Gobble Gobble: Where Does My Thanksgiving Turkey Come From?

In a book that changed my understanding of food, Jonathan Safran Foer (author of Eating Animals), describes Thanksgiving:

Of the thousand-or-so meals we eat every year, Thanksgiving dinner is the one that we try most earnestly to get right. It holds the hope of being a good meal, whose ingredients, efforts, setting, and consuming are expressions of the best in us. More than any other meal, it is about good eating and good thinking.

I couldn’t agree more. Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favourite celebrations of the year, and the turkey which sits as a prized dish at the centre of the table is a symbol of the annual ritual that brings all our loved ones together. Yet Foer’s depiction of our relationship to turkeys seems to speak otherwise:

And more than any other food, the Thanksgiving turkey embodies the paradoxes of  eating animals: what we do to living turkeys is just about as bad as anything humans have ever done to any animal in the history of the world.

Having researched and visited factory farms where he experienced the deplorable living conditions of these birds, Foer asks the simple question: Should we serve turkey at Thanksgiving?

I asked myself the same question when I first started becoming more conscious of the lives of animals on factory farms. According to the Turkey Farmers of Canada, last year alone Canadians consumed 142 million kg of turkey. Thanksgiving and Christmas apparently account for the two largest purchases of turkey. During last year’s Thanksgiving, 3.1 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 35% of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year. That is a whole lot of turkey, and one can only imagine how these birds end up on our dinner plates.

In a factory farm, thousands of turkeys are housed together in a large space with barely any room to maneuver. They are debeaked i.e. their upper beaks are snipped off with machinery to prevent them, while being confined with thousands of others, from pecking at each other.  Foer describes a farm that he visited, where there were “tens of thousands of turkey chicks … huddled in groups, asleep beneath the heat lamps installed to replace the warmth their broody mothers would have provided.”

Instead of open pastures where turkeys can forage, the factory farm is characterized by “lights, feeders, fans, and heat lamps evenly spaced in a perfectly calibrated artificial day.” Food writer, Kristin Wartman, describes the living conditions of turkeys on these farms:

Industrially produced turkeys spend their first three weeks of life crammed into a brooder with hundreds of other birds. In the fourth week, turkey chicks are moved from the brooder to a giant window-less room with 10,000 other turkeys where bright lights shine 24 hours a day. With the lights constantly blaring, natural sleeping, eating, and fertility patterns are completely disrupted and the turkeys are, for the most part, kept awake and eating non-stop. Turkeys have an instinct to roost, or to clutch something when they sleep, but on the floor of a crowded room there is no such opportunity. If this is starting to sound like torture to you, you’re on the mark.

Like all animals, turkeys are sentient beings. They experience pain and pleasure. In a factory farm they undergo tremendous stress from having to survive in an overcrowded environment and where they are unable to live a free life.

After reading Eating Animals and watching documentaries like Food Inc. I felt the only recourse was to refrain from eating meat. Period. The only problem with that is (a) I LOVE meat and (b) I love turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Fortunately, there are farmers out there who value the lives of animals, and are committed to raising animals in an ethical manner. I started to seek out these individuals. I went to farmers markets, spoke to people, read blogs. One thing I’ve learned is that farmers sell more than what they bring to the market. Steve can sell vegetables at the market but raise sheep, turkeys and chickens that you can buy straight from his farm. So it’s a good idea to talk to farmers because there’s a lot more that they offer than what you see at their stands at the weekend market.

For the past few years I’ve been buying my turkey from local farmers who raise their turkeys in an open pasture, where they get to eat grubs, worms, grass and clover. These animals taste so much better. In factory farms, in the dark light or constant brightness turkeys are fed feed and because they don’t have much room to move around, or obtain natural light, they don’t grow properly. How can a bird living under these conditions ever taste good? How can it be healthy?

There’s always the issue of cost. I saw a Butterball turkey yesterday at the grocery store for $3.30/lb. I buy my turkey for $4.35/lb. The difference in price is not that substantial especially when I consider what I’m getting: a fresh, healthy animal that lived a happy life. Isn’t it worth it?

