How to still shop healthy in the US

[Amy_and_Victor 159]

I don't see serious problems with shopping healthy in the US.

I do not believe in real benefits of "organic food", I know many people think it's something awesome and incredibly healthy, but my personal opinion - it's the way farmers can make you pay much more for pretty much the same food, so I don't waste my money on buying any organic food and I don't see it as unhealthy. And I will not change my minds at least until I will see serious scientific researches made by institutes with world-famous name and reputation, prooving that organic and not organic the same kinds of food really make significant and proven by researches difference in consumers health. For a while I haven't seen anything trustworthy to see the difference beside prices.

I'm just watching what I'm buying, likking ingredients, fat content, calories...

I'm trying to avoid fast food and even if I love it, I don't eat there more than may be 1-2 times per month, and trying not to stuff myself with their food, just to indulge.

I don't buy frozen meals and prefer to cook from scratch. If I want to make burgers, I will go to the store and buy pure ground beef with low fat content. If I want pork, I will buy loin or lean chops. (I do not consider consuming beef or pork as unhealthy in general, as long as you avoid high-fat content cuts). If I want bread, I will bake my own healthy bread in the bread-maker (flour, salt, water, sugar, yeast), not that "biohazard junk" from the stores you can keep for a months fresh on shelf. If I want pizza, I will make it on my own including crust from scratch. I think it's the most healthy way to eat - when you're mostly cooking from scratch and know what's inside of your food and how little it processed. We both, me and Amy, love to cook, so for us it's more fun than chore, and I really love homemade food, it doesn't bother me to spend couple of hours after work to make delicious dinners for us for next 3 days. Almost any time I occasionally tried some frozen meal because had no time to cook, I thought "for the horde, how did they get to ruin food so much on the factory?"

If I'm cooking at home something not really healthy (because not healthy food is often so good if cooked right), I'm trying to decrease bad effects as much as possible. If I'm making macaroni, I will pick ones with only flour and water in the ingredients, no any extra ####### (I don't mind enriched flour though), and I will just boil them in water with salt and a tiny bit of oil to keep them not sticky. Well, sometimes, not often, I may sprinkle some real cheese other my macaroni, but I almost never eat that carbofat-bomb "mac&cheese" Americans tend to eat a lot. Pretty often I will cook simple grains for my breakfast or sides for dinner - buckwheat, rice, barley, dried peas. I love them and it's pretty healthy (look content of calories and protein in dried peas). If I'm drinking any soda, it's ALWAYS will be diet with zero calories or I'll drink plain water, and I always use artificial sweeteners for my hot beverages.

Sometimes I'm indulging myself with a candy bar, but I eat fun size one and do not buy normal sized bars with tons of calories. If I'm buying ice cream, I'm trying to buy light versions - with no sugar added and low fat content. And I'm trying to avoid any food with high content of "high fructoze corn siryp" - it annoys me the most that in America they tend to add this ####### almost to everything, even to the food I would never think it could be.

That's most of my ways to eat healthy enough, that I don't feel quilty and don't think that I'm turning my stomach to the trash can like some people do. But I'm trying not to be obsessed with healthy eating, because it's also not fun. You live only one life, so if you don't indulge yourself sometimes what you love, but what is considered as not a healthy food, when are you going to enjoy it?

- Victor from Russia

[JensJrny2Ray 367]

You can also make your own Kefir. You usually start out with some starter cultures I believe. Fermented foods can do wonders for the tummy. http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/make-your-own-kefir-or-yogurt-challenge/

[BaBamSam 239]

After almost two years in the UK I came back to the US and couldn't stomach the food here at all. I was literally ill for the first two weeks every time I tried to eat.

I have a farmers market "fresh produce" box delivered every three weeks that has local in season fruits and veggies. I love it because it forces me to learn how to prepare new veggies and try things I would never buy!

I'm a big fan of Trader Joe's. The prices are good and so is the food! Whole Foods is also lovely, but too pricey for my current budget.

I loved your post - I wish we were more health conscious in this country on a whole!

[BaBamSam 239]

I don't see serious problems with shopping healthy in the US.

I do not believe in real benefits of "organic food", I know many people think it's something awesome and incredibly healthy, but my personal opinion - it's the way farmers can make you pay much more for pretty much the same food, so I don't waste my money on buying any organic food and I don't see it as unhealthy. And I will not change my minds at least until I will see serious scientific researches made by institutes with world-famous name and reputation, prooving that organic and not organic the same kinds of food really make significant and proven by researches difference in consumers health. For a while I haven't seen anything trustworthy to see the difference beside prices.

I'm just watching what I'm buying, likking ingredients, fat content, calories...

I'm trying to avoid fast food and even if I love it, I don't eat there more than may be 1-2 times per month, and trying not to stuff myself with their food, just to indulge.

