I love thrift store shopping.

And not just to save money.

In addition to being pretty frugal on certain things, I enjoy shopping at thrift stores for more than just the savings. Don’t get me wrong – I love finding that amazing deal, but that’s not quite enough to keep me coming back to the mysterious color-coded tagging systems, “vintage” kitchy glassware, and dusty late ’80s electronics bins. And although you might question how this is connected to improving my health, I assure you there are logical reasons.

There are also a few gigantic, impossible, James-Cameron-like stretches of reason – but hear me out.

Before I get into that, let me be clear that there are a few things I don’t buy ever at thrift stores. Old non-stick cookware is out. Old electronics? Very rarely, if ever. Underwear? No way ever ever ever. And the king of things to never buy? Intimate items for your significant other, which amazingly they do sell (never never ever, gentlemen).

Reasons I love shopping at thrift stores – oh yeah and that health tie-in thing

Here’s a list of some of the reasons why I love shopping at thrift stores when you’re trying to lose weight.

- Rewarding yourself with clothes that fit – on a budget. One of many great tips I come across repeatedly (and use to my advantage) is to “reward” yourself with clothes that fit as you get in better shape. Similarly, you can set up a goal by buying something that you love but that is a little too small – Its a great motivator for me.

However, clearly this could get expensive if you’ve got a lot of weight to lose, and especially if you’re eating higher quality food that may force you to rethink your budget priorities a little. And that’s where thrift stores come in.

Case in point: The pants in the picture.

I bought these pants today knowing full well that they do not fit – YET. They are about a size too small in the waist, but the quality was too good to pass up. So, these pants become a great weight loss tool: they are an affordable source of motivation to get down another pants size.

And these pants are luscious. Yeah, I just said “luscious”.

They are pants that normally retail for easily more than I’d spend on 3 pairs of pants, but being a find at the thrift store means they’re within my inner cheapskate’s boundaries. And the best part? Today was blue tag day at the thrift store, so they were marked down by an additional 50% to $7.47 – an almost 95% discount off of retail, and never worn as far as I can tell. But they will be soon, proudly.

- It’s a hunter gatherer thing: I love the thrill of the style hunt – even for styles meant for thinner folk. My wife and I both love to find and share things that are visually interesting or unusual, from innovative ads to well-designed kitchenware. Fashion is no exception. It’s not uncommon for me to rush from one side of a large store to the other only to extoll the virtues of the triple stitching in a jacket, or the rare-but-highly-sought-after hand-stitching of vintage Italian leather shoes.

Personally, I think it’s good for our marriage. Unfortunately, most of these great finds are for people of, well, slimmer physiques. But turning that into motivation works for me, even if I don’t buy it (I will never be a size 28 waist. No way.). It doesn’t help me with fine leather shoes much, but pants, shirts, and jackets? Definitely.

- Exercise equipment graveyards – Or, “things at which you should not throw your money”. Thrift stores almost always have piles of grungy, junky fad-driven exercise machines. The piles of junk are good reminders not to waste your money in the first place. There are better ways to exercise than overpriced, poorly made fly-by-night contraptions that wither and die in the closet or under the deck.

- On the other hand, exercise equipment graveyards are good places to find new things to try – on the cheap. Occasionally buried in those piles of ab floggers and thigh blasters you can find high quality items that are made to last and might give your exercise routine a change – at a fraction of the original price. Good examples of quality items I’ve found are cast iron dumbells, kids’ sports gear, and sometimes bicycles (if you know what you’re looking for).

Today was a great example: Thanks to some personal knowledge of bike gear and my iPhone I was able to check the original price as well as the reviews for a bicycle that had just been put out, and it was a good deal: It retailed for over $400 dollars several years ago, not including the improved seat and rims that it came with. My price? $19.95. Sold.

- Haunting thrift stores is a good way to stay grounded. This might sound terrible to some, but it’s honest: If you visit thrift stores often you will quickly encounter a huge cross-section of people ranging from those who are pretty “together” just looking for a bargain, to those who…well let’s just say that in the Texas Hold ‘Em game of life, so far they either a) haven’t been dealt much by way of face cards, or b) wasted more than a few good hands by indulging in some of the more destructive vices of life – for much too long.

I point this out because there are a few immediate internal results each time I leave a thrift store. First, with regard to patrons clearly down on their luck, it’s a good reminder that hard times can befall anybody no matter what station you think you’ve reached in life, or what good fortune you’ve had so far. It reminds me to be thankful for what I have in health, in my family, and in my work. It also reminds me that we’re all just people, and it takes all kinds.

But it also reminds me that my life choices matter. If you continue down a path of self-destructive behavior (i.e. smoking, eating junk, drinking excessively), in all likelihood it’s going to catch up with you sooner or later both in form and function. And some of the rougher folks at thrift stores, sadly in my opinion, are living proof.

In my case, that means being as healthy and “put together” as I can be. Seeing someone at the opposite extreme is frankly a good reminder that I’m in control of my own fate, regardless of the circumstances or in some cases, the choices, of others. Does this make me better than them? No. It means every day I make a good choice, I took responsibility for my life in that moment, and I was really fortunate to have that option.

