There is no getting around the fact that purchasing high-quality food is more expensive than purchasing conventional food. Fruits and vegetables that are grown organically and meats and other dairy products that are pasture-raised and grass-fed are the better, more nutrient-dense option to consume for our health, but the ole wallet can take quite a hit if that is all we purchase.

Let’s break down common labels that you will see at the store.

Remember, these words are all essentially marketing terms - greenwashing can mean that the regulation of some verbage isn’t too tight, so understanding the words that are regulated will help you shop for better foods. And always remember that this isn’t a perfection game. You do your best and spend where you can. There are “good”, “better” and “bests” for all produce and meats, so do your best to slowly uplevel items in your cart as you can afford it and prioritize the items you can spend more on in accordance with your health needs, too! If you’d like more help learning how to do this, get in touch!

Organic: when produce and meat are labeled as organic it means that those products have not been sprayed with synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, been subjected to hormones or antibiotics, and are not genetically modified (GMO). To be labeled as Certified Organic, in the United States, farmers must undergo annual audits to ensure they are meeting those standards.

Grass-fed: animal products that are labelled as grass-fed means they have been fed grass for part or all of their lives. Grass-fed is not mutually exclusive to ONLY grass-fed because some animals are raised eating grass and then are fed grains for the last few months. In contrast to conventional meats where those animals are raised exclusively on feedlots and are fed corn, grains, and commercial feeds. Additionally, beef, lamb, bison, and buffalo are not evolved to survive only on grains. This can lead to illness in the animals, which can result in them being treated with antibiotics. *You may also see labels that say pasture-raised. This describes animals that spend most of their time outside grazing. They have access to their natural diets (grass for cows and insects for chickens). Pasture raised refers to where an animal eats, while grass-fed refers to what the animal (when appropriate) eats.

Free-range: poultry and eggs that are labeled as free-range mean the animal has access to the outdoors. Cage-free animals do not. However, the outdoor access is not defined and the conditions are unknown. When it comes to poultry, your best option is pastured. But again, ask your farmer about their processes and they’re typically very glad (and passionate!) to share.

Wild-caught: wild-caught seafood labels signify a product that was raised in its natural habitat. Farm-raised seafood describes a product that was raised in tight quarters and fed a diet unnatural to them. Often farm-raised seafood can be color by way of dyes in food to be made more appealing to the consumer - often salmon. This can lead to illness in the animal, which again, can result in them being treated with antibiotics. They’re also not in natural mineral-rich, water sources so the nutrient content is less.

Here are some important tips to help you (and your wallet) when purchasing produce and animal products:

-The Environmental Working Group (EWG) compiled two lists called the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen. These lists identify produce that should always be prioritized as purchased organic versus those that are safe to be purchased as conventional. I don’t purchase everything organic and your likely shouldn’t either! I do my best to purchase the dirty dozen either organic at the grocery/farmers market or from a farmer whom I have a relationship with and understand their processes to be chemical free. With the clean fifteen, I typically purchase these conventionally at the grocer or from a market and don’t worry about spending organic here.

Download these easy lock screens and keep them in your phone’s favorites folder - I pull these out for quick reference when I’m at the grocer to remember where I’m prioritizing our dollars.

Grab a phone-sized 2020 DIRTY DOZEN LIST.

Grab a phone-sized 2020 CLEAN FIFTEEN LIST.

-For animal products that have only eaten grass and bugs look for labels such as “Grass-Fed”, “Grass-Finished”, or “100% Grass-Fed”. 100% Grass Fed will be your “best” here for nutrient density and animal health, followed by grass-fed as your “better” option and finally “grass-finished” as your good option. Also opt for meat products labeled as “Pasture-Raised” as grass-fed, pastured animals have a favorable ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids because of their diet. If these options are inaccessible to you (most grocers, even Aldi, carry 100% grass-fed beef, for example) your better options would be organic meat at the grocer, then those labeled antibiotic/hormone free as the lower tier of quality. Overall, quality protein can really impact our health significantly, so I spend the bulk of our food budget here and we eat vegetable focused meals with a portion of meat so that this pricey portion goes further. Bonus points if you join a meat CSA - you’ll give a farmer predictable income, get a variety of meat each months (or week!) and get a bit of a discount on your purchase.