In a letter to his daughter in 1784 (an excerpt here), Benjamin Franklin questioned whether the bald eagle should serve as the national bird of the United States of America:

I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America…

I wonder what Franklin would think of how we treat the turkey today?

I wish you all a happy thanksgiving this year and for years to come. I also encourage you to think a little more about how valuable Thanksgiving is, and the meaning of appreciation we attach to this important day. Should we not do the same for the animals we eat?

A First Kick at the Can at Tomato Canning

In an effort to avoid buying bland, hot house tomatoes in the middle of winter, I’ve wanted a way to have access to delicious, flavoured tomatoes for stewing and for sauces on those cold days when a hot stew is in perfect order. The idea of canning was way too overwhelming. Thoughts of botulism or the long process of washing, blanching and canning a bushel of tomatoes was enough to deter me. But this year I decided to take the leap and try it out. I wanted to appreciate the value of preserving food to sustain our family through the winter. If I start with something as “simple” as canning tomatoes, the possibilities would be endless.

I started to research how to properly can tomatoes. I needed a guide to really dumb down the entire process for me. A great reference point is the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 revision which provides a step-by-step approach for canning various foods, including tomatoes, and other interesting things like poultry. I never imagined the possibility of canning a chicken, but I guess anything is possible. I also talked to A LOT of people. I asked questions, got tips and ideas. Do I really need to remove the skin off the tomatoes? An overwhelming YES! No matter how much I wanted to avoid this mind-numbing step, it proved to be very crucial in ensuring a tasty end product.

And so began my canning story.

My first step was to find the perfect tomatoes. I had the unfortunate luck of all my tomato plants becoming infected with blight this summer so the hopes of canning my garden tomatoes were shot. The next best thing was a local farmer who sold organic Roma tomatoes. Last year I bought a large quantity from Waratah Downs Organic Farm at the Ottawa Farmers Market. I froze most of my order and also made tomato sauce which I cooked down for hours and frozen in batches.

Pleased with my tasty tomatoes from Waratah Downs Organic Farm last year, I returned a few Sundays ago. John invited me to the back of his stand to go through his tomatoes and pick out a half bushel of Romas. Not only did I walk away with a good stash, but Kim who also works with Waratah, gave me so many great tips on canning tomatoes and more importantly, some serious encouragement that this was not a difficult endeavour.

I returned home with almost a half bushel of tomatoes, weighing in at just under 25lbs. I then needed equipment to can these bad boys. A trip to Canadian Tire and voila: 12 x 1 litre mason jars, a 20 litre canner for sterilizing the mason jars and processing the tomatoes once canned, a rack for lifting the mason jars out of the boiling water, a funnel, a jar lifter, a lid lifter, a bubble remover, ice cubes, paper towels, and some lemon juice. Actually, I bought the lemon juice from the grocery store. I’m glad I decided on pre-squeezed because, looking back, I think having to squeeze as many lemons to fill all those jars would have really turned me off the idea of canning … forever.

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I was ready to start canning. First, I washed my tomatoes thoroughly and lay them on a tea cloth:

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I then sterilized the jars which, surprisingly, took more time than I expected. It’s amazing how long it takes to boil over 20 litres of water. I ended up boiling another batch of mason jars in a separate pot, which saved a lot of time. 

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I sterilized the lids separately. One lesson I learned with canning, is that while mason jars and screw bands can be reused, the metal snap lids should never be reused.

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I brought a medium-sized pot of water to a boil, and began the tedious task of blanching the tomatoes. However, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t as dreary and time consuming as I expected. I placed the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 to 60 seconds then dipped them in a bowl of cold water (this is where the ice cubes came in handy). The skin easily peeled off. I then removed the cores before placing the tomatoes in the mason jars.

I filled the mason jars with the tomatoes, leaving ½-inch headspace. I also added two tablespoons of lemon juice into each jar. The air bubble remover became handy to remove air bubbles from the jars. I (and by “I”, I mean my loving husband who took four hours of his vacation time to help can) then wiped each jar with a paper towel to clean off any remaining juices. We then screwed the lids on but not too tightly.

