Paleo Cookbook For Dummies (50 page)
Read Paleo Cookbook For Dummies Online
Authors: Kellyann Petrucci
Farm stands
Farm stands
are a great choice if you want to get your produce from one particular farmer (as opposed to the farmers' markets in the preceding section). And unlike a CSA, which has a predetermined allotment, you get to pick exactly what you want on your own schedule (within the stand's business hours, of course). I do a lot of seminars and workshops at a local organic farm's community center. Twice a week, this farm sets up a stand where folks can come check out its fantastically fresh veggies and eggs.
If this option sounds like a good fit for you, inquire with local farms to find out whether they have farm stand hours.
Meat clubs
Meat clubs
or
shares
are really useful if you like to have high-quality, fresh meat (and who wouldn't?). These shares work a lot of ways: A local farm may have a supply of grass-fed, pasture-raised meat for sale on a regular basis. Or you can you can organize a group of friends and family and go in on the purchase of a portion or even a whole animal. Some farms may even have a delivery service. Just make sure you have the freezer space to accommodate your share. I and many friends have purchased extra freezer space to accommodate meat shares because it's so worthwhile. One of the biggest bonuses of meat shares is all the money you save.
Visit Eat Wild atwww.eatwild.comfor a directory of farms organized by state.
Online
The Internet makes shopping for food a no-brainer; you can get so many items online that it pretty much squashes all the roadblocks to getting high-quality foods. Plus, you get delivery right to your door, which makes it incredibly easy.
I purchase some of my pantry items online. Items you may have trouble finding elsewhere, such as coconut aminos and coconut butter, are easily accessible online. Proteins and produce are easy to find online as well.
Here are some good sites to source Paleo foods and spices:
www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok
You can also find Paleo-meal delivery businesses online. I actually started one myself called Living Paleo Foods (www.livingpaleofoods.com).
Food marketing
Food marketing can get downright evil. The amount of money corporations pour into learning exactly what type of ads consumers respond to is daunting.
Do you know what the food industry calls the
potato chip marketing equation?
This concept works off the idea that more than 90 percent of sales are made to less than 10 percent of customers. The companies figure getting existing customers to repeat buy a bag of potato chips is easier than getting a new customer to take the leap, so they study the 10 percent up and down, inside and out.
According to a 2010 Nielsen Consumer report, the average American watched more than 4Â hours of TV per day, or 28 hours per week, in that year. That's two months of uninterrupted TV watching for the year! The average number of commercials the average person sees by age 65 is 2 million, and most of these commercials are ads put out by pharmaceutical companies and the food industry. Even if you don't watch TV, know that corporations pay great attention to food the packaging that you find in the stores to make sure you pick up that product.
To combat marketing, consider your food values. Getting really clear on what your foundational foods (your yes foods) are helps keep you out of the potato chip aisle. Sticking as close as you can to Paleo-approved foods makes all the ridiculous food marketing a nonissue in your life.
Focusing on Food Quality
The quality of your food can make all the difference in making Paleo work for you. You can turn an ordinary food into a superfood when you chose foods with the highest quality. What quality really means to you is you get more nutrition, which helps you build the healthiest cells possible. The following sections help you look for quality in every food category.