- Buying quality products is synonymous with buying quality food. While I don’t recommend ever, ever buying a snack at a thrift store (yikes), being surrounded by piles of plastic disposable junk reminds me that we are bombarded with the “more, and cheaper, is better” philosophy in everything, and we as a culture continue to buy it over and over again.

But we don’t have to. You can buy quality things that last, even on a budget. Finding good quality items in a thrift store requires time, including both the search and the research beforehand. But the investment of time pays off in big ways, and affords me the “luxury” of putting my money into better choices in other categories, like food.Thrift stores have piles of cheaply made, worn out clothing. But occasionally you find something that you could never normally afford that has little if any wear (my wife once found a pair of women’s pants that were from an exclusive designer – they were $400 dollars originally!) But knowing what you’re looking at of course involves learning a bit more about what to look for in brands, in construction, and so forth. And that may not be your cup of tea.

For me, it has become a hobby of sorts that I enjoy. I love looking at sites like The Sartorialist for style ideas (though some are a bit too “out there” for me), as well as guidance in understanding why some clothes look better than others (where a jacket should fall on the shoulders, what a tailored shirt looks like vs. a cheaply made shirt, etc.). Again, it may be a little too “chi chi” for you, but there is nothing that says you have to follow what sites like these suggest; you can pick and choose some of the advice, or none at all.

The soapbox – You knew it was coming, right?

Believe it or not, I am increasingly of the belief that consumerism is one of the root societal causes of obesity – even beyond our food choices. Walk down the aisles of a thrift store and look at pile after pile of broken, branded, unnecessary junk, from giant candy-shaped plastic toys to junk food-themed cookie jars, and you will start to see how this mirrors what we are being continually told to put in our body from a food perspective.

And while I may be waxing philosophical a bit here, I think there is merit to the idea that we can easily look at our food like we look at a pile of cheap plastic goods. Buying cheaply solves an immediate problem/hunger, and on occasion is necessary – but more often than not a better choice can be made by reprioritizing where we put our dollars and planning ahead for what we need. And in the end, whether it’s plastic thrift store items or cheap industrial food, the junk adds up.

As I mentioned, thrift store shopping may not be of interest to you. But that’s OK. It just means more bargains for the rest of us.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it via Twitter, StumbleUpon, or Facebook. I do appreciate it.

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In part one of this series (“Want to save money and eat well? Join a CSA“), I introduced one of our primary methods of saving money and eating well: Participating in a CSA. This is part 2.

One of the biggest contentions with basing your eating habits on local, organic, minimally processed food is that it is just too expensive for most families. The truth be told, I don’t discount this opinion at all – in fact, for many of us, the cost difference in a grocery store is more than we can justify. Being frugal has not only become a pastime, in this economy it is increasingly a requirement.

In our case, frugality has its perks: We are actually saving money by eating better – thanks to our local CSA.

I Heart our CSA

We love our CSA for a variety of reasons. Here are just a few:

• First and foremost, the beauty of a CSA starts with the idea that we are eating as locally as possible, both supporting our community and building relationships with people who have similar values. We drive a small distance each week to get our CSA box, and it is well worth the drive.
• Second, the quality of produce is exceptional, and is harvested and cleaned with great care. All organic, no pesticides, and ready to eat straight out of the box. It is picked at the peak of ripeness – not weeks or months early and then left to ripen later with a heavy dose of chemicals.
• Third, having a weekly box of vegetables forces you to do something elementary: You have to eat your vegetables, otherwise they will go to waste.
• Fourth, it encourages you to find new recipes, try new things, and broaden your tastes for vegetable dishes that you may not have had growing up.
• And the fifth benefit has been huge for us: the money-saving value is outstanding. Even when gas prices where at their peak, it was still cost effective to drive out a ways to pick up our box of produce.

Think you can’t afford real food? Think again

Out of curiosity, I decided to inventory what we received in one-week’s worth of CSA produce over the summer, and then compare what we were getting to what we would pay at a retail grocery store. I was truly amazed at the value.

For our $20.00 per week, here’s what we got – and here’s what we would have paid based on our local grocery store’s prices:

All I can say is….WOW.

A couple of things about this chart:

1. The green rows indicate produce that was not available in organic form when I did the price comparison. So, I used the price of conventional for both just to try to be conservative on the cost savings. (Obviously if this was a comparison between conventional vs. organic, which it is not, that wouldn’t be a fair method.)

2. My first inclination is to quickly figure a months-worth comparison of organic vs. CSA (multiply the organic $74.79 times 4 weeks ($299.16!) and compare that to $20.00 times 4 weeks ($80.00!)) and say we just saved $219.16 a month. However, the reality is we wouldn’t have saved that much. Why?

Because frankly, we wouldn’t be eating as many vegetables because it would be more than we could afford.

So to me, the real value is much greater than the dollar-savings. Our CSA actually dramatically improves the quality of food we’re eating because it is reasonably priced and responsibly produced.

That is not the message you get from the food industry, who argues that you cannot have good food at a reasonable price – they posit that reasonable price equals cheaply made heavily produced food. If you want healthy food, you’re gonna’ pay dearly.

However in my experience, if you can find a local CSA and adapt your lifestyle a little to eating seasonally, this argument can be turned on it’s head. Our grandparents did it. People all over the world do it. I think we can bend a little too.

“But don’t you waste a lot of it?”

