Food labels purposefully mislead us. They spin the truth and con us into believing that what we are about to consume is elite level grub. With full awareness of our lack of education, they reel us in with false promises. Don’t bite the hook, fresh fish.
Come to my place for breakfast this Sunday. I’ll be whipping up omelets made from farm fresh eggs. Inside, you’ll discover hormone and antibiotic free chicken (diced), local bell peppers and natural sharp cheddar cheese. I’ll have a pot of premium coffee on standby. You in? Thought so.
I have another question for you. Did you know that federal law prohibits the use of hormones in our chickens? From foodandwaterwatch.org:
The labels “Raised Without Added Hormones“, “No Hormones Administered” or “No Synthetic Hormones” indicate that no synthetic hormones were given to animals. Federal law prohibits the use of hormones on hogs and poultry. The use of any hormone free label on pork and poultry products is intended to mislead consumers into thinking that the product is different and therefore worthy of a higher price.
Hahaha. I’m laughing at you…wait, I’m laughing at me, too. I’ve fallen victim to every imaginable label. All things being equal, we inherently choose the one that sounds healthier and of higher quality. Our clear aim, then, is to become well versed in the lies we’re being fed. We should wean ourselves off the phrases we’ve believed have been keeping us safe.
Now that you’re savvier about one of our Sunday items, let’s get to another, the glorious “all natural” cheese.
“Natural” does not tell us how the animals were raised, what they were fed, if antibiotics or hormones were used, or other aspects of production that consumers might logically expect from something labeled “natural.”
Okay, so natural tells us little, how about my “premium” coffee? From wisegeek.com:
Premium coffee is coffee made from uniquely flavored beans that are processed with special care.
Could that be any more vague? What the hell is a “uniquely flavored bean”? Don’t they all have a unique taste? Hmmmm. “Special care” is rather nebulous. What constitutes special is beyond subjective. I’m feeling duped and now “premium” means nothing to me.
Surely the farmer wouldn’t spin me an untruth. I can count on him. Those overalls and straw hat scream fresh. Et tu, Old Mac? From ohsnapletseat.com:
Unfortunately, unless you are literally buying the eggs from a farm or a local super market that actually sells genuine eggs from a farm, the label “farm fresh” means nothing other than it is just eggs… picked from chickens in battery cages.
Keep those cages far, far away. From now on, I’m sourcing local. I can trust the retailers. There is no chance they would mislead me. From USAtoday:
Wal-Mart, the nation’s biggest retailer, considers anything local if it’s grown in the same state as it’s sold, even if that’s a state as big as Texas and the food comes from a farm half the size of Manhattan, as in the case of the 7,000-acre Ham Produce in North Carolina.
When I was in the minor leagues, I’d drive from California to Florida for spring training. Inevitably, I’d drive across Texas. If I picked up spinach in El Paso and brought it to a friend in Beaumont, he might not be thrilled with the gift. Just a hunch.
There are some surefire ways to know the source of your food. Grow it, hunt it, raise it or catch it. Remember, it’s easier to label if it comes in a package.
See you tomorrow,
Kap
stanmickus says
Kap, So true and scary. We’ve been trying to buy most of our meats from a local farm nearby that’s recently been organically certified by USDA, our produce from the farmer’s markets in season and eggs from the local farms. It’s not possible or convenient all of the time but takes the risk out somewhat. We are lucky that there are certainly more “fresh” local choices around then even two or three years ago so taking the time to “hunt and gather” is certainly worth it. Great post!
Gabe Kapler says
Appreciate you coming by with an opinion, Stan.
Dave says
Wait, do you eat chicken omelets Kap? Thats kind of messed up. You are wrapping the mother up in its babies, then eating it. Haha
Gabe Kapler says
Haha. Not usually. My selection is eggs and mushrooms. Thanks for the laugh, Dave.
BoojieMaw says
I’m with Dave… I can’t do chicken in an omelet. No way man.
Gabe Kapler says
C’mon, BM. Loosen up.
Laura says
Ok Kap. I don’t think there is any little-league this Sunday, so could you wire me a round-trip ticket here in Milwaukee so I can meet you and come to your breakfast? I really don’t have any plans until Tuesday morning. If you want, I can stop at my local farmers market on Saturday and pick up some farm-raised honey we could smear on our farm-raised wheat bread . Sound like FUN.
Gabe Kapler says
Sending a helicopter.
Tanner says
Hey kap, another great post. Long time reader, 1st time poster. Love the mix of content from day to day. Just wanted to share something that was in our local newspaper yesterday, telling parents to have “healthy” snacks for their kids for after school. It then went on to give a recipe for celery sticks stuffed with a mix of mayonnaise, shredded cheese, and hidden valley ranch seasoning. Amazing what passes for a healthy snack. I guess it beats oreos lol. Have a good one man
Gabe Kapler says
Ha, thanks for sharing, Tanner.