We then placed the jars back into the water canners and covered them with at least one inch of water. We processed the jars in boiling water for at least 45 minutes.

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We set the jars down to cool for 24 hours and this was our final product:

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In short, we canned almost half a bushel of Roma tomatoes (just under 25 lbs) in about four hours, and ended up with 9 x 1 litre jars of tomatoes. Not bad for a first try. More importantly, I conquered a fear of canning, which turned out to be quite a delightful experience (and bonding opportunity). Who would’ve thought!

Tasting Something New at Roots and Shoots

I can be a culinary creature of habit. I’m often too intimidated to try new vegetables. Rainbow beet root was living on the dark side. On the rare occasion that I have bought something ‘daring’, I ended up being too lazy to find a complimentary recipe, and it sat in the fridge to wilt away. I needed to pace myself. Start with something not too threatening. No Jerusalem artichoke or celery root. Instead, at the Roots and Shoots stand one morning at the market, Danny the farmer convinced me to try napa cabbage.

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I was slightly familiar with this cabbage. I had seen it in the grocery aisle labelled ‘Chinese cabbage’, and it kinda resembled lettuce. When I was a child, my girlfriend’s mom would stir-fry lettuce for us and I thought it was amazing. Stir-fry, I thought. Not too complicated! I bought a bunch, or two, and two years later all I keep thinking is: how did I survive life without this delicious bundle of absolute goodness?

Two lessons learned: (1) it’s not always a challenge to try something new (Jerusalem artichoke is still on my to-do list) and (2) Roots and Shoots grow some good stuff. I had to take a trip to the farm. A few weeks ago, we drove out to the farm which lies near the Bakker’s General Store at the corner of Mitch Owen’s Drive and Manotick Station Road.

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These guys are BUSY. I had emailed Robin to see if we could pop by for a visit, and he graciously agreed but warned that he might not have the time to give us a formal tour. We pulled up to the farm while Dymmie, one of the farmers, was rinsing some carrots that she just harvested:

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There is nothing as inviting as the rich, strong smell of root vegetables that have JUST been pulled from the earth. I breathed it all in, and for a split second imagined giving it all up to live on a farm to enjoy this sublime moment every single harvest. Then reality sunk in. These gals and guys are up at the crack of dawn every day, working long hours to supply their CSAs with a generous bounty, and to have surplus to bring to market each week. It is grueling, back breaking labour I’m sure, and it’s given me a strong appreciation for the simple slogan “Farmers Feed Cities”.

I’ve always regretted not signing up to the Roots and Shoots CSA, and I guess there’s always next year. They are well priced, certified organic and have a great range of veges in each share. They are at the Ottawa Farmers’ Market at Byron Park on Saturdays, and Brewer Park on Sundays; the Bakker’s General Store right near their farm in Manotick, and some other markets as listed on their website. Unfortunately, they are no longer at the Kanata Farmers’ Market on Saturdays.

Just recently I bought some cured butternut which I planned on storing in my basement for winter, but made soup instead. It was my first ever entirely local meal where all the ingredients came from within 150km of home (recipe to follow).

I’ve learned to taste new veges for the first time, like napa cabbage, but also really taste familiar veges for the first time, like celery. I had only eaten celery from the grocery store until I bought a bunch from Roots and Shoots one summer. The strong, distinct celery taste was like nothing I had ever eaten before. I truly tasted celery for the first time.

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Day 2 Lunch Treat: a 5 minute Chocolate Recipe

Chocolate is my kryptonite. It makes me weak in the knees and melts me to my core. I love chocolate and it was with some disappointment that all the chocolate snacks in the grocery aisle were loaded with preservatives and other unpronounceable ingredients.

For instance, Kraft’s Jell-O chocolate fudge pudding snacks, while low in fat are high in sugar (17g per serving size of 99g) and contain the following ingredients:

WATER, SKIM MILK FROM CONCENTRATE (WATER, CONCENTRATED SKIM MILK) OR RECONSTITUTED SKIM MILK (WATER, SKIM MILK POWDER), SUGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, COCOA, HYDROGENTAED COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OIL, SALT, SODIUM STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, MALTODEXTRIN, COLOUR, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOUR.