I don't buy frozen meals and prefer to cook from scratch. If I want to make burgers, I will go to the store and buy pure ground beef with low fat content. If I want pork, I will buy loin or lean chops. (I do not consider consuming beef or pork as unhealthy in general, as long as you avoid high-fat content cuts). If I want bread, I will bake my own healthy bread in the bread-maker (flour, salt, water, sugar, yeast), not that "biohazard junk" from the stores you can keep for a months fresh on shelf. If I want pizza, I will make it on my own including crust from scratch. I think it's the most healthy way to eat - when you're mostly cooking from scratch and know what's inside of your food and how little it processed. We both, me and Amy, love to cook, so for us it's more fun than chore, and I really love homemade food, it doesn't bother me to spend couple of hours after work to make delicious dinners for us for next 3 days. Almost any time I occasionally tried some frozen meal because had no time to cook, I thought "for the horde, how did they get to ruin food so much on the factory?"

If I'm cooking at home something not really healthy (because not healthy food is often so good if cooked right), I'm trying to decrease bad effects as much as possible. If I'm making macaroni, I will pick ones with only flour and water in the ingredients, no any extra ####### (I don't mind enriched flour though), and I will just boil them in water with salt and a tiny bit of oil to keep them not sticky. Well, sometimes, not often, I may sprinkle some real cheese other my macaroni, but I almost never eat that carbofat-bomb "mac&cheese" Americans tend to eat a lot. Pretty often I will cook simple grains for my breakfast or sides for dinner - buckwheat, rice, barley, dried peas. I love them and it's pretty healthy (look content of calories and protein in dried peas). If I'm drinking any soda, it's ALWAYS will be diet with zero calories or I'll drink plain water, and I always use artificial sweeteners for my hot beverages.

Sometimes I'm indulging myself with a candy bar, but I eat fun size one and do not buy normal sized bars with tons of calories. If I'm buying ice cream, I'm trying to buy light versions - with no sugar added and low fat content. And I'm trying to avoid any food with high content of "high fructoze corn siryp" - it annoys me the most that in America they tend to add this ####### almost to everything, even to the food I would never think it could be.

That's most of my ways to eat healthy enough, that I don't feel quilty and don't think that I'm turning my stomach to the trash can like some people do. But I'm trying not to be obsessed with healthy eating, because it's also not fun. You live only one life, so if you don't indulge yourself sometimes what you love, but what is considered as not a healthy food, when are you going to enjoy it?

- Victor from Russia

There is plenty of scientific evidence to suggest that the long-term effects of eating non-organic and processed foods include everything from cancer to obesity. There might not be any difference in calories or fat content, but preservatives are an unnatural thing that has actual effects on the human body. Artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar in this regard and are commonly linked to cancer.

Everyone is free to eat what they want and live how they want. I prefer to live by the 80-20 rule where I eat as healthy and clean as I can 80% of the time and indulge 20% of the time (I'm very into personal fitness and this lifestyle suits me). I disagree that healthy eating isn't fun - I thoroughly enjoy it! And yes, I only live once and only get one body to test myself with so I'd rather fuel it as cleanly as I can.

[ecg19 7]

I had major stomach problems for the first month after arriving here!

Now we cook at home every day and that's the only time my tummy is okay, and it has to be completely clean food.

By the way, high fructose corn syrup products gave me an upset stomach every time, and the other day it was in a 'light' yoghurt(!!!!). I could taste it, it was a ridiculously unnatural flavour.

If we weren't moving to Germany with the military then we would definitely be just shopping at farmers markets etc.

[NikLR 13,227]

I hope that one day we own a home with a big enough yard for a garden. Hubs was raised with one and really likes the idea and wants to do it too. I personally feel that food made without all the pesticides etc, tastes better. I buy organic carrots because they taste better. I like to buy bison, even though it's expensive and I haven't been able to do it for a long time, because they're raised so naturally and the meat is that much better than beef. And I live in the land of BEEF! LOL! I would like to experience what it's like to grow your own food. I know that I won't be growing it all year round but hopefully we can make do. Until then, my husband always misses me when I'm gone if only for the cooking. He eats so much better when I'm there and I know it'll be better when we have longer than 10 days to spend with each other.

(apparently I'm getting called out to make sandwiches for all his friends too... Guess I'm the sandwich guru. LOL)

[indiana_sweetie 120]

I had major stomach problems for the first month after arriving here!

Now we cook at home every day and that's the only time my tummy is okay, and it has to be completely clean food.

By the way, high fructose corn syrup products gave me an upset stomach every time, and the other day it was in a 'light' yoghurt(!!!!). I could taste it, it was a ridiculously unnatural flavour.

If we weren't moving to Germany with the military then we would definitely be just shopping at farmers markets etc.

I have problems and I'm the USC. When I was growing up my mom cooked everything from scratch, including cakes and cookies. I remember the first time I ate a cake from a mix. It tasted like chemicals.