Pastured Chicken and Grass-fed Beef

When one discusses the topic of meats, I would always recommend getting pastured chicken and grass-fed beef from your local farmer.  Think about it like this, you are what you eat and what it ate.   And if any of you have seen "Food, Inc.", you know the conditions many of the chickens and cows are forced to endure, let alone the food they are given to eat.  I believe it was said in that documentary that you could reduce the chances of E. Coli poisoning by 85% if you fed a cow grass for one day instead of corn.  The chicken and cows/beef that are sold in stores today were not fed a good nutrient dense diet. We eat this food and wonder why we are undernourished.  So, how do we expect to get the proper nutrition we need when we are not giving the animals we are eating the proper nutrition they need to to be nutrient dense and good for our bodies?

If you can afford it and are living in the Chicago area then I would recommend my farmers.  They are called Meadow Heaven Farms and you can view their site at www.meadowhavenfarm.com.  They have delivery sites in the city and in the suburbs. Their whole chickens will run you about $26, but they are good.  And their beef is super tasty and pretty comparable to Whole foods in price.  The price is even better than Whole Foods if you buy part of a cow. 

So, what do you do when you can't afford it?  We'll I have a solution for you.......

Whole Foods sells chicken at the number 2 level.   What does this mean? It means that the chicken is antibiotic free, all vegetable fed, and cage free.  The majority of these chickens are grown by local Amish farmers.  It is not as good as the chicken you will find at your local farm, but it is way better than what you will find at your local grocer.  At Whole Foods, this chicken will run you between $1.99 to $2.49 a pound.

But HERE IS THE BEST PART: Whole Foods is not the only store who sells this brand. The name of the brand is Miller Amish Country Poultry and it is sold all over the city for way cheaper than Whole Foods charges for it.  Tony's on Cicero and Belmont sells this chicken for $1.79  a pound and this week it is on sale for $1.69 a pound.

Miller Amish Country Poultry is based out of Indiana, so my guess is that you could find their products in grocery stores in the surrounding states.  To see if their chicken is sold in a store by you, you can go their website at http://www.millerpoultry.com/

When it comes to beef, your farmer is really the best.  But if that is not an option, Whole Foods sells the next best thing. It is expensive, but if you watch your local Whole Foods web page they sometimes post 1-day sales on their meats.  They will not advertise these sales anywhere else, but on their home page and at the store....so you will need to be vigilant.

To be Organic or Not to be organic....that is the question.

Making the choice to go organic can be a very expensive choice.  As many of you know in today's day and age we have to pay more to get things healthy.  And if you can afford it, it is definitely worth it.  Food that is free of pesticides and contains all intended nutrients is often the best way to go.  But what do you do if organic is simply not in your budget.  I know for my family...as much as I would love to provide solely organic vegetables/fruits for my family...a diet that is completely organic is not feasible at the moment.  So what does one do?...well I have spent alot of time on this and have learned from my research that some vegetables and fruits absorb more pesticides than others.  Thus, I buy traditional grown vegetables/fruits that do not absorb as many pesticides and those that do absorb a lot of pesticides, I buy organic.  This way I am maximizing my budget and cutting down on the amount I spend.  Below is a list of the top 14 vegetables and fruits that absorb the highest amount of pesticides and should be bought organically; and the top 15 vegetables and fruits that absorb the least amount of pesticides.  (Over time, I lost the sites in which I received this information from.  Just know that I did not come up with the information myself.)

The Top 14 vegetables and fruits that absorb the highest amount of pesticides:
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes
11. Carrots
12. Pears
13. Blueberries
14. Spinach

The Top 15 vegetable and fruits that absorb the lowest amount of pesticides:
1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

If I had to be honest, there are time that we are not the best at following this list.  There have been times when we simply could just not afford to buy organic.  It happens to us all. So, understand that if you cannot always buy organic it is okay.  Non organic/traditionally grown vegetables are still better than processed foods and needless sugars.