I know that some people have found that participating in a CSA doesn’t work for them for one reason: sometimes the produce goes to waste because there is just so much of it. For us, it hasn’t happened very often, but for others we know, that’s how it has gone.

Looking at the list I created, you might wonder if we eat all of it – or if much of it turns into so much compost.

The answer is for the most part, we actually do use it all. But we didn’t at first. We’ve adapted our diet according to what’s in season, and learned to cook, eat, and preserve seasonally. We’ve had the occasional tomato or pear go too soft, or the remains of a head of lettuce that didn’t survive after a week or so, but for the most part we use it up.

Granted, there are four of us including a toddler and a 4-year-old (who both ask for salad), so if you are single this might be a challenge. But really, if you start to look at this list in terms of using parts of it in potentially 21 meals over the span of a week, I think it’s clear that you could put this to very good use.

And we certainly did.

So how do you find a local CSA? Stay tuned for the next article.

Thanks for reading. If you found this article interesting, please consider sharing it via StumbleUpon. I do appreciate it.

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Find one if you can, and treat them with great respect.

In this series on CSAs on Almost Fit, I’ll describe our experience with our CSA, how it has benefited us from multiple perspectives, how to find a CSA near you, and some ideas on what to do with the produce you receive.

You may have noticed that the second half of that statement, “find one if you can, and treat them with great respect“ is kind of an odd thing to say. Beyond the obvious human decency aspect, there is a vital reason why I’ve brought it to the forefront. But you’ll have to wait to find out. 

But wait – I may be getting ahead of myself. Maybe this question should be answered first…

So uh, what is a CSA? A new college entrance exam? Some sort of all-season radial? 

For those not familiar with CSA, here is a description from LocalHarvest, a great real food resource in it’s own right:

“Many farms offer produce subscriptions, where buyers receive a weekly or monthly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, meats, or any sort of different farm products.

A CSA, (for Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become “members” (or “shareholders,” or “subscribers”) of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season.” – LocalHarvest.org

Unfortunately, most CSAs only run from late spring to early fall – and quite honestly I wasn’t sure what we were going to do when ours drew to a close – we’ve grown spoiled, and truly have adjusted our eating habits to work on a seasonal basis 90% of the time. However, fortunately for us, we received some good news: we are going to continue to receive a basket for as long as there are winter crops to harvest. We really do love our CSA.

Can’t afford organic produce? Think again

In the early days of Almost Fit, I relied heavily on our local grocery store for much of our produce. In fact, my recommendation at the time was to visit the grocery store more often if you could, while limiting your purchases to fresh produce on each visit. I still believe that this is a valid approach if the grocery store is your best source for fruits and vegetables; however, it takes discipline, because there are a lot of culinary temptations just waiting to jump off the shelf and into your cart with reckless abandon.

However, as many readers pointed out, the cost of buying organic produce in a grocery store is often prohibitive, particularly in the off-season. It goes without saying that we are all more budget conscious these days, so this problem hasn’t gotten any simpler in terms of affordable choices at a grocery store. If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if the availability of organic produce begins to diminish as people have less money for day-to-day living.

Unfortunately my suspicion is that cheaper, more “durable” produce (like mealy, gassed tomatoes) will likely sell better when cash is tight.

But there is hope.

From a real food perspective, the advantages of locally grown organic are obvious. But from a financial perspective, it’s also one to put in the “Win” column. We have saved a tremendous amount over the last few months, and broadened our culinary horizons in the process. 

So how much can you save? I’ll give you a detailed example in Part 2. Thanks for reading.

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Summer supper outside, Sunday evening

• Fusilli pasta with yellow squash, zucchini, and cipollini onions all from our CSA, swiss chard from our garden, and frozen shrimp, cooked in a good quality extra virgin olive oil (quality is key), 4-5 cloves of fresh garlic (CSA), half of a fresh-squeezed lemon, several tablespoons of homemade whole milk sour cream, tablespoon of locally made tomato and pepper chutney (farmer’s market), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
• Sauteed carrots (from our garden) in olive oil and butter, salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh organic avocado, salt and pepper to taste

Ed. note: April would like me to clarify that we would normally have accompanied this with a fresh salad from the garden, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be this evening. We eat salad. We promise.

Chutney makes it all better

Chutneys are not a particularly common element in American homes, but they are a standard accompaniment in many International cuisines. We are fortunate enough to have a local chef who sells her homemade chutneys, jams, and relishes at the Farmer’s Market. Diana Robson’s products are aptly named Diana’s Delights, which are made by hand by Diana herself. She has been mentioned several times in local media (that I’ve seen), including a recent mention in the Oregonian:

“[...]it was hard to resist the bewitching English accent of Diana Robson as she handed out samples of her exquisitely tart lemon curd, along with chutneys, jams and relishes. After shuttering her antiques store and returning to her culinary roots as a personal chef, she started Diana’s Delights using produce from her daughter’s farm.” -The Oregonian/OregonLive, Market Watch

At one point in her life, Diana owned a restaurant in the UK that was recognized by the Michelin Guide. Her lifelong passion for food is manifested these days in her wonderful creations, which are constants in our refrigerator or cupboard. If we’re going to purchase prepared food, Diana’s Delights are our first choice.

You might be wondering, “So what’s the big deal with the chutney?”

