Grocery shopping done differently

Today as I prepared my menus and shopping list for the next week, I realized just how differently I am functioning in my capacity as chief cook. For as long as I can remember, Sunday mornings would entail cutting and sorting coupons, making menus and a shopping list from these and the most economical purchases possible from four or five local grocery stores, and visiting those stores. While we transitioned to traditional, local foods, I put that practice on hold and instead made menus using a different formula. Instead of what was cheapest, I began choosing what was most nutritious. Breakfast cereals disappeared from my kitchen (except the one box hubby keeps hidden) and were replaced by eggs, bacon, pancakes and waffles from soaked grain and coconut flour muffins. Lunch meats are gone, replaced by leftover meats roasted in my own oven for sandwiches and salads. Bags of frozen vegetables have been replaced by what is available locally and in season whenever possible. Store bought has given way to homemade, and there are many items we just do without and haven’t missed at all. Even our toiletries have changed: homemade tooth soap instead of store bought toothpaste, homemade deodorant, homemade herbal insect repellent, the list goes on and on.

It’s been so gradual that I really didn’t notice just how far my paradigm had shifted until today. When the paper arrived, I grabbed the store circulars and coupons, hoping to save a few dollars while we wait patiently for the finances to once again catch up to our needs this month. I flipped through each circular, mentally disqualifying hundreds of items. “No, GMO. No, over-processed. No, nutritionally bereft. No, too much sugar. No, WAY too much sugar. No, liquid candy. No, no, no.” Part of me felt guilty for being so elitist in my food choices. I wondered, if there were an emergency: tornado, earthquake, flood, etc. would my family starve because I wouldn’t allow them to eat emergency rations? I quickly slapped myself out of that silliness. Of course we’d eat emergency rations, but that’s in an emergency. Every day isn’t an emergency and I can’t expect healthy, intelligent growing children to continue to be healthy, intelligent and growing by feeding them emergency rations! For now, for today, the good Lord has blessed us with local, organic foods and the money to buy them.

I can see a day coming this summer when my trips to the health food store will be 10 minutes long, to grab onions, rice, oat groats, wheat berries and potatoes. My local farmers provide eggs, milk, meat, honey and vegetables. I make my own processed dairy products. I buy coconut oil and liquid castile soap (for all my cleaning purposes) online. What freedom!

This post is part of Real Food Wednesdays, hosted by Cheeseslave.