Sourcing Real Food
Now, where do you find all of this Real Food? Unfortunately, you really have to search and scour your local shopping establishments because most are loaded with FAKE FOOD! Sourcing Real Food can be done easily! You just need to know where to look. Here are some places Oh Lardy recommends for you to begin your search:
Regional Resources
Big Box/Membership (Target, Walmart, Sam’s, Costco)
- These stores are getting better at supplying more organic and healthy food items. Just remember, as we said before, READ LABELS! 5 ingredients or less!!! Costco often has organic poultry, coffee, quinoa, cheeses, etc.
CSA (community sponsored agriculture) programs:
- A CSA is where you buy a share of a local farm and get food items in return. There are a variety of CSA programs and most common are fruit and vegetable shares. CSAs are a cost effective way to get organically grown food and a way to support your local farmer.
- www.localharvest.org is a good place to start to look for CSAs in your area. You can also ask around at your local farmer's market.
Dairy:
- www.realmilk.com will help you find unpasteurized, farm fresh dairy.
Delivery services:
- www.eatwild.com to find farms that ship
- www.doortodoororganics.com
Grocery stores, local, conventional
- This may sound obvious, but your local grocery store will have Real Food items. Many stores are selling more and more organic, less processed items as their customers become more educated about their food choices. You still need to read labels though! Try to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. The produce, meat, dairy aisles contain mostly Real Food. Talk to the store manager if you would like to see certain food items. The more demand they have, the more likely they are to supply the food!
Grocery stores, ‘natural’ (Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Earth Fare, etc.)
- These stores are great for finding Real Food. Remember, though, not everything at these places is Real Food. You still need to read labels. You will have better luck here with more diverse organic produce and a variety of healthy food items.
- www.localharvest.org will allow you to search for natural grocery stores in your area.
Health Food Stores
- Most health food stores have well stocked food sections.
- Another use for health food stores is to ask the employees if they have any recommendations for sourcing food in your area. Chances are these people also get their meat, eggs, dairy, etc. from local farms and may be able to turn you on to a resource you would never have found!
Local Farmer’s Markets:
Pastured meat and dairy:
- http://www.eatwild.com/
- Ask at your local farmer's market or health food store if anyone knows where to get good pastured meat/dairy.
Websites:
- http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?pd=Home lets you search an area and gives you local bakers, coffee shops, restaurants, farmer’s markets, etc. A great tool when you are traveling!
- http://www.slowfoodusa.org/ a global, grassroots movement helping to encourage real food eating. Local chapters in your area should have great resources for food sourcing.
- http://www.westonaprice.org/ an amazing website filled will information based on the studies of Weston A. Price. Your local chapter should have great resources for food sourcing.
Where to Next?
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