Did I earn a passing grade?

It is the last day of June, and I am halfway through the year. Time for a midterm report.

The negatives:

-Limited choices/selections. Initially, I felt this was the grocers fault. However, now, I realize the consumer is the problem. (Supply and demand)As long as we continue to buy our fish, fruit and vegetables from other countries…why would grocers feel the need to change? We are the problem.

-I didn’t think about all the foods I would be giving up for the year….like peanut butter and rice. I also have given up items like lemon juice, soya sauce, and most condiments. I just thought I would try to prepare meals without them….I have…and I haven’t looked back. Though I will introduce them again….I know I don’t really need them…I can use spices and herbs (mostly local and home grown).

A few annoyances:

- Grocers need to work on their quality assurance. Labeling vegetables from Mexico and the United States as Canadian, is not just a problem, it is just wrong.

-I still need to double check the labels. And use my brain. With the new Harper ruling on labeling, hopefully we won’t see items like chocolate and orange juice, labeled products of Canada.

A few of the positives:

-I bake more…and make more things from scratch. I am using less prepared and packaged items.

-My staples which I make every week (apple/rhubarb sauce and a tomato cheese salad), I still find delicious.

-Northside Sobeys is still my pick for having the best selection.

-I have found quite a few new items to try, or substitute…and they have all worked out very well. Sunflower and pumpkin seed butter, kamut pasta and Windy Hill Foods flax cereal are a few new ones that are now regulars.

Final results? Well…I am trying to live a sustainable lifestyle…. in all areas of my life…not just food choices. It’s a good test for me.