What are “artificial flavours”? Isn’t this just meant to be chocolate? If so, why is the cocoa one of the last listed ingredients?

I decided to make my own recipe which contained a generous amount of cocoa. It took only three ingredients and just five minutes. The main ingredient is nothing other than avocado. I know right?!? When my girlfriend shared this recipe with me a few months ago I laughed at the idea of pudding made with avocado. But she swears by it. I tried it and even my most discriminating chocolate lover (dear husband) gobbled it down. So why not make this as a treat for school?

This is all I used:

2 ripe avocados
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder or cocoa powder (I used Dutch process cocoa powder)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

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I blended all ingredients together and voila:

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Lunch for the First Day Back to School

Today marks the first official day of school for many kids, and packing lunch will now be a daily routine for the next nine months. The challenge for me is to find wholesome and delicious foods that will not come home in my child’s school bag. I’ve been fortunate to have a child with a very curious and healthy appetite, but I still feel the need to be creative when coming up with snacks and lunch ideas.

This is what I came up with for the first day of school:

Veges and hummus with tomatoes picked from the garden:

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Homemade granola bars:

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Smoked sausage from Pork of Yore (nitrate-free) and apple sauce:

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Quinoa salad with curry dressing and mint:

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Surprisingly, the big hit was the quinoa salad which included mint that she got to pick from the garden. I’m convinced that when kids participate in meal prep they are more likely to enjoy their meals.

I’m on a mission to find healthy and wholesome lunch ideas that my kids will love and that I’ll also love to prepare. Stay tuned!

How to Stretch a Whole Chicken into Several Meals

Tonight I succeeded in making a chicken dish that would last two dinners, two lunches as well as over 20 litres of chicken stock, all from a 5lb chicken that cost me about $22.00.

When I started making chicken stock a few years ago, I had no idea what I had been missing out on. I had relied on chicken bouillon cubes which, when I read the labels, were loaded with sodium (even the “organic” ones). So I switched to the liquids in the tetra packs but they didn’t do much for me. I then decided I would make my own stock, and I haven’t looked back since.

I make a big batch of chicken stock a few times a year which I then freeze. While it can be laborious at first (and especially without proper equipment like a good quality stock pot, ladles, adequately sized sieves), the absolute and divine pleasure of homemade stock is second to none. It adds a rich, creamy taste to all my soups. I often substitute chicken stock when making quinoa for salads or other side dishes. The results are pure genius.

When I cut up a chicken this morning for my dinner meal, I kept the carcass to make stock. I was able to fill six mason jars with 3.5 cups each of stock:

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The recipe for my chicken stock is here. I’ve also included my favourite sweet potato soup recipe that I love making in the dead cold months of winter.

When the stock is cooked, cooled and jarred, I reserve some of the remaining chicken pieces and the next day we have chicken soup for lunch, as well as the day after that.

Imagine the possibilities when we think creatively about how we cook food? I used to throw out the carcass since I had no further use for it, until I realized that I could get more bang for my buck if I actually used the WHOLE chicken. A penny saved really is a penny earned!

On the Risks of Advertising to Children

Like millions of children across North America, my little girl will be starting kindergarten for the first time this year. This is monumental. She’s going to be in the school system for at least the next fifteen years. That’s half a generation!

Today the 21st Annual School Bus Safety Awareness Day took place across Ottawa, with information sessions on bus safety for all new incoming students. I have to say, I was truly impressed about how well organized the event was. As we pulled into the high school where the information session would take place, we were greeted by a friendly man who explained in great detail where to go and what we could expect. We followed the red arrows into the building to register, and were immediately welcomed by a team of administrators ready to register all our little girls and boys.

