Good, Better, Best
Finding balance where it matters most
Over the past couple of years, many of us have seen the price of food skyrocket like nothing we’ve experienced before. Inflation has caused many of us to better monitor our food budget and even change the kind of the foods we buy and the kind of meals we make.
Sucks, doesn’t it?
I can’t tell you how many times over the last year I’ve had to tell myself, “this is going to have to be good enough” because the better option is simply out of the question expensive.
While this may be true for you too, I wanted to share a little anecdote I use when making food choices at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Since most of us can’t afford the “best” option for every food item, we can think critically about which foods we can categorize as “good” and therefore “good enough” and which of the “best” foods we should try our darnedest to acquire.
Not every food you buy has to be perfect, and you shouldn’t feel guilt over the ones you simply can’t afford (I don’t!). As long as you continue skipping the processed junk—which is more expensive anyway—any real food you purchase for your family can and will nourish your body better than any man-made franken-food. That’s why each option begins the same way: This food item is real food.
Use this anecdote to make confident food choices without any guilt.
Categorizing Food Choices
Good: This food item is real food. It may not have been raised in “ideal” conditions, but it’s still considered food the way it’s found in nature. It required minimal processing, if at all, the cost reflects what I can realistically afford, and it will nourish my family the way God intended.
Example: Conventionally raised beef and chicken, non-organic rolled oats, non-organic fresh produce, conventionally raised eggs, etc.
Better: This food item is real food. While it may not have been raised in “perfect” conditions, it’s closer to “ideal” conditions, and the cost reflects what I can realistically afford but also affects my desire and ability to make sacrifices so that I can purchase the most nutrient-dense food.
Example: Organic beef and chicken, organic oats, non-organic fresh produce from the “dirty dozen/clean fifteen” list, organic eggs, organic dairy, etc.
Best: This food item is real food. It was raised in the most ideal conditions possible. The care taken to raise and cultivate the food is as close to what God intended resulting in a nutrient-dense food. While it’s the most expensive option, I’m choosing to make sacrifices in other areas of my budget to support this kind of food cultivation and nourish my family to the best of my ability.
Example: Organic and pasture-raised meat and eggs, organic and in-season fresh produce, raw dairy products, organic and sprouted oats and bread, etc.
Do The Best You Can
Not every food you buy will be in the “best” category—or maybe it will be and, in that case, you’re highly favored.
But for most of us, we have to think critically about which “best” foods to buy and leave the rest in the good or better category. Here’s what I do (but please do what is best for you and your family):
Best: Raw milk and cheese, eggs, pork, organic, local produce, raw honey
My milk and eggs come from a local farmer. The milk is full fat and raw and the eggs are pasture raised, evidenced by their orange yolk. The best part is, my milk and eggs actually cost about the same as their store-bought counterpart (#winning).
I almost never buy cheese until it’s raw. Pasteurized cheese doesn’t sit with me well, but raw cheese has no negative impact on me. I’m willing to pay a pretty penny for it because it’s high in protein, a very nutritious snack for my kids, and I just cook with cheese a lot, so I want it to be high-quality. I like to buy my raw cheese in bulk from Azure Standard. They have the 8oz blocks from Organic Valley that are delicious. By buying in bulk (I buy two cases of three blocks), I get the price down to $6 a block vs. $10 a block at Whole Foods and we go through that FAST.
I buy my pork from a local farmer because we eat a decent amount of it and to me, it feels as if pigs are most prone to being raised in unnatural conditions (confinement, antibiotics, etc.) creating food that isn’t going to be anywhere near high-quality. I pay twice as much for my pasture-raised pork as I would at the store, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make right now.
I don’t make it to the farmer’s market every week, which is why only some of my produce comes from there, but I do think it’s important to buy your produce as locally as possible.
Better: all other meat, organic grocery store produce
My Costco carries grass-fed and grass-finished beef at a really good price, so I save money by purchasing it there as opposed to a local farmer. I also buy my chicken organic from Costco because local chicken is really expensive where I live (more than twice as much). Anytime I’m at Whole Foods, I check to see if they have their whole pasture-raised chickens (they’re in stock about once a quarter). Whenever they’re in stock, they’re on mega sale (about $15 for 4-5lbs) so I buy a whole bunch (see what I did there?). Otherwise, my chicken is not pasture-raised, unfortunately, just fed organic feed whenever necessary.
Because I can’t make it to the farmer’s market every single week (they only come for about 4 hours on Saturdays), the rest of my produce comes from the grocery store and I always choose organic if it’s available.
Good: miscellaneous
I’ve come to place in my crunchy journey where I don’t give in to food fear. If the store only has regular pears and not organic pears, then we buy regular pears and enjoy the heck out of them. Not everything has to be perfect to be nourishing. If it’s real food, you will be okay.
Like I always say, do your best and trust God with the rest.
I hope this methodology helps you make better food choices without any fear. Let me know in the comments below what foods go in YOUR “best” category and why!
It's helpful to have this framework when making choices, instead of doing it randomly. Thank you!