-When purchasing seafood, “wild-caught” is the term you will want to look for. Also, eating smaller fish like sardines, salmon, tilapia, and shellfish like oysters and clams will have a lower toxic load than larger fish. I love to whip up a tuna salad with sardines incorporated or pop in our local fish market for wild-caught salmon when it’s fishing season (early summertime). Buying frozen wild-caught seafood will often be your best cost-effective method for grabbing these nutrient-dense foods.

While these labels are beneficial to us when purchasing items at the store, the best way to ensure you are buying and consuming quality animal products is to support your local farmer! Get to know farmers in your area and ask them questions about how their animals are raised, the environment they live in, and what they are fed. Be curious and opento understanding their methods and the reasons behind those. Joel Salatin is a favorite educator in this field - search his name in your favorite podcast app or grab a book of his and dig in1

Something to note is that the expense of a farmer going organic in relation to the scale of their farm can be difficult. Sometimes farmers cannot afford to keep up with label certifications, but have sustainably raised, high-quality animals and products - so again, just ask! Often farmers will host an annual farm open-house or have an open-door policy where you can schedule a visit and see how they raise their animals. If you are local to the Louisville, Lexington or Central Kentucky area check out the list at the end of this post for local farms to support.

Bonus! I LOVE this Kentucky-specific produce availability guide breaking down the fruit and veggie offerings by months they’re available!

Local Farm Directory

Barr Farms | St. Matthew’s Farmer’s Market | Organic vegetables, chicken, pork, grass-fed beef | www.barrfarmsky.com | Barr Farms Facebook

Bluegrass Elderberry | Bluegrass Elderberry Facebook | @bluegrasselderberry

Boxcar Acres | Henry County | Vegetable CSA, Eggs | Boxcar Acres Facebook

Dream Catcher Farm | Bardstown Road Farmer’s Market | Grass-fed beef, pork & bison | www.dreamcatchergrassfed.com | www.dreamcatchergrassfed.com

Eastward Gardens | Hardinsburg, IN | Fruit, Vegetable, CSA, flowers | www.eastwardgardens.com

Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese | St. Matthews Farmer’s Market | Various Dairy Cheeses | www.kennyscheese.com

Facing West Farm | Henry County | Bardstown Road Farmers Market | Vegetables, wool, popcorn | Website

Foxhollow Farm | Oldham County | Beef, pork, bison, lamb, trout, chicken | www.foxhollow.com | Fox Hollow Facebook

Gallrein Farms | Shelby County | Vegetables and fruits | 502-633-4849 | www.gallreinfarms.com

Groce Family Farm | English, Indiana | Pastured and grass-fed meats | 502-436-0311 | www.grocefamilyfarm.com

Hickory Grove Farm | Shelby County | Lexington Farmers Market | CSA, Vegetables, Berkshire pork, pasture poultry, and eggs } | @HickoryGroveFarm | Hickory Grove Facebook

Parker’s Patch Farm | Bardstown Road Farmers Market | Vegetables and flowers | www.parkerspatchfarm.com

Skinner Farms | Shelby County | Shelbyville | www.skinnerfarms.net

Sherwood Acres Beef | Oldham County | LaGrange | 502-222-4326 | www.sherwoodacresbeef.com

Wholesome Living Farm | Winchester | 100% Grass-fed beef, meats | Wholesome Living Facebook

Wild Carrot Farm | Bardstown Road Farmer’s Market | Vegetables, Eggs, hot sauces | www.wildcarrotfarmky.com | Wild Carrot Facebook

Woodland Farm | Oldham County | Heritage Pork and Bison | www.woodlandfarm.com | @woodlandfarm

***This is by no means an exhaustive list, so PLEASE send your favorite farms or your own info and we’ll add you to this directory that our clients use as they seek health and life! Email your info here!

Food Quality: When do I eat organic, conventional, grass-fed...and why?

Let’s break down common labels that you will see at the store.

Here are some important tips to help you (and your wallet) when purchasing produce and animal products:

Grab a phone-sized 2020 DIRTY DOZEN LIST.

Grab a phone-sized 2020 CLEAN FIFTEEN LIST.

Local Farm Directory

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Food Quality: When do I eat organic, conventional, grass-fed...and why?

Let’s break down common labels that you will see at the store.

Here are some important tips to help you (and your wallet) when purchasing produce and animal products:

Grab a phone-sized 2020 DIRTY DOZEN LIST.

Grab a phone-sized 2020 CLEAN FIFTEEN LIST.

Local Farm Directory

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