Bookmark and Share April 8, 2011 - Dave Mulder

Why do you eat what you eat?

I do most of my grocery shopping at a natural foods store in town. It’s called Foods For Living. I’ve used this blog to describe, in detail, my food philosophy. That’s why I shop where I shop, and why I buy what I buy. Sometimes I wonder what’s going through the minds of other customers. It’s fun to step into their shoes and see food through their eyes.

Wendy Gordon writes in OnEarth Blog that she buys organic meat, dairy, and poultry, because they are free of antibiotics.  If you read my blog regularly, the following may sound familiar.

When my kids were growing up, I made sure to buy organic poultry, meat and dairy products. I prefer organic for a number of reasons, in particular that the non-therapeutic feeding of antibiotics to animals is prohibited.

I’m glad I made the effort, even though organic foods often costs more. According to a recent study published in the journal, Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, chicken raised organically has less salmonella than chicken from conventional farms, and the salmonella it does have isn’t antibiotic resistant.

The scenario playing out in my head was that one of my kids would get an infection, and I’d take him to the doctor, but the doctor could find not a single antibiotic with which to fight the infection, as the bacteria causing it had developed resistance. Panicky parent, you say? No, my concern is well founded.

While I too care about the antibiotic issue, it’s not what motivates me to shop at a natural foods store. I’m there for local meats and poultry, like Otto’s Chicken. Natural and local is what gets me to open up my wallet.

There aren’t any wrong answers here. Though Wendy and I differ on execution, we have common beliefs.

I’m interested in where you shop, what you’re eating, and why. If you’d like to share, send an email to dave@eatingrealfood.com.

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