Then I saw it, everywhere images of the golden arches. This event, the first real exposure of 3, 4 and 5 year old children to the school system was none other than McDonald’s. What better way to attract young children to the fast food world than to sponsor this kind of school event. It’s not like they were giving away happy meals with chicken nuggets and greasy fries. No, this was WAY more subtle: loot bags with colouring paper, crayons and a place mat with Ronald McDonald and his sidekicks Grimace (I can’t remember the others).

This innocent advertising campaign speaks volumes about the perils of childhood obesity. McDonald’s would have no financial interest in sponsoring such an event if it didn’t generate revenue. And as subtle and inconspicuous as this gesture may be, it has serious consequences for all of us, most importantly our children.

For one, children are heavily attracted to logos and advertising. An article in Time reports on a study published a few years ago by researchers at Stanford University which showed that “children as young as three years old responded to [McDonald’s] familiar logo and packaging, saying that they preferred the taste of food coming out of McDonald’s bags to the taste of the same food items emerging from plain paper bags.”

I have very fond memories of eating McDonald’s as a child. I had a birthday party in the McDonald’s caboose. When I was in elementary school we would have McDonald’s lunch days when happy meals would be delivered to our schools and, for a small cost, parents were relieved of the hassle of packing lunch. I LOVED McDonald’s lunch days. I felt like all the other kids. We got to eat our burgers and nibble on the character-shaped cookies for dessert.

What better way to enjoy a meal. What better way than to contribute to our growing childhood obesity epidemic. According to Health Canada, “[o]besity rates among children and youth in Canada have nearly tripled in the last 30 years.” Some of the physical health problems our children suffer from obesity include “high blood pressure or heart disease, type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea and other breathing problems, abnormal or missed menstrual cycles” and the list goes on.

Canada is in the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic” according to the Public Health Agency of Canada where “[m]ore than one-in-four children and youth in Canada are overweight or obese.” The Public Health Agency has indicated that among the factors that contribute to childhood obesity is “the marketing of foods and beverages high in fat, sugar and/or sodium to children, and increased food availability and increasing portion sizes.”

So when McDonald’s sponsors a school event we as parents should not be so quick to dismiss this as a solution to our budget strapped education system. I’m not blaming McDonald’s for causing childhood obesity, but I do believe that unhealthy and heavily processed fast food plays a part in contributing to these growing statistics. If McDonald’s really cared about our children’s health, then instead of the mysterious orange drink they served today, the one that leaves an orange moustache above a child’s mouth, they could’ve served fresh fruit, or even freshly squeezed orange juice.

Advertising to children has proven to be successful in encouraging children to consume more of the advertized products, but prohibiting advertising to children has also proven to reduce consumption. Quebec was one of the first provinces to ban advertising to children. In 1980, the Quebec government prohibited the “use of commercial advertising directed at persons under thirteen years of age.” The University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business studied the effects of such a ban, which concluded that, “people in that province bought less junk food and their children tend to weigh less than their North American counterparts.” According to Assistant Professor Tirtha Dhar, a marketing expert at the School of Business, the annual decline in household fast food purchases represents the equivalent of US $88 million in 2010 dollars. For Dhar, “[i]n terms of meals, that reduction represents 13 and 18 billion fewer fast-food calories a year.” Quebec has the lowest obesity rate than any other province in Canada, despite its children having one of the most sedentary lifestyles in the country.

I can appreciate that our school boards have very reduced budgets and it makes sense to rely on private sponsors to help promote events like the one held today on bus safety. But at what cost? In the long run, we may end up with even higher financial expenses. According to the Public Health Agency, “[t]here will also be an increase in health care costs, and a high risk of lost productivity in the Canadian economy as a result of an anticipated greater level of absenteeism and weight-related illnesses among Canada’s … more obese workforce.” This is definitely food for thought!

As parents we are accountable to our children, and no matter how many fast food chains out there or how ubiquitous advertising to children is, we are ultimately responsible for what our children consume. We all make these decisions. For me, it has involved a process of self-reflection and deciding what and how I am going to feed my family. While I did eat McDonald’s growing up, my parents also instilled in me the importance of a healthy and wholesome diet. This is not the case for millions of other Canadian families and the fact that over 1-in-4 of our children is overweight or obese is a testament that the message on healthy eating is getting lost. I don’t have all the answers but I truly believe, and as the science has proven, advertising to children should be prohibited and fast food companies have no place in our children’s schools.