Richie Ernst says
Wow, an invite for breakfast, I am honored! NFL east coast games starting at 10 AM…I am in! Great post as always! I can not thank you enough for this site / blog. I struggle every day with my diet, exercise routine, and daily life based on having Crohns Disease. This site has truly helped me push forward when my meds or disease leave me lethargic, angry, or in the bathroom..lol! Carry on my West Coast Brother!
Gabe Kapler says
My man. Thanks so much, Richie.
Dave says
Growing up in Iowa, you learn quickly that just because it was “farm raised” doesn’t mean it’s good for you because 95% of us have never seen how things are grown or raised. Great post, Kap. If this isn’t enough to make readers more aware, they can always watch Food, Inc. to get a feel for how much of our food is grown and produced.
Gabe Kapler says
Iowa must have some good family farms though, right? Resourcefulness rules.
Mark says
Befriend the Amish! We buy milk and eggs from a local Amish family for cheaper than we get in the grocery store. We also get tomatoes from their greenhouse and buy chicken from them on occasion. The downside: I can no longer consume store-bought milk, store eggs suck, tomatoes are flavorless, and store chicken tastes like swimming pool water.
Come to think of it, getting grass-fed & finished beef from a local rancher has relegated all other beef to Sucksville.
The point is, perhaps, that we know these people, have visited their farms or ranches, know their values, learn from them, and understand that they have families to feed (theirs, mine, and others) rather than shareholders to impress.
Living small rules!
Gabe Kapler says
You trying to make the rest of envious? It’s working.
curtis99802 says
I only trust “Organic” (because it’s federally regulated and means no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers were used and is not GMO) and 100% grass fed. Free range and natural mean nothing to me.
Gabe Kapler says
Glad you’re on board, Curtis. Thanks.
kbeyazdancer says
I’m gonna impart some nerdiness again-Organic doesn’t refer to natural. Organic is anything that contains Carbon compounds. In terms of food it is Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. I bring this up because it all goes back to labels. Sugars, carbohydrates, proteins-All Organic. Our bodies are Organic. I tell people this all the time. Visit the American Chemical Society website for more information.
Another really good post! Kap is all about busting myths in the ass with a bat. I love it!
-Kelebek
Gabe Kapler says
Appreciate your comment today, Kelebek. See you tomorrow.
Ed H says
People lie? Noooooo!
This post today is a perfect forum for me to continue my rant from yesterday, but I’ll spare everyone.
It’s a shame people don’t want to know more. It makes them easy prey. We could go on and on about the tragedy of the lies and labels, but in the end people could and can demand better, but they don’t. They’d rather believe that pills and chemical ingredients developed in the past 10 years trumps what the body has been evolving to since amoebas. They’d rather believe they’re life is to important to take the correct time to prepare and eat good food and exercise.
I think my approach works well. Since it’s difficult improving the world I focus on improving myself and the one’s I care about. The world makes me sad at times but doing the best I can (especially with regard to the family) makes me happy.
Gabe Kapler says
Thanks for this, Ed.
Tabitha Bemis says
We raise chickens for the eggs. I have fish in my pond. All of my roasts, sausage, jerky and ground meat are venison, shot on our farm. Our beef was is black angus raised on a relatives farm. I grow a garden and can my produce or buy in bulk from local farmers to can, make salsa, make jelly etc. I buy local honey because it’s proven to help fight allergies. I buy local cheese from the goat farm up the road. We are adding cows and goats. I just learned to make butter, cheese and kefir. Adding an Aquaponics system in the spring. Oh, and we have fantastic well water, a pecan grove, persimmons and even grapes growing on the property. Yep, we are good. My goal is completely self sufficient in 6 years.
Great article Kap. I wish there were more that thought that way.
Ed H says
In an insane world you seem to have more sanity than most…
Tabitha Bemis says
Not sure my family would agree, but the idea of being self sufficient is very freeing!
Gabe Kapler says
When I grow up, I aspire to be Tabitha. She lives in heaven.
Tabitha Bemis says
Agreed about living in Heaven and thanks for the kindness. You are more than welcome to visit Heaven though. Steph knows where to find us. Lol. This weeks project is figuring out what I can make with muscadine grapes. Fresh picked for $.75/lb! Jelly, juice….WINE! I love life on the farm!
MIchelle says
This is a premium, fresh, 100% natural, preservative-free, uniquely-raised, FDA-approved blog
Cheers