Comments on: A Little Look Into Groceries

By: JOANNE

JOANNE — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 07:13:00 +0000

Awesome post, thanks you for sharing! Flooring Installation Providence

By: Sayward

Sayward — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:37:25 +0000

@ Anne – Thanks for the advice, and yup, linking is fine as long as it’s in the right context. ;)

@ Allison – Haha, there are wild blackberries growing *everywhere* here, even on the busy city streets. It’s pretty awesome. =)

By: Allison

Allison — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:38:59 +0000

Yes there is a People’s Co-Op in Ocean Beach. I have only been there once as it is about a 20-30 minute drive there from my house. I was so amazed that they had self serve honey that you could put into your own mason jar. I really wish I lived closer so that I could shop there daily but for now I live on farmers market produce which can be a little expensive but makes me feel good about what I am eating. I usually only go to the one on Sunday and so I have to make my produce last a week, but some of it lasts even longer than that and I freeze a lot of my fruit for smoothies. I am so jealous you live in Portland. When I was young my aunt and uncle lived in Oregon and ever since I went to visit them I have wanted to move there. I think it is the fact that both of their houses had wild blackberries growing all over the place!

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:58:51 +0000

Thanks for the thoughts on sharing the different kinds of food, it was very inspiration and encouraging for me. I spent the past couple of days pondering what you’d said and how to work it into my life and I’m actually looking forward to it! So thank!
Kat – I have to watch my blood sugar too, and always have crackers and nuts around. All you have to make sure of is that it’s high in fiber and low in added sugars and the wrong kinds of fat. Dried fruit releases super fast into your bloodstream and will give you a sugar high, but also the sugar low.
I eat these crackers as snacks: http://www.ggbrancrispbread.com/ (it’s so dry you probably want to eat it with something or you might choke!). Bananas are great too.
You might also find inspiration here for a diet that works with your blood sugars: http://www.the-gi-diet.org/
Hmm..now that I’ve linked *twice* I don’t actually know if that’s even ok to do? Yes/No to outside links? :)

By: Sayward

Sayward — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:58:26 +0000

@ Allison – Yes, tahini! I always have some around (I love hummus!), and I didn’t need any on this particular shopping excursion. But I’m with you there – it’s a staple! =)

My People’s co-op is in Portland, Oregon. There’s one in Ocean Beach? I wonder if they are related . . . ?

@ Meghan – I wrote a bit about the ‘off’ produce method you mentioned, which I think is THE BEST way to feed yourself on a budget. Other than that, I don’t shop daily for things like dried goods and shelf-stable items. I’ll replace something if I really need it, like cooking oil, but if it’s a specific veggie or spice or sauce or something, I try to just make due with what I have on hand. Lots of substitutions – lots of creativity!

@ Michelle – Are you a robot or a real person, haha? Couldn’t tell, but let it through, meh . . .

@ Kat – Congrats for influencing your family! That’s awesome, for them and for the animals. =)

I’m not sure what you mean when you say you don’t ‘get’ the grains thing. Are you wondering how to incorporate cooked grains, or just raw sprouted ones? If it’s cooked let me know and I’ll give a more thorough response. For raw, well I wrote a tutorial on sprouting that introduces the technique. There’s a couple of recipes in there as well. As far as SAD-style omnivores enjoying a sprouted raw grain dish . . . well honestly, that might be a hard sell. If you’re not accustomed to healthy foods, your palate will have trouble enjoying them, unfortunately. I’m sure in dealing with your family, you’re familiar with this phenomenon . . .

Firstly, YES you can be a healthy vegan without eating soy. Definitely! Here’s how you kill two birds with one stone (what a horrible expression, eh?) – nuts! They’ll help you add some of that super-healthy fat, and they’re also a great form of protein. Nuts are soooo good for you, and they are tasty! Try keeping baggies of nuts mixed with your favorite dried fruit on hand. It’s a great source of protein + carbs for that low-blood sugar kick, and totally yummy. PB/almond butter/other nut butter sandwiches or hummus snacks can also be great for quick easy protein.

For soap, there’s tons of vegan soaps that are also free of hemp and soy. Trader Joe’s even carries a few, I think. I’m sure you can find them online.

My thoughts on soy are that it’s fine in moderation and in it’s whole food form. A bit of daily tofu, tempeh, or soy milk, is not going to harm anyone. BUT, ‘isolated soy proteins’ and other forms of highly processed soy are cropping up in everything. It’s in almost all processed, pre-packaged food, it makes up the bulk of most fast food ‘meat’, it’s so ubiquitous it’s like HFCS. That much of anything is not okay. But if people are avoiding processed food and using a bit of whole soy products, along with a varied and balanced plant based diet, I have no concern at all. I use soy like that myself!

