There are many different types of diets and food preferences, and in today’s society, where food can be mass produced, there is certainly a wide variety of kinds and qualities of food to choose from. While that mass production has done a lot to feed the quickly growing populations, quite a lot has been sacrificed in the way of healthy food and affordable, high quality options. The food industry today, though largely efficient, has come at great cost to the environment and the collective health of society. Now, luckily, more and more individuals, and a growing number of businesses, put a more honed focus and conscious effort into responsible food production. As more buyers insist on foods that are produced to higher standards, more companies rise to that standard. We are getting back onto the right path, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
From local meat farmers to wild caught Alaskan salmon
One of the ways that we as a society can battle that system of major corporations doling out massive volumes of unhealthy food is by changing our buying habits. Rather than going to the major grocery stores that carry these unhealthy brands that come from inhumane and unnatural production mills, focus on buying local from farmers that are open and honest about the methods of their farming, how they grow their crops, and how they treat their animals. Ethical questions aside, some people may not think that it matters how animals are treated before they are slaughtered for their meat, but it does indeed make a difference.
Wild caught Alaskan salmon, grass fed steaks and free range chicken are just a few examples of the products that all end up as higher quality product than their mass produced counterparts. While grass fed beef only adds up to about 3% of all beef sales in the country, at most, that beef is actually higher in Omega 3 fatty acids, and also has more Vitamin A and Vitamin E. Wild salmon has a much lower calorie count than farmed salmon. In fact, the wild fish can have 32% fewer calories when compared with the farmed fish. One staggering fact published in a recent study revealed that nearly half of all the meat and poultry sold in supermarkets contained Staph bacteria. This is far from ideal.
Conscious shopping can lead to better meals
Not only are you doing the environment, animals, and society as a whole a favor when you make more health conscious decisions in your shopping, but you will likely notice significant benefits when it comes to taste as well. There are many different types of salmon, but when you opt to bring home wild caught Alaskan salmon, you are definitely going to be eating well. There are countless wild salmon recipes that you could try out, and while farmed salmon could substitute well enough for those who aren’t too picky, the quality of the wild fish will be much more appreciated. And on top of that, wild salmon has an average of 13 grams of fat to a half filet, while farmed salmon has closer to 30 grams of fat.
Making better decisions when you shop for groceries has a bigger impact than you might imagine. Help get society back on track by focusing your buying habits on those that are better for the earth, the animals, and people in general.
