Food

Making Healthy Eating Affordable

By George S. Howell

    Most people today understand the importance of eating healthy. Sure we all give in and treat ourselves to dessert every now and then, but when given the choice, many people refuse to pay a little more for an item that is grown or fed organically, perhaps tastes better because it was fully ripe when harvested instead of placed in a gas chamber to speed up the harvest time and survive a lengthy shipping process. When it comes to buying food, “out of sight, out of mind” certainly makes it easy for the majority of people to purchase cheap products from other countries that allow harmful pesticides and farming practices. Not only are these products shipped here, they are consumed by us and the long-term effects take place within our own bodies. Americans are also very “sight oriented” inside grocery stores. There are two main things that catch our sight – how the food looks and the price tag. After all, under a plastic wrap it would be hard to tell the difference between a steak that came from a healthy cow raised ethically on a field of grass free to graze and lie in the sun, and one from a cow raised on a crowded field of feces a foot deep, eating food it was not evolved to eat, pumped full of antibiotics so that it could fend off diseases just enough to stay alive until slaughter. Then again, most Americans only shop for food in grocery stores.

The truth is there are several ways to purchase products that are local, sustainable, healthier, and cheaper than your normal grocery store. Farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture, food co-ops, as well as community and personal gardens provide superior goods while making less environmental impact and often saving you money and time! The advantages of buying food through these local avenues are the reduction in transportation costs, knowledge of the foods’ history, and removal of large profit-hungry “middle men.” Even though some of these methods might have a small supplier that brings the food from the farm to the consumer, they are often the farmers themselves, or small businesses without  huge overhead that call for cheap and inferior products to make a buck.

If you have never been to a farmer’s market, you’re missing out! There are several in Lee and Collier counties, primarily between Wednesday and Sunday (check them out under our Farmers Market category by clicking on the words in green). They are a mix of local vendors selling everything from local produce, seafood, breads, pastries, honey, flowers, plants, and even music and crafts. Almost all of the vendors harvest, raise, or make the goods they are selling, so you can speak directly to the source if you have any questions about the products. One thing is for certain when you purchase from farmers’ markets: you are supporting local businesses, and the prices match or are much cheaper than grocery stores. Some items that are quite expensive such as bell peppers, will only cost 50 percent of the price you would normally pay. It is amazing what you can bring home from a farmers’ market for only $20!

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSAs, are another great way to get high quality produce directly from the grower at a super low price. A farm charges a low (usually yearly) fee and gives you a percentage of the harvests weekly. You will get a mix of produce that is harvested at the time, and during productive times your investment can be outstanding! By supporting CSAs you are totally removing the “middle man” from the equation and directly choosing the growers you want to produce your food. Local CSAs include Oakes Organic Farm, Lady Moon Farms, and Worden Farm. They often have several drop-off points throughout Southwest Florida, so convenience is not a problem.

Another alternative is food co-ops, which operate similarly to CSAs but buy the food directly from farms and suppliers for you and sometimes deliver right to your doorstep! Usually you sign up with the food co-op on a plan to spend a certain amount of money each week. Depending on the time of year and availability, you will receive weekly produce which will often be much cheaper than store-bought. Most food co-ops exclusively provide organic produce as well, saving you time searching through several stores that sell limited varieties of organically grown goods. Local food co-ops are Organics of Naples and Fresh Organics.

Perhaps the most rewarding means to obtain your own food is to grow or raise it yourself. Not only can you choose what to grow or raise, but you can determine what goes into the soil and the food you feed it. A current outcry from citizens in Lee County will hopefully overturn the ban on raising chickens, which is a great source of poultry and eggs. Gardens can be as large or small as you wish to make them, and for beginners there are professionals like The Unruly Gardener and Green Coaches (see their display ad for Hosting an Urban Garden Party by clicking on the words in green) that will help build your garden and teach you how to manage it. For those who don’t have space for a garden or want the convenience of having one already built, and possibly ongoing professional guidance, there are community gardens that rent raised garden beds for less than the cost of soil to fill it! Community gardens in our area are Garden at Eden Organic Farm in Naples (see listing under Organic Produce category by clicking on the words in green), Heartland Gardens in Fort Myers, and Lakes Park Community Garden in Fort Myers.

With the cost of food rising in general, many farmers and businesses are realizing there is a real need for affordable local, sustainable, and healthy food. There are several ways to find what you’re looking for if you can think “outside the box” of the local grocery store. Whether you want to browse what is available at the local farmers’ market, have someone shop organically for you, have it delivered to your front door, or grow and raise it yourself, healthy affordable food is produced right here in Southwest Florida and provided to you with minimal carbon footprint. Supporting local and sustainable businesses was the only way food was obtained before the industrial revolution, and it has never made more sense than right now. It is a win for the environment, the economy, your budget, and for your health!

Organic vs Non-Organic:  The Dirty Dozen (updated January 1, 2012)

The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that updates its "Dirty Dozen" food list each year for grocery shoppers.
The list, which is compiled based on evidence of the pesticide residues on veggies and fruits, has become a very helpful tool, especially since eating organic foods can be a bit costly.

Here are the 12 fruits and veggies everyone should be buying organic:

Dirty Dozen