| If you walk down the aisle of any supermarket you'll | | | | you and your family eat is free of unwanted |
| see shelf after shelf of processed foods, which offer | | | | additives is to take control of the food supply that |
| convenience, quick preparation and sometimes great | | | | you provide at home. |
| taste. But with all the seemingly great benefits there | | | | Here are some tips: |
| is a price to pay beyond dollars and cents. | | | | Organic foods have become popular in recent years |
| In the process of creating these foods | | | | because organically raised livestock is not fed from |
| manufacturers resort to using ingredients that don't | | | | the hormones and antibiotics that are often used to |
| always provide the best nutrition or health benefits. | | | | enhance and accelerate the growth of commercially |
| These may be food colourings, flavour enhancers, | | | | produced products. |
| preservatives and trans fats, which extend the shelf | | | | If you have a freezer, one option is to purchase |
| life. | | | | your meat in bulk, which can save you money |
| Some of these ingredients are not only unhealthy | | | | besides being a healthier choice. Check out the |
| when consumed regularly but they can contribute to | | | | farmer's markets and local farms for availability. |
| weight gain and cardiovascular disease over time. | | | | If you have the space you can grow your own |
| Food labels can be deceptive. For example, if a | | | | vegetables and freeze them for winter consumption. |
| product contains .5 grams of trans fat the label can | | | | Freezing fruits and vegetables also preserves most |
| say it contains zero grams. Since you should limit your | | | | of the vitamins and minerals. Recently some people |
| daily consumption to less than 2.0 grams you could | | | | have formed community gardens where everyone |
| easily exceed that amount without knowing. | | | | has their own plot of land where they plant the |
| Another example is genetically engineered ingredients. | | | | vegetables they like. Popular vegetables include |
| These don't appear on the label in a way that most | | | | lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, eggplants, squash, spinach |
| consumers can understand. You'll only see the | | | | and others. |
| ingredients, which may seem healthy but you don't | | | | By taking control of the food supply that you put on |
| know what processing has gone on behind the | | | | your table you can avoid the processed foods and |
| scenes. | | | | eat a healthier diet. |
| One of the best ways to make sure that the food | | | | |