On the Risks of Advertising to Children

Like millions of children across North America, my little girl will be starting kindergarten for the first time this year. This is monumental. She’s going to be in the school system for at least the next fifteen years. That’s half a generation!

Today the 21st Annual School Bus Safety Awareness Day took place across Ottawa, with information sessions on bus safety for all new incoming students. I have to say, I was truly impressed about how well organized the event was. As we pulled into the high school where the information session would take place, we were greeted by a friendly man who explained in great detail where to go and what we could expect. We followed the red arrows into the building to register, and were immediately welcomed by a team of administrators ready to register all our little girls and boys.

Then I saw it, everywhere images of the golden arches. This event, the first real exposure of 3, 4 and 5 year old children to the school system was none other than McDonald’s. What better way to attract young children to the fast food world than to sponsor this kind of school event. It’s not like they were giving away happy meals with chicken nuggets and greasy fries. No, this was WAY more subtle: loot bags with colouring paper, crayons and a place mat with Ronald McDonald and his sidekicks Grimace (I can’t remember the others).

This innocent advertising campaign speaks volumes about the perils of childhood obesity. McDonald’s would have no financial interest in sponsoring such an event if it didn’t generate revenue. And as subtle and inconspicuous as this gesture may be, it has serious consequences for all of us, most importantly our children.

For one, children are heavily attracted to logos and advertising. An article in Time reports on a study published a few years ago by researchers at Stanford University which showed that “children as young as three years old responded to [McDonald’s] familiar logo and packaging, saying that they preferred the taste of food coming out of McDonald’s bags to the taste of the same food items emerging from plain paper bags.”

I have very fond memories of eating McDonald’s as a child. I had a birthday party in the McDonald’s caboose. When I was in elementary school we would have McDonald’s lunch days when happy meals would be delivered to our schools and, for a small cost, parents were relieved of the hassle of packing lunch. I LOVED McDonald’s lunch days. I felt like all the other kids. We got to eat our burgers and nibble on the character-shaped cookies for dessert. What better way to enjoy a meal.

What better way than to contribute to our growing childhood obesity epidemic. According to Health Canada, “[o]besity rates among children and youth in Canada have nearly tripled in the last 30 years.” Some of the physical health problems our children suffer from obesity include “high blood pressure or heart disease, type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea and other breathing problems, abnormal or missed menstrual cycles” and the list goes on.

Canada is in the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic” according to the Public Health Agency of Canada where “[m]ore than one-in-four children and youth in Canada are overweight or obese.” The Public Health Agency has indicated that among the factors that contribute to childhood obesity is “the marketing of foods and beverages high in fat, sugar and/or sodium to children, and increased food availability and increasing portion sizes.”

So when McDonald’s sponsors a school event we as parents should not be so quick to dismiss this as a solution to our budget strapped education system. I’m not blaming McDonald’s for causing childhood obesity, but I do believe that unhealthy and heavily processed fast food plays a part in contributing to these growing statistics. If McDonald’s really cared about our children’s health, then instead of the mysterious orange drink they served today, the one that leaves an orange moustache above a child’s mouth, they could’ve served fresh fruit, or even freshly squeezed orange juice.

Advertising to children has proven to be successful in encouraging children to consume more of the advertized products, but prohibiting advertising to children has also proven to reduce consumption. Quebec was one of the first provinces to ban advertising to children. In 1980, the Quebec government prohibited the “use of commercial advertising directed at persons under thirteen years of age.” The University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business studied the effects of such a ban, which concluded that, “people in that province bought less junk food and their children tend to weigh less than their North American counterparts.” According to Assistant Professor Tirtha Dhar, a marketing expert at the School of Business, the annual decline in household fast food purchases represents the equivalent of US $88 million in 2010 dollars. For Dhar, “[i]n terms of meals, that reduction represents 13 and 18 billion fewer fast-food calories a year.” Quebec has the lowest obesity rate than any other province in Canada, despite its children having one of the most sedentary lifestyles in the country.

