Last year, during my yearly facilitation of an event planning and cooking workshop for adolescent girls as part of an organization in which I’m involved, we ended up in a discussion about which organic food store would be closest so we could quickly shop, pay and get back to my house to prepare an appreciation dinner for their mothers. Aside from using my exposure to these girls as a barometer for my tolerance of adolescent estrogen in preparation for my own daughter’s transformation from girl to woman, it’s also an immensely fun activity to which I look forward every year because kids really DO say the darndest things.
One of the girls suggested that we head over to Whole Foods to do shopping. I didn’t get a chance to disengage from my mental debate over feeding the 15-passenger van for the day or my children for the week before I overheard another of the girls say “You mean Whole PAYCHECK?? That's what my mother calls it.” I laughed, because it was one of those laugh to keep from crying moments. Her mother was right. Eating right is expensive.
Let’s take bread and water, for example. They used to be universal diet basics. Prisoners and bad children were fed a diet of bread and water. Both are referenced over and over in the “big 3” holy books. Yet both bread and water have become woefully expensive commodities and class markers! People line up at specialty stores for loaves of "rustic" bread at more than $5.00/loaf. The labels and shapes of the plastic bottles of water people carry around say a lot about how much expendable income they have.
Not just that, but there’s this stigma that one is more “cultured and well-rounded and refined and all that good stuff” when one shops at Whole Foods or the other uber-expensive, upscale markets. I know you see them, crowded around the displays of lopsided, funny-colored “heirloom" tomatoes and gingerly nestling glass bottles of milk between the Greek yogurt and the multi-grain, non-GMO, gluten free item of the week.
Now please understand that I am not anti-eating well. I prefer to feed my family the good stuff. What I don’t like is the fact that according to our capitalist society, one must be a damn-near trillionaire to be able to afford a healthy diet.
I was recently reading the caloric breakdown of organic foods vs. high fat, simple carbohydrate, fast foods and found that it costs approximately 400% more per 100 calories to eat well than not! Our underserved communities are not organic food oases, but one can find a McDonalds, Wendy’s, or KFC in any given one of them that is able to feed a family of 4 from the Extra Value Menu for about $15. What will $15 get you at Whole Foods? Not much.
Farmers market you said? HA!! The farmers markets in my quickly gentrifying community still sell organic and locally grown items at a premium. I don’t blame them. Farmers gotta eat, too.
Gardening, you say? Really? And where? In my quickly gentrifying community, condos are replacing areas where vegetable gardens COULD have gone, and I’m not sure how much time the average single parent has to compost, and weed and seed between working two jobs to try to put food on the table.
Back in the day, I remember having loads of different fruits and vegetables at the ready. My mother fed me a primarily vegetarian, whole grain and legume- based diet because along with being healthier, it was also less expensive to NOT eat meat or fast food. She wasn’t a member of PETA (my mother loves very nice leather items) nor did I feel any more special because we belonged to a food co-op and ate organic produce.
Fast forward to 2009 and the other day, I purchased fruit for my children and balked at the price of oranges at $1.00 each. Non-organic cherries (YES EVEN IN SEASON) are rarely less than $4.99 a pound. The cost of my children’s daily packed lunches is approximately $5.00. I have two children who go to school every day. That’s $50/week for ONE MEAL A DAY. It’s not a game.
And our communities continue to be plagued by illnesses and ailments that can easily be reversed by simple dietary changes. Yet most don't have enough change to make the change.
Go figure.
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I think of this very situation often. I too was brought up on a holistic, healthy, organic diet. I am not sure that I went to a grocery store until I was well in my teens. However the same was true for going to the doctor sans annual well checks and that usually was with a holistic doctor.
ReplyDeleteSo my point is the money that my mother saved on doctors' bills she used on food, I guess. I agree that food costs way too much but I don't have control over that. What I do have control over health vs. ailment and hunger vs. food so I opt for "well-food" but my pocketbook isn't too happy. Nor are my happy-meal-less children.