The reason I am focusing on it is it’s the secret to this simple dinner. The chutney added a sweet, peppery surprise that I think I tasted directly only once or twice; but it added a nuance to the savory dish that made all the difference.

One other tip which was garnered from Jamie Oliver (one of our favorites): cut the zucchini and yellow squash into pieces that are similar in size to the pasta you’re using. The bite sizes are perfect, and cook well.

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Summer supper outside, Friday evening

Photos of What We Eat #3

• Pizza number 1: Tomato, basil, and olive pizza: homemade olive oil bread dough, tomatoes from our CSA, basil from our kitchen garden, olives, and extra virgin olive oil
• Pizza number 2: Prosciutto, onions, and gruyere on a light béchamel sauce: Prosciutto with the fat trimmed, fresh lightly sauteed onions from our CSA, gruyere cheese, and a light béchamel sauce made from scratch. The one ingredient this is missing, believe it or not, is fresh pear. The light sweetness is a great balance to the saltiness of the prosciutto.

One sidenote: these pizzas look bigger in the photo than they actually are. Each was about 10-12 inches or so, which is about the size of a personal pizza at a lot of restaurants (not that I’ve actually eaten any of those. Heavens no.).

Friday night traditions

Friday night is generally my night to come up with something for dinner. April has had the kids and meals for most of the week, and it’s time for a well-deserved break. With Dad in charge, pizza is a common occurrence for us on Friday evenings.

Growing up, this was also somewhat of a family tradition, although our pizza was generally ordered and delivered in a vehicle with an illuminated pyramid strapped to the roof. Nowadays, I make our own for a variety of reasons:

• I am cheap. With two kids, cheaper is better. I can make either of these for about $3-4 dollars (or less) from ingredients we have at home.
• Convenience. Pizza on Friday nights can be pulled together quickly, particularly since I’m baking our own bread and always have dough in the refrigerator. And I’d rather not drive anywhere on Friday night if I don’t have to. The pizza takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and cooks in a blazing hot oven (or even on the grill, on a stone) in about 6-8 minutes.
• Health. Pizza, if you do it right, can be a healthy alternative. Although the gruyere and béchamel are somewhat of an indulgence, in moderation there is very little harm done. (As an aside, I weighed myself this morning, and lo’ and behold: hadn’t gained an ounce.)
• Popularity. I admit it: I like being popular in my own household. And everyone in our house loves my pizza. It’s a great ego boost.
• Indulgence. I love pizza, but eating pizza out can be dangerous for me. So, rather than just denying life’s pleasures as we have been trained to do, I plan on this indulgence. I know that Friday night will likely be something like homemade pizza, so I build my other meals around that knowledge. It’s essentially a mental dinner reservation.
• Value. When I’m eating at home, I am in charge of what I eat, and how much. When I go out for a meal, though I think that despite my best efforts otherwise, I still struggle internally with the “getting my money’s worth” concept from time to time. At home, it’s not an issue.
• Uses up leftover odds and ends. Pizza is a really good way to throw together all of those smaller bits of good things that are left in the refrigerator, destined for an otherwise untimely demise. Little bits of meat left over, or nubs of cheese, or that second half of the red bell pepper that didn’t get used. All would otherwise not be enough to make a whole meal, but are perfect on a pizza.
• Variety. This pizza is so easy to make, we often have several different kinds on pizza nights. It’s a much better alternative than the same old pizza each week.
• Seasonal. We typically top at least one of the pizzas with food straight from the garden, the CSA, or from the farmer’s market. There are a surprising number of vegetables that really work well on pizza.

And did I mention, it’s popular with my kids?

Question to you: Do you have a Friday night tradition?

What do you do at the end of the work week? What is your family’s tradition?

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Summer supper outside, Wednesday evening

• Grilled fresh local Oregon Albacore tuna
• Cucumber in a yogurt and dill sauce (the cucumber is from our garden, the dill from a local farmer (via our CSA), and the yogurt is Nancy’s – another Oregon local product)
• Roasted beets and Fingerling potatoes (both from our local CSA)
• Blueberry and blue cheese salad with a light vinaigrette (all local produce)

Introducing a New Series: Photos of What We Eat

I’ve had several inquiries from readers on what exactly we eat at home, so rather than launching into some long diatribe on the subject, I thought I’d just show you.

This is the first entry in this series on Almost Fit which is tentatively named, “Photos of What We Eat.” (The title’s a bit long, but it’s the best I have at the moment). Today’s photo is locally caught Oregon Albacore tuna, served with a variety of locally grown vegetables that came either from our garden or from this week’s CSA box. And while I am certain you are going to get tired of me saying this, it was truly delicious.

By way of disclosure, in this series I will say that not every meal is going to be perfect – I’m erring on the side of candor, even if it means the photo is little more than a fabulously lit box of macaroni. While we strive to eat seasonally and locally as much as we can, we do buy products that fall outside the bounds of those guidelines. We still buy things like coffee and balsamic vinegar, and if I want an orange in January, well, I buy that orange in January.

We make responsible choices, but we are also realistic: with two young children, sometimes convenience is the order of the day. It is increasingly rare, but on occasion we have been known to feed the kids a bowl of goldfish crackers and a “natural” fruit roll up.

Ah, to be well rounded.

Hope you enjoy the photos. Comments and questions are welcome.