I can appreciate that our school boards have very reduced budgets and it makes sense to rely on private sponsors to help promote events like the one held today on bus safety. But at what cost? In the long run, we may end up with even higher financial expenses. According to the Public Health Agency, “[t]here will also be an increase in health care costs, and a high risk of lost productivity in the Canadian economy as a result of an anticipated greater level of absenteeism and weight-related illnesses among Canada’s … more obese workforce.” This is definitely food for thought!

As parents we are accountable to our children, and no matter how many fast food chains out there or how ubiquitous advertising to children is, we are ultimately responsible for what our children consume. We all make these decisions. For me, it has involved a process of self-reflection and deciding what and how I am going to feed my family. While I did eat McDonald’s growing up, my parents also instilled in me the importance of a healthy and wholesome diet. This is not the case for millions of other Canadian families and the fact that over 1-in-4 of our children is overweight or obese is a testament that the message on healthy eating is getting lost. I don’t have all the answers but I truly believe, and as the science has proven, advertising to children should be prohibited and fast food companies have no place in our children’s schools.

Eating Local and Truly Organic Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune

The one concern I often hear about pursuing a local, truly organic diet is the high cost involved in consuming these foods. The truth is that eating pasture-raised meats and eggs and local produce doesn’t always have to cost an arm and a leg. With some creativity, innovation and thinking outside the box I’ve managed to keep our food budget down quite a lot.

Two years ago I would snicker at the suggestion of buying a cow. Why? How? It’s frozen! Where would I put all that meat? Then last year a few friends and I bought a quarter-cow from Dobson’s Grass Fed Beef. We received 152lbs of beef at a cost of $4.30/lb. The total cost of the order was $654.00. We each owed $218.00. The meat lasted us months.

A few weeks ago, a few of my friends and I purchased a whole cow which we split four ways. Our quarter order was $564.00. I then split the order with another friend, and my 1/8 share cost me $282.00. This is what I came home with:

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There are about 20 packs of ground beef, and enough stewing beef, pot roasts, steaks and soup bones to last our family months.

Creativity and thinking outside the box has allowed us to keep our food budget to $800.00 a month for a family of four (and often six with family staying with us during the week). Some tricks I’ve found helpful:

Mealplanning: ever go shopping on an empty stomach or with no clue what to make for dinner that week? I’ve been guilty of this bad habit and walked out the grocery store with food that only ended up in the garbage because it was wasted. Every week I plan what we’re eating for lunch and dinner and make a list of all the ingredients needed. Meal planning takes a bit of time, but we end up consuming less (just what we need) and, therefore, spend less.  It’s also helpful to write down our meal plan for the family to see. We painted a chalk board in the kitchen for the kids to scribble on. On top, I set out the weekly meal plan for everyone to read. That way, we’re all on the same page about what we’re eating for the week.

Growing our own food: what better way to save money than to grow your own food? Produce like tomatoes become very expensive in the winter (and taste pretty bland too) so growing my own tomatoes, green peppers and herbs in the summer has allowed us to save lots of money. I then freeze the tomatoes or make a huge pot of tomato sauce that I save for those cold January nights to make hearty beef stew. I have to admit that I haven’t had much luck this year with my yields so I’ve found a local farmer who supplies me with a bushel or two of very ripe tomatoes at a bargain cost. I’ve saved money this way.

Shop directly from the farmers: local markets are great. Not only do you have direct access to fresh fruits and vegetables, but you get to meet the people who grow them. Avoiding the middle man brings the cost of food down. Visiting the farm directly has saved us even more money. I spent a morning picking berries at Rideau Pines Farms and for only $15.00 we walked away with two pints of raspberries, black currants, snow peas, a head of broccoli and some other tasty vegetables.

Be creative in the kitchen: yes, I buy an expensive ($35.00) pork shoulder to make pulled pork. But I’ve made it last three meals. When I prepare an expensive cut of meat we eat it with other foods, like legumes and vegetables, that don’t cost a lot. That way our meals stretch over a few days. Thanks to the Internet and amazing food blogs, I’ve come up with recipes that are nourishing, delicious and easy on our budget. I remember the days of coming home after a long work week, not wanting to cook, and ordering take-out. It costs a fortune to feed a family, even once a week, on take-out. On those Fridays where we know we’ll be too tired to cook after work, it’s nice to just pull out a few steaks from the freezer and grill them when we get home. It’s still way cheaper than take-out, and also healthier.

Healthy and fresh food will always cost more. But the added benefits are priceless: health, balance, and longevity. I’m prepared to pay more to eat well because I truly appreciate that what we put into our bodies is more than just fuel. Food sustains us, it connects us, and it gives us life. With a little ingenuity and planning, eating good, wholesome local and organic food does not have to cost a fortune.

What’s in an … Egg Label?

I’ve had a hard time understanding the distinction between “free range” “free run” “roam free” eggs. I assumed it employed the simple meaning as “not under the control of another” or “no longer confined or imprisoned”, but it’s not entirely clear to me. The Chicken Farmers of Canada explains these concepts:

Free run is different than free range in that chickens do not necessarily need to be raised outside but they are required to be able to move around freely within the barn. Though there is no legal definition of this, all chickens raised for meat in Canada are considered free run.

Free range birds must have access to the outdoors. However, since there is no legal definition of free range in Canada, this can vary from farm to farm. Be wary of “fresh” free range chicken in stores when it’s -30 degrees outside, it may have been frozen product defrosted for sale and should not be re-frozen.”

This still does not explain how “free” the chickens are. For instance, exactly how much access to the outdoors is required for a “free range” chicken since the term suggests that access to the outdoors is not guaranteed. Is the amount of access stipulated somewhere i.e. should each barn have a certain sized opening to provide access to the outdoors?

I’ve tried to glean the answers from egg farmers at the local markets. What do you mean by “free range”? How many hours of sunlight do your chickens get? Do they eat worms, grass, clover or is their diet only comprised of grains? I often get skewed responses. “Yes, they can go outside, but they often don’t want to” or the common response I get is that they are kept in the barns to protect them from predators. Despite being “free range” or “free run” many of these operations house thousands of chickens in one mostly confined area, which doesn’t seem to make for a comfortable and truly free living space. I felt I was faced with two possibilities: either give up eggs completely (the least likely, given how I love to bake and cook with eggs) or find farms that sell pasture-raised eggs.

One summer, as I pulled up to Greta’s Organic Gardens, I saw chickens roaming in an empty field of green. To my surprise, Greta not only sells heirloom seeds but chickens and eggs. I got to see firsthand what it means for chickens to be raised in the bright outdoors. They have access to the worms, clover and grass and can go inside the shed and seek shelter:

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Then a friend told me about L.N. Stables. That’s right, a stable. Anne raises horses, and apparently, also chickens. These lovely chickens are of all kinds of breeds, and some of them, the Ameraucanas, lay green and blue eggs. My little girl was beside herself when she saw these colourful eggs. Naturally, we had to make green eggs and ham.

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Labels like “free run” and “free range” and “roam free” have limited value for me. I prefer the option of seeing the chickens in their natural environment and judge for myself whether these are eggs I want to consume. I realize not everyone has the time or energy to visit a farm to see how chickens are raised. But this was a personal objective for me. I don’t want to eat an animal that hasn’t enjoyed a happy life. With social media, it’s even easier to have information on where to buy these types of chickens and eggs. People in search of pasture-raised chickens will generously share this information with others.

An added benefit is that these eggs are so fresh. They are sometimes laid the same day I pick them up. It doesn’t get any fresher than that. And, they taste and look amazing. Their dark orange yolks and really white egg whites have convinced me that happy chickens lay healthy eggs. I’m reminded of Michael Pollan’s description of pasture-raised eggs in The Omnivore’s Dilemma:  ”The yolks were a gorgeous carroty shade of orange and they did seem to possess an unusual integrity; separating them from the whites was a cinch.”