatment of cows, using no chemicals and no steroids to make them produce more) cost so much more? It's not like the stuff is FLYING off the shelves, and cows don't produce it quick enough. Why do we have to pay so much for items that have fewer ingredients, fewer processing steps, and practically no advertising????? Are the people that have organic chickens and happy cows and fresh, organic farming methods WAY richer than all the others? Because the money is going somewhere, but I'm not sure where...

This is why we are unhealthy. Because it's more acceptable to eat the junk than it is to try to eat the best. The junk is cheaper and easier to get. The good stuff is hard to find, and when you do, it costs so much more. I bought a gallon of organic milk, and it was nearly 2 bucks more than the other stuff.

And MY cow is smiling, because she is a happy cow.