I feel you, Me. And my children don't even go for happy meals! They're too busy begging me for sushi with multi-grain rice from Whole Paycheck! It's a problem, I tell you. (sighh)
ReplyDeleteI can say that urban gardening is one of the positive, unchronicled movements going on in Detroit. There are lots of urban gardens in the area and they sell locally (in the city) grown produce for reasonable prices and some vendors even accept food stamps/Bridge cards. The organic route is good, but not necessary for all foods. Some produce can be made ok simply by washing the outer skin. Other things like potatoes do need to be organic to avoid the requisite chemicals in u.s grown food. While it might be a bit much to grow one's own (i remember the year we had no life because we spent it in the backyard farm!) joining an urban farming group would be a way to share the costs/labor and create a larger social network. And people - BEANS - all kinds, are healthy, versatile and CHEAP!
ReplyDeleteFrom A Dear Friend - Kathy Akua Woolbright:
ReplyDeleteWell, as a current Whole Foods Market employee, I can say that I have heard the "Whole Paycheck" remark often, and it saddens me because it definitely can be more expensive to eat healtful foods, especially if you have a large household to feed.
The institutional issues that lead to high food costs are many, but the bottom line is that we really do get what we pay for. I have long been a huge fan and supporter of Whole Foods Market (visit the website for detailed information about the company's Quality Standards, commitment to sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, position on organics, etc.), but I can honestly say that I am even more impressed now that I am behind the scenes. The company is truly a responsible industry leader, constantly pushing for higher standards and stricter independent quality control asssessments. Whole Foods Market only sells foods that exceeds industry and government standards. As a result, fortunately, some of the cheaper produce, meat, condiments, juices, chips, or dairy products will never be found in our stores.
continued from Kathy Akua Woolbright:
ReplyDeleteOn another note, some of the stores that do sell the most questionable products ALSO sell healthful options (i.e. Kashi cereal), AND at much lower prices. Why? How? Well, let's say they order a large pallet of sugary cereal, they can then tack on a few cartons of the more healthful variety made by the same company for a VERY reduced cost. Because they are willing to sell both cocoa puffs AND a mult-grain cereal, they get to past the savings on to you. The same goes for bottled water, whole grain crackers and bread, or other products that come from large corporations with multiple product lines. The sad thing is that consumers do not know which products are owned by Coke Cola, Kellog, etc. They just see KASHI in Shoppers for one price, and in our stores at a higher price. But, a lot goes into pricing and availability. It isn't so cut and dry.
So, yes the prices for some items will be a little higher than those you find at stores that sell lower grade products, many with substances that we would never allow in our foods and stores. You can find specific information at: http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
Prices are also different in different parts of world. I go down south, and am taken back by how cheap produce is there. That has to do with travel distance and availability.
That being said, I still think that people "sometimes" over react to the prices at Whole Foods. While some items in the store are very expensive, if you avoid the gourmet and "foodie" products and shop the perimeter of the store, you will be able to afford more. It is here that you will find a wide variety of grains, beans, pulses, fruits, and vegetables, the most health supportive food choices.
continued from Kathy Akua Woolbright:
ReplyDeleteBy eliminating meats, breads, wine, juices, sodas, gelato, dairy, prepared and processed foods from the diet (foods that many argue are detrimental to our health--see The China Study by Campbell and Eat to Live by Fuhrman), we can all reduce our grocery bills and improve our health.
So, one thing I am trying to remember is not to shop at health food stores the same way I would at conventional stores. I am reminded that it is not about simply finding duplicate items in the health food store, but perhaps MORE about making COMPLETELY different choices. That may mean skipping the vegan frozen desserts, the vegan nuggets, Amy's pizza, the vegan deli slices and cheeses, the organic milk, the grass-fed beef, the cage-free eggs, etc. It may mean building delightful meals around LIVING foods packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, foods like whole grains, beans and pulses, and fruits and vegetables. And, for more HEALTH bang for your buck, go for the foods with the most vibrant colors.
Finally, shop for the 365 "store" brand; find out which days the store has sales by picking up a copy of the Whole Deal, the store paper; and otherwise looking for deals. There is a lot of signage in our stores, but look closely for deals on pizza and other items throughout the stores. Many managers are now meeting or beating the prices of our competitors, so you may be surprised how well you come out with a little thought and effort.
While it may take some time and creativity, I would encourage all of us to rethink and reprioritize our lives, so that health and well-being, on all levels, come FIRST. This is my hope!! This is my plea!! My sister died last year at the age of 42 with an advanced stage of aggressive breast cancer. I can't help but wonder if her out-of-control eating and massive weight gain had something to do with it. So, to my other sisters out there, PLEASE, EAT TO LIVE!!! I love you, AKUA