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food: information insanity

veggies

If knowledge is power, what is too much knowledge? Insanity for sure. When we all walk around with computers in our pockets allowing us access to unlimited knowledge every moment of every day, it’s a wonder we can ever come to any conclusion about anything. But decide we must, at least when we’re walking through the grocery aisles. Because a body’s got to eat. So, GMO or non-GMO? Organic or not? Is it grown sustainably and what does that even mean? And natural? Really? Cage free or pasture raised? Local is the most important? Forget it….I’m just going to grow carrots and eat them straight out of the dirt. Oh dang…are those carrot seeds organic?

Environmental Working Group, my go-to place for everything sunscreen has saved the day (my day, anyway) with a food app. You can scan a barcode and find out that the Annie’s Mac and Cheese on my shelf (don’t judge…I still have a teenager at home) rates a 4.5 (1 being the best and 10 being the worst) and that the nutrition concerns rate a 4, the ingredients rate a 3, and the processing is in the 6-7 range. You’ll also find out that it’s organic, has moderately concerning food additives, contains 38% of the recommended daily salt intake, is antibiotic free, and quite a good deal more. You’ll also learn from the app that most of the mac and cheese out there is in the 6 range….so if you’ve gotta have mac and cheese you could do worse. If you follow up online you will find out why the salt quantity is concerning. You will also find out which of EWG’s rated products rate better or worse by their own standards.

ewg food scores

courtesy ewg.org

Now, if you’d like to head back into the insanity sector, check out your grocery item’s politics. Yup, your toilet paper and green beans are partisan. BuyPartisan is an app that let’s you scan barcodes and find out if your cart is full of red or blue. If you’ve got the rest of it figured out, this might be next for you. Cause you don’t want to give your hard earned cash to the other guys, right?

Gotta go….I have carrot seeds to plant.

Keep in touch,
Leslie