Dear Powers that Be,
Can someone please tell me what I'm supposed to feed my family? This all started when I listened to that program on NPR about the movie Food Inc. I haven't actually seen the movie and don't know that I ever will because I'm not sure I can handle the scary information overload it surely would offer. However, as I understand it, the movie examines, among other issues, the dangers of pesticide use, mega farms and fast food consumption.
The radio program discussed the "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables to avoid because of high pesticide levels. I had read about this plenty of times and didn't take action, but hearing the program, I finally decided to do something about it. I would make a concerted effort to buy more local produce, to get organic alternatives for the dirty dozen. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but it's been even more difficult than I had guessed. I started gung ho. I trekked over to the local organic food shop. Of course, the produce was more expensive and, in most cases, didn't look as pretty as the non-organic stuff. No surprise, after one week of trying to visit two different grocery stores, I decided it wasn't realistic for me. Instead, I would do the best I could with my grocery store's tiny selection of organic produce.
I didn't feel like I was succeeding as I had hoped, but I was doing the best I could with limited time and availability of organic choices. Then one day my mom told me about an article in Consumer Reports about BPA. This would be bisphenol A, a plastic additive whose presence has been linked to health problems from cancer to irregular hormone changes. Cans are lined with BPA-containing plastic - all those cans of black beans, soup, and, yes, organic tomatoes, in my cupboard. What to do? According to the article, try to go with frozen or fresh produce. Buying dry beans and dicing my own organic tomatoes? Not looking too practical for this busy mom.
To top it all off, I listened to another program this week on NPR. It was about factory farming and the treatment of animals. The program featured Jonathan Safran Foer, author of the new book, Eating Animals. Foer detailed all kinds of problems with factory farming - negative environmental impact, the use of hormones and antibiotics in animals, and the abysmal treatment of said animals. Though I care about animals, I wouldn't describe myself as anything close to an animal activist. I'm not a big meat eater, but I do enjoy it several times a week. Foer's argument gave me pause. After all, I don't think it's right for animals to be brought into this world only to endure a tortured existence and die a horrific death. But going to vegetarianism for me and my family? Not going to happen.
So, Powers that Be, you see my problem. The fresh produce is riddled with pesticides, the canned foods contaminated with BPA, and the meat is the flesh of tortured animals. How can I find the middle ground and make healthy choices for my family?
I await your reply.
Sincerely,
Jessica Thiel
