8 Things I Consider When Choosing Food

1. Do I like it?
2. Is it nutrient dense (i.e., how much nutrition am I getting for the amount of calories in this food)?
3. Does it have things I particularly need: (fiber, vitamin A, folate or other B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin C, protein, selenium, iodine, magnesium, potassium)
4. Is it free of chemicals or other things I want to stay away from? (e.g., pesticide residue, hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrup, excessively high amount of sugar, excessively high amount of fat, etc.)
5. Do I like it raw or in simple dishes that work well in my small kitchen area and small energy budget?
6. Can I store it at room temperature or does it require a freezer (which I do not have) or refrigeration (I have a very small refrigerator)?
7. Am I likely to eat all of it before it goes bad?
8. Taking into account all the above, is it worth the price I’m paying?

How does this work in real life? Let’s take a look at some very different foods:

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

1. Yes! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them!
2. No! Virtually no nutrition.
3. No. There’s a small amount of Vitamin C, but let’s not kid ourselves
4. No. Way too much sugar, but surprisingly enough, there’s no scary chemicals or high-fructose corn syrup in this brand of jelly beans.
5. