Do you buy food on shaming or your own standards?

“Who has time for this?” was what I heard from nearly every grocery buyer I talked with while researching Food Truths from Farm to Table. 

“What if someone sees me and judges me because of what’s in my cart?” asked some.

“I feel like I need a science degree to buy food,” others commented.

So how is a mom or dad supposed to know if they’re doing the right thing for their family?

Confusion and emotionalism has have made food a battleground. The marketing is getting bigger. The misinformation grows. Activists continue to bully. Celebrities and politicians take opinion-based positions instead of looking at the facts. Food shaming persists. As a result of all of this, food buyers are filled with guilt and, confusion, and/or are overwhelmed.

I feel your pain. Unless I have a child along to try to teach them about making healthy choices, my grocery trips are known for speed—grab and go. Be done with it. Partially because I have the patience of a gnat, but mostly because I understand the system behind the food. I know the people raising food are doing it the right way for the right reasons. There are thousands of farmers just like those who have shared what they do throughout this book. I also believe USDA, FDA, and EPA protocols protect our food. I know the science involved and trust it.

But every issue addressed in Food Truths from Farm to Table hits me when I go to the grocery store. I can’t just grab a bag of potatoes, pick up a steak, or select cereal without thinking about the people and practices it took to produce that food. That’s when the misleading claims about farm families and today’s farming and ranching practices become personal.

What are your family’s ethical, health, environmental and social standards?

Stick to those and measure all food claims accordingly. The truth in food lies in the way it was produced, how you choose it, and the value it brings to your family.

That is ultimately YOUR decision, and you don’t need approval from an outside party. My hope is that this book has armed you with the truths so you, too, can ask better questions and adjust as necessary.

I also know people just want to feel good about their food choices. Hopefully this new book will arm you with truths about food so you can feel good that you are doing the right thing as you buy, enjoy, and serve food.

My mantra is to know the farmer, know the science, or know the system.

In other words, do you have firsthand perspective on how food is raised and why a farmer or rancher uses certain practices? Or, do you know the science behind the food claims to check that it’s common sense? Or, do you know the agricultural and food regulatory system well enough to trust it?

This blog is an excerpt from No More Food Fights: 25 Surprising Ways to Shop & Eat Without Guilt, a #1 new release on Amazon. Learn more here.