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As I’ve made clear in the previous articles in this series, we have opted to seek out locally farmed, pasture-raised chicken. It means a little more trouble for us in terms of turning the chicken into a meal, but we’ve decided it’s worth the extra effort. But it raises the questions: Why buy pasture-raised chicken? Why go to the trouble?

It’s more than just nutrition

In our family, cost, health, and the social implications are all part of our buying decision. In particular, I think it’s important to consider into whose pockets we as a family are pouring our money. I would much rather benefit a local, sustainable farmer supporting a family and a sense of community than a large, faceless corporation who will go to any length to acquire my money.

Certainly some corporations benefit the big picture and do good things – they provide jobs for an awful lot of families for example, and often provide products at an affordable price. But for the most part, the goal of a corporation is to increase profits by squashing competition, lowering costs by any means they can get away with, and convincing consumers that they are selling a product that the human race simply cannot live without.

I don’t buy it.

This is particularly true in food production, where large food corporations systematically drive out competition from small, sustainable farms. Family-run farms are increasingly rare, in part because large food lobbies know how to work the system to their advantage. Legislation that restricts food production standards is often NOT aimed at protecting consumers; it is often instigated by lobbyists representing food conglomerates who realize that the small farmer cannot possibly comply with the legislation passed. It’s a great way to reduce the number of competitors you have to deal with. In other words, it is aimed at protecting corporate profits. A good example of this is in many states, to be “Certified Organic” requires that you pay the state a large fee for the certification. Thousands of dollars are required just to display a stamp on your sign at the farmer’s market. For a large corporate food producer, that is the cost of about an hour of legal fees and a threatening letter or two.

For a small farmer, that is the take for the entire month of June. Whose idea does that sound like?

Another reason? You’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again – industrially produced meat may be one of the single greatest causes of the impending antibiotic resistance crisis, which like it or not, we’ll all be dealing with increasingly in the coming years. The fact that meat has been given regular, heavy doses of antibiotics essentially to cover up unclean and inhumane living conditions, and fed meat byproducts with the same, will have a direct impact on the health of coming generations. I can’t support that notion, and fortunately, I don’t have to.

One last thing before I step off the stump: For me, I’ve decided that I don’t want to depend on  corporate spin to determine what is best for my family. I’d rather educate myself and make my own decisions by going to the source. In many countries, Americans are sadly viewed as sheep that believe whatever the government tells them to believe. Americans, is that true? I hardly think so, but it’s up to each of us to prove it. For me that means educating myself, drawing my own conclusions, and acting on my convictions.

So how do you buy chicken?

The following is a list of our priorities when we buy chicken. Yours may vary – and that is OK – this just happens to be my order of preference.

Best: Organic pasture-raised, straight from the farmer

Organic, pasture-raised is our primary choice, but it involves a little more legwork on our part. I should emphasize that to make this choice, we did our homework, and if you’re going to buy direct you should too. Visiting the farm and asking questions about feed, chemicals used on the grazing area, and so forth, is a critical part of ensuring you are getting what you expect. A mixed, sustainable farm that incorporates other animals as part of the ecosystem best.

We buy pasture-raised on local sustainable farms for a variety of reasons, but in a nutshell:

• Chickens on a pasture-raised, sustainable farm eat a traditional diet, which means that is what you’re eating. The chickens are not fed antibiotics or animal byproducts, including cannibalized chicken parts, or worse.
• Chickens are humanely treated. They are not jammed into tiny metal cages, stacked one on another, kept in darkness, covered in each other’s waste requiring the use of antibiotics to cover up the unclean living conditions. They do not suffer from ammonia burns or breast blisters from lack of clean air and mobility. Rather, pastured, sustainably farmed chickens are exposed to sunlight daily, natural foods, and open air, all of which benefit the overall health of the chicken. The bottom line? Humanely treated chickens are healthier chickens, and like most things, it all rolls downhill.
• Pasture-raised chicken is also leaner and (in our experience) more flavorful. According to the Jay Weinstein in his book, The Ethical Gourmet, you can flavor an entire batch of chicken soup with one thigh compared to a whole conventional chicken. I have not tried this yet; but I do know that for the pastured chickens we’ve cooked so far, the flavor is outstanding, and there is rarely more than a tablespoon of fat that drains from the entire chicken. And while readers of Almost Fit know I do not advocate a low fat lifestyle, there is certainly nothing wrong with real food that is naturally lower in fat than the industrially produced version.

There are a couple of things to know about buying direct. First of all, you have to have enough storage/freezer space to make it worthwhile. For many farms, chicken is seasonal, in that they butcher the chickens at only certain times of the year. Again, in our experience, pre-ordering chickens is a common requirement, so you’ll need to be prepared.

Pasture-raised chicken also cooks differently than conventional chicken. The good news is pasture-raised chicken is generally leaner and flavorful. The downside is you will have to relearn how you cook chicken. Slow cooking at a low temperature is the key.

Best grocery store option: 100% Organic, Pasture-raised

As industrially produced chicken goes, buying 100% Organic, pasture-raised chicken is my preferred choice, but it is generally very expensive. What does the label mean, and why is it worth the price to me?

100% Organic means that the chicken was raised without antibiotics and hormones. Conventional chickens are often fed arsenic – a known carcinogen – but organic chickens are not. Organic chickens are not subject to irradiation or genetic modification. The feed that is provided is 100% organic and vegetarian, meaning that it does not contain animal byproducts, although it can contain fish products. The chicken is also not raised in uninterrupted confinement, though it is only defined as “access” to outdoors, which may be next to none. Unlike conventional chicken farms, 100% Organic farms must deal with animal waste safely through healthy composting practices. Farms are regularly inspected for compliance.

Pasture-raised does not imply the standards that organic does; thus why getting a product that combines both organic and pasture-raised is best. Pastured chickens typically eat some grain, some grass, grubs, and whatever else they find in the pasture as they have done for thousands of years. It doesn’t guarantee that the farmer doesn’t use chemicals, but the organic certification helps to reduce that possibility.

One other compelling reason to seek out pasture-raised chicken? Grass provides nutrients that are passed on to us, including those fashionable Omega-3′s, beta-carotene, and Omega-6 fats in the form of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which has cancer-fighting properties. In other words, pasture-raised chickens are generally healthier chickens.

A little better than conventional, but not much: Free Range/Cage Free

Free range and cage free are terms that unfortunately have been diluted to mean very little. A free range chicken must have “daily access to the outdoors,” but the time period is up to the grower, as well as what “outdoors” means – it basically means that the chicken has been allowed out of it’s primary cage or storage shed for a little while. It can be as little as 5 minutes with the coup door open, or a simple hole cut in the side of the storage shed that leads outside to a muddy boxed-in area. Exercising the right to leave the cage is likely a matter of personal choice for the chicken…

The real catch? The USDA has allowed a gigantic loophole in the regulation of this term (thanks again, USDA). Chickens that are labeled cage free or free range may be “temporarily confined” for “reasons of health, safety, the animal’s stage of production or to protect soil or water quality.”

In practical terms this means that many of those chickens almost never see the light of day, live in their own feces for their entire life, and suffer from the same maladies that conventional chickens suffer from, such as ammonia burns and lung lesions. Hardly the picture of happy chickens that the industry portrays.

For a more gruesome description of these conditions, see this article on GoVeg.com. But be warned: you may not be in the mood for that omelet when you’ve finished reading.

OK, but not recommended: All-vegetarian diet

Chickens that have been raised on an all-vegetarian diet have one advantage – they have not been feed cannibalized chicken parts. However, it also means that they never saw the green fields of pasture in any way. An all-vegetarian diet is not the natural diet of a chicken, so the chicken meat may be supplemented with chemicals and additives to make the meat more appetizing.

Not recommended: All Natural

The “All Natural” label is in my opinion a slithery term. From what I’ve gathered, it means basically nothing. In fact, according to the USDA, “all fresh meat” is considered natural. Thanks for nothing, USDA.

All Natural simply means that the product satisfies the minimum health requirements for industrially produced meat. How they arrive at that compliance is mostly unregulated, with a few health exceptions. All Natural is supposed to have no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or synthetic additives, but industrial food producers who use this label are not subject to certification for the term by an outside party.

Avoid: Conventional

Conventional chicken should be avoided when possible. In my view, with it so easy to put some deceiving label on the chicken, yet these producers don’t even TRY to do better – they make no bones about it. They’re in it for the cheapest possible product, and they could care less if the chicken is healthy. To me it is the same as being a proud, ignorant polluter who takes pleasure in the fact that they are destroying the environment.

I’m obviously not a big fan.

Here is what is minimally required of conventional mass-production houses:

• Compliance with USDA, FDA, and state health regulations. No other requirements.
• Feed is virtually unrestricted. Can include animal manure (which may include drugs and antibiotics that were consumed by the source animal), animal byproducts, corn, and soybeans
• No outdoor access is required.
• USDA and FDA approved drugs and antibiotics can be used, including the same drugs that humans use in many cases (can lead to resistance in humans)
• Hormones are prohibited
• Small, overcrowded cages are the industry standard. Chickens generally have their beaks and claws removed to prevent them from pecking themselves or others to death because conditions are so poor.
• Chickens often die prematurely in cages from stress and disease, which means the remaining chickens must be treated with drugs and antibiotics to reduce the spread of disease.

Animal welfare as a priority

Animal welfare is as always a controversial subject, with very polar reactions. Whether you eat meat is a personal decision, and one that I respect either way. However, if you’re going to eat meat, here are a few quick certifications that actually do mean something (see the links for more information on their certification requirements and goals):

	http://www.certifiedhumane.com/
	http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/
	http://www.foodalliance.org/

What you buy is up to you

The success of the mass food production industry depends on our perception that it is cheaper, just as healthy, and more convenient to buy mass-produced food products. This isn’t some hush-hush conspiracy; it’s just simple fact. And obviously, it is more than just perception – at least on the convenience aspect. One-stop shopping has been one of the greatest financial successes in human history.

But are those priorities what are most important to you? We each have to decide what we can do, and what best matches our lifestyle. In my opinion we shouldn’t waste our time and energy judging each other’s food choices. My hope is that you will come away from this feeling that the right path is to educate yourself and make changes for your family that you are comfortable with.

How to find pasture-raised chicken in your area

In the next and final part in this series, I’ll provide a set of useful ways to find pasture-raised chicken in your area. It requires a little effort, but it is simpler than you might think.

Thanks for reading Almost Fit.

If you enjoy this article, please consider sharing it via your favorite social networking tool. I prefer StumbleUpon and Digg. Thanks.

###

Sources

Bongiorno, Lori. Green, Greener, Greenest: A Practical Guide to Making Eco-Smart Choices a Part of your Life. New York: Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2008.

Planck, Nina. Real Food: What to Eat and Why. New York: Bloomsberry USA, 2006.

Perry, Luddene, and Schultz, Dan. A Field Guide to Buying Organic. New York: Bantam Dell, 2005.

Weinstein, Jay. The Ethical Gourmet. New York: Broadway books. 2006.

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As I mentioned in part 1 of this series, we have taken our next step in seeking out real food: we are eliminating the purchase of meat and poultry from grocery stores by going directly to the farmer.

Of course, not everyone has access to local farm-raised chicken, so in this article I’ll describe how to save money at the grocery store when you’re trying to make better choices. This piece of the series evolved from a reader’s comment from the last post where the question of cost was raised. I think it’s important because it’s a common feeling among those of use trying to make “better” decisions on what we eat, that we’re going to have to get a second mortgage to be able to afford good food.

Princess Dieter said:

“[...] I pay 13 bucks for just under a pound of organic, free-range, yadda yadda chicken breasts, boneless, skinless.

13 bucks for 11 oz or so.

Sometimes, I get the brand that’s 11 bucks for about 11 oz.

It hurts so bad.

I get free range, organic-fed, high-omega 3 eggs from a local farm. nearly 5 bucks a dozen.

I’m going to go broke trying to eat right, I swear.”

These prices are of course, sky-high (and quite honestly, in my opinion chicken at that price is ridiculously overpriced – though not uncommon), but I remember years ago a visit to a high-end grocery store where I paid nearly $35.00 for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts because I was in a pinch for time, and that was all that was available.

I have resented that purchase for years. Apparently the cheapskate in me has a hard time letting go.

These days I never spend that much on chicken. But Princess Dieter really got me thinking…How much DOES it cost locally at grocery stores? With rising fuel costs, I know food is really going up, but $13.00 a pound for chicken? So I decided to go to the store yesterday (the same one at which the angry butcher dude used to work – he seems to be gone now) to do a little price checking.

I gathered my information, and here’s what I found for my region, at this particular store:

Boneless, skinless, organic, free range chicken: $9.49/lb

Conventional: $4.49/lb

In some ways this didn’t surprise me – and at this price, I think $13.00 a pound is within reach of what my local store charges. But it made me wonder, were we really paying this much for chicken before we stopped buying it at the grocery store?

I came home and asked my resident shopping guru – my wife – if we were paying that much before our current plan.

“Well no, of course not, are you kidding?”

“Well then how did we buy chicken before?”

“We didn’t buy boneless skinless breast cuts – those cuts are far more expensive than legs, wings, or whole roaster chickens.”

My wife. So smart.

The truth is you can easily spend that much money on chicken, of course, but there are more reasonably priced alternatives.

How to save money on chicken at the grocery store

So how do you save money if you are buying the best you can afford? Here is a short list of easy tips to save money at the grocery store when you are buying chicken:

• Buy the whole chicken – not just the boneless skinless chicken breasts. For the price of a couple of breasts, you can get a whole bird.
• Buy chicken breasts with the skin and bones still on. This option isn’t as cheap as the whole chicken, but it’s much cheaper than the boneless skinless option.
• Buy cuts other than the breast. Thighs are remarkably affordable – sometimes less than half of their equivalent. Thighs in particular are a great alternative, have more flavor, and typically hold seasoning and marinades better than breast meat. The caloric difference is less than you might think, for those concerned with calories.
• Watch for sales on the cuts you like, and freeze them for later.
• Rather than buying cuts for convenience, do a little work ahead of time – cook extra, cut it into convenient sizes, and freeze. Both shredded and cubed chicken freeze and reheat well, and are convenient for all kinds of quick meals.

For many of us, a whole chicken can be a little intimidating to cut. For a quick primer on separating a chicken breast from the bones of a whole chicken, check out this video at Chow.com:

What to buy

In the next article in this series I’ll describe what the labeling of chicken actually means from both a health and an ethical standpoint, which will include a short list based on my assessment of the options. I say that it’s my assessment because, as you’ll see in the next article, labeling has become a dizzying array of certifications, pseudo-certifications, and unregulated terms which are increasingly difficult to decipher – which means we each have some personal choices to make. It’s not just a nutritional issue. Stay tuned.

[UPDATE: Here is a link to part 3, which is called Demystifying chicken labels: From Organic to All Natural.]

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A few months ago, I went to the local higher-priced grocery store to pick up some chicken. This particular trip to the store however, I got more than I expected: the chicken came free with a side order of attitude and the ever popular “shoulda’-said” chaser.

Here’s the scene: a local favorite shi shi fru fru store in Southeast Portland. The fluorescent light flickers slightly above a stainless, freshly hosed down meat slicer. The smell of fresh salmon and dill permeates the air like the aroma of a wet dog, only fishier and more dill-like. The butcher stands behind the counter, seemingly annoyed by my perplexed-but-friendly stare into the 8-foot glass case, his fingers twitching in preparation for the imminent smoke break or opportunity to slash something, I can’t be sure. (I swear there is a light saber somewhere in this story.)

The characters:

• Me. Played by a young and dashing Harrison Ford, circa 1982, as Rick Deckard, a.k.a. Blade Runner
• Butcher. Played by Ian McDiarmid, a.k.a. Emperor Palpatine, visibly annoyed and very possibly, ready to Rock

The song, “My girl likes to party all the time, party all the time, party all the tii-iiime” is on the overhead.

“Excuse me – do you have organic free range chicken?” I asked, politely.

“We have all natural chicken, if that’s what you mean.”

“No, I mean free range – do you have that?” I replied, again with nothing but a cheery, please-like-me-Mr.-Butcher-man-with-the-long-knives-and-a-disconcerting-familiarity-with-blood smile.

“You mean like did it run around a yard and peck at stuff before they killed it? I don’t know, I wasn’t there.” The butcher had that restrained, “I want to punch you in the face” look that the librarian in Junior High School had when she wanted to scream but couldn’t because, well, we do have rules against that.

Now let me pause for a moment and say that this was one of those moments in life where I thought of all kinds of witty, cutting things to say to this guy – an hour too late.

“Are you really giving me crap about this?”, or, “Is it worth risking your job to deal with your customers like that?”. And then there’s the old stand-by: “What’s your name? I’d like to talk to the manager pronto, Pal-O-Mine!” Or maybe, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the Truth!” (not sure how that last one applies, but it comes into my mind whenever I’m angry.)

But what was my reaction?

“Uh, OK. Thanks anyway.” Because THAT, unfortunately, is how I roll.

Yes folks, I , am, SPARTICUS.

[Ed. note: I can't help but think that by posting this admission, I just got called a bunch of immature, denigrating names that are often hurled at an umpire at a sporting event, that in some parts of the world imply awful things about the denigratee's mother.

I think this because as I wrote it, I heard my own interior, ever-present adolescent voice call me similarly awful names. And the fact that I used the phrase, "sporting event" seals the deal. And all that the adult me could say back to adolescent me was, "Why don't you say that to my face?" - but I kind of did. Resuming article.]

So what did I do about it?

Although in truth this exchange had very little to do with my eventual decision, I have to thank the grumpy butcher guy for pushing me one step forward on the real food track. I certainly didn’t buy chicken from their meat counter again (ha-HA, Butcher guy! Feel the Burn!!! (Wow this is getting sad.)). And that, among other things, got me looking for alternative resources for chicken and beef. In my post-wimpification state, I was highly susceptible to the suggestion that maybe buying from the grocery store wasn’t my strongest move.

We started out looking to the vendors at Farmer’s Markets, but ultimately it was a bit too pricey. I support the farmer’s market, but $4.00-$4.50 a pound for chicken is a little on the, “are you kidding me?” side. [Ed. Update: Just to clarify, I am talking about whole chicken prices, which are significantly less than individual cuts.]

Besides, if I want to pay those kind of prices, I’ll save it for a date night at Whole Foods, where I can overspend, sit down, and have sushi floating along beside me on a conveyor belt while I pocket some spare napkins for the glove box.

An activity, incidentally, which I am told is a common occurrence – the date night part. A friend who works at the gourmet foods counter says that foodies who get a night out sans children often skip the movie theater and head straight for a dinner of Whole Foods cheese samples, followed by a dessert course of knife and cast iron cookware shopping at Sur la Table. Count me in!

(Incidentally, does anyone know – can you buy your own conveyor belt? Because conveyor belts are almost as cool as light sabers, considering light sabers don’t exist. In this sector of the galaxy, anyway.)

Anyway, rather than paying these prices, we decided to take our next step in seeking out real food: we are eliminating the purchase of meat and poultry from grocery stores by going directly to the farmer, where there is even less chance of getting punched.

In fact, we have now placed an order for 30 whole, bug-eating, grass-plucking, pasture-hanging-out, stress-free chickens, the majority of which will be ready in September. 30 Chickens! In fact, our first 5 arrived this week – which you’ll see in tomorrow’s Friday recipe.

This whole “real food” thing seems to be getting a little out of hand, don’t ya think?

Stay tuned for part 2 where I explain, how to save money if you can’t find a farmer near you. And you forgot your light saber.

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As is our habit, we stopped by the Oregon City Farmer’s Market on Saturday to pick up much of our week’s produce. The Oregon City Farmer’s Market is smaller than many other markets, but we are slowly getting to know the vendors and have found that the size of the market makes it a little easier to recognize familiar faces.

We definitely believe that getting to know where your food comes from, how it’s grown, and supporting the local economy by purchasing from local farmers is a critical value for our family. By both word and example, we hope that these concepts are passed along to our kids who go with us week after week and observe our pleasant conversations with local farmers and vendors.

And nothing is more satisfying than freshly picked berries in berry season here, as our kids know well.

Without further adieu, here are a few photos of this weekend’s spread. And believe me, the food tastes as good as it looks.

As the sign says…Fresh Garlic

Hydroponically grown heirloom tomatoes

“Specialty” beets grown with no chemicals

Flats of blueberries….We are eating them by the handful in the heat.

Raspberries and blackberries

Radishes

Though these little guys were not for sale, Jonah and Rima enjoyed watching them, as well as looking at the eggs. The booth is maintained by the local 4H club.

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