Hope that answers your questions. Let me know if you’d like me to expand on anything. =)

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:18:12 +0000

Well, I found my way back to your site again, and this time with a few more veg*n questions! I’m lucky enough to still have my parents paying for food, and in return I cook lots of veggie-heavy meals (there’s now 3 of them in the house avoiding carbs, and one “vegetarian” living with us who basically avoids red meat — She eats chicken, fish, and dairy) and I keep the fruit basket stocked with whatever I think people will eat (currently bananas, golden kiwis, and white nectarines).

First off… I don’t get the whole grain thing. I’ve used bulgar wheat a couple times, and I get that you can cook quinoa like rice. But what about sprouting, or “raw” forms of grains? How do you start to incorporate things like that into a diet, and perhaps more importantly, how do you prepare it in such a way as to get picky “steak and taters” guys into it?

Second off… I would like to try going as vegan as possible as a trial-run. I eat reasonably healthy (with the exception of not getting enough dietary fat, but snacking on avocados is helping with that)… But I simply can’t follow most vegan guidelines. I’m hypoglycemic and need a reasonably concentrated form of protein every 3-4 hours (I buy “orphan” cheeses from the baby basket at Whole Foods for this), have hormone issues where I can’t have any soy or soy-based foods, and am allergic to hemp. (No Dr. Bronner’s for me!) Do you think there’s a feasible, healthy way for me to get away from red meat, commercial soap, and my reliance on dairy? And, on that topic, do you have an opinion on the dangers of soy? I know what it does to MY body, and why I can’t handle it, but I’m still not convinced that it’s the great evil it’s made out to be.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:29:58 +0000

Wow,that’s quite the list! I like to get my salt and peppercorns online @ http://sustainablesourcing.com/

By: Meghan

Meghan — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:06:27 +0000

I tend to plan out a menu for the week and then buy whatever I need for that… but sometimes I get derailed if something is onsale that I didn’t expect, or if the cart at my local grocery store where they put all of the slightly-off produce is full of treasures. I do live within walking distance of several stores and could probably just buy things each day, but I’m afraid I would spend WAY more money that way, and it seems like I tend to spend a ton on food as it is (and I don’t even buy organic for most things… mostly just milk and cheese for my husband!)

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:25:24 +0000

That was so fun reading your list. You and I buy almost exactly the same things. Throw in some tahini for hummus and I’m good. I noticed your bag is the People’s Food Co-Op. Would that happen to be the one in Ocean Beach?

By: Sayward

Sayward — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:57:09 +0000

@ Anne – I feel ya on the price of food. Especially in the last year or so, prices have *skyrocketed*. The only thing I can suggest is to not have a preconception of what you will buy/eat, browse as often as possible (like I said, I check in daily at my market), and shop sales. I’m going to expand on this is the future, but I think that’s generally a great way to cut costs.
As far as differing spousal palates . . . that’s tough! In my own experience, my husband was eating at Taco Bell daily when we started dating, and now, a few years later, he hasn’t (and will not) touched fast food in ages! We went veg*n from full on carnies about a year ago, and in just that short time his tastes have changed *dramatically*. I’m not saying that everyone will have such an 180º transition, but I do KNOW that it is possible for tastes to change – especially when an ‘unhealthy’ body begins to be nourished. The tongue will catch up!
As far as ideas, I still eat a lot more raw foods than my husband, so something I like to do is cook us a main dish and a salad. So for example, I’ll make nom nom sloppy bean and spanish rice burritos, which he loves, with a side salad. He’ll eat a big burrito with a small salad, and I’ll eat a GIANT salad, with just some beans and rice sprinkled on top. That way we both win, we both get delicious and healthy foods, etc. This concept also works great with pastas, stews (soup and bread is D’s fave, but think there are ‘soup people’ and ‘not-soup people’), potato dishes, etc. There are tons of omni-friendly ‘healthy’ meals (think about saucy foods that will take over the flavor), like stir fries, Thai curries, Indian stewy dishes, stuff like that. Another great trick for getting whole grains into the diet is to make rice that’s half (or even 3/4) white rice and the rest brown rice. Ease it in slowly!
Wow, I’m totally rambling. I could do a whole post on this. Hope this has helped!

@ Jenny B. – Wow, we eat REALLY similarly! =D
Thanks so much for the recipe! I *love* bananas and am always looking for fun ways to serve them. Thanks!