You Are What You Eat!

As I continue to learn more and more about our food supply, where it comes from and how it is manipulated, I have become pretty choosy in my choice of food consumption.  My eating habits per say have not really changed much over the years but the way I shop is certainly starting to.  I’m not going crazy over restrictions like solely organic or anything like that (not yet!).  Nevertheless, the organic packaged food option is often a better one I find because it tends to have less additives, GMOs  (Genetically Modified Organisms) and other foreign substances in comparison to it’s non organic competitors.  I’m also trying to buy meats from local farmers that are free of hormones and that are grass fed (as opposed to grain fed) and I don't buy cheeses that contain modified milk ingredients.  This of course comes at a cost and I’m hoping that the long term benefits will pay off.  Besides, I'm thinking that with better quality we will also appreciate smaller quantities thus avoiding over consumption.  We’ll see how it  goes :-)

Here are my comments on a few of the places I’ve explored.  Common to all undoubtedly is the higher prices you will pay for food so I will not talk much about inevitable higher costs. 

 

The Big Carrot – Danforth

Very quaint and well placed on the Danforth, The Big Carrot has a nice variety of foods and is definitely a nice grocery store to shop in.  Although they carry organic and local meat, if you’re looking for grass fed, you’re better off going somewhere else.  My pet peeve with many health food stores is the amount of supplements they carry and all the advertising that goes with it.  Supplements do have a small role to play with smaller specific populations but I am a firm believer that most of us do not require supplements as long as you are following a well balanced diet.  In fact, I would argue that with the quantities of food we have available at our disposal, the copious amounts of fortified foods on the shelves and of course the true uncertainty of the need for supplements, taking nutrients from a jar can actually become very dangerous.  This is a whole other blog topic in it self!  All in all, it's a nice little store to shop in if you have the doe.

Roe Farms – Queen East & Roncy

I stopped into the one in the beaches and it was very welcoming and clean.  The butchers are also chefs which makes them not only very knowledgeable but you can tell they are passionate about what they do.  We learnt to watch for the way things are worded for instance.   “Antibiotic and hormone free” does not mean the same thing as “Raised free of antibiotics and hormones”.  For more info on definitions check out http://chicken.ca/on-the-farm/from_the_farm_to_you/understanding-your-choices/

I must say, the chicken was very good but my husband and I both found that the rib eye steak was lacking a little flavor and we’re not sure why.  I plan on going back to talk to the guy and see why this would be…

After reading this: http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2011/superbugsinthesupermarket/healthcanada.html

I am better convinced that we need to look out for ourselves because the government sure is not going to!

Beef Connections - Ordering directly from local farmers (no middleman)

http://www.beefconnections.ca/Product_Home.html

We're trying this out for the first time so more to follow on how this works out for us!

 Alex Farm Products – Danforth

Great place to buy good cheese!  My friend and I spent a good 30 minutes in there trying and exploring some delicious cheese.  I also got a great tip on how to make pumpkin fondue!  Let me know if you want details on that one :-)

Toronto Money Spending Going Wrong!

City Select - Great Stroller!

The day started with a decent work out followed by a stop at Moms to be on Bayview (http://www.momstobeandmore.com/contactus.aspx) where I had to return a faulty piece on my stroller in exchange for a new one.   Luckily, I had 14 days left on my 1 year warranty and it’s not going to be an issue.  That makes me happy!  I am quite happy with my Britax double stroller which I purchased there however would recommend the City Select for any one who is comparing.  It has better options with the changing of the seats and also has better wheels.  However, it’s probably more expensive so if those items aren’t a deal breaker for you, the Britax is pretty good.I stopped in for a loaf at Cobs bread.  The cranberry sourdough bread is very good.  I would have bought a croissant but they did not look as good as the ones I am used to on Mt Pleasant or Queen St so I decided it was not worth the extra calories! (go big or go home right!)

Great Place on Queen St for all kinds of goodies!

What I found interesting today was what I heard on news radio this morning however.  Turns out the police have selected today to be the “Get moving Toronto day”.  They are apparently going to come down hard on traffic and parking in the city (specifically downtown) and ticket drivers aggressively over infractions related to clogging up traffic.   Now, I don’t see how traffic is affected by basic parking infractions like going over your paid parking time limit, nevertheless the parking guy I saw today on a small side street (near Bayview south of Eglinton) anyway was seriously on a mission!  I wish I had my camera to video tape this guy speed walk to each car with his huge piece of chalk, very clearly mark every front passenger tire.  Perhaps it was just a coincident that I got there when he did but I don’t think I was even there for 60 seconds before he got to my car and put a line through my front tire!  As I walk out with my coffee and loaf of bred I see him again on Bayview this time checking every car, then boom starts to write out a ticket for one that of course merits one.  During this time, he is eyeing the lady at the parking pass machine (which are so NOT user friendly BTW if you’ve ever used one) as he ensures her he realizes she will have a parking pass very shortly.  

As cbc’s interview will show on http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/ID/2262691565/ 

Apparently busy traffic in downtown Toronto according to Toront police is caused by things like:  “People’s work places being stretched out… we’re trying to modify a certain behaviour… people parking on the side of the road blocking traffic…”cbc radio, Aug 2012.

Really?  Is that what it is?  What about the problem we have with our outdated subway system?  How about the fact that we have really done nothing with our transportation system (public transit or highways) to compensate for the huge population of people moving into the overly exaggerated number of high rise condos in downtown Toronto?  What about the simple fact that there is ongoing construction everywhere in the city making it harder for drivers to get around?  You’re going to ticket UPS because it’s dropping off mail?  I bet if they were dropping off  the city council’s cheques, they would get off with no ticket!  This is not going to help keep people moving!  This will only piss everyone off!

But don’t you worry, Toronto has it all figured out.  To help generate more income, it plans on investing in a huge casino that will be built on what used to be a great place for kids to have fun outdoors; what we will remember as Ontario Place.  In this time of economic hardship, what a great idea huh?  Let’s create a place for people to randomly gamble what little money they have.  Most of these people have families that they have to support.  There is no way the cost of this casino will outweigh it’s benefits for anyone living here unless of course you are running the place.  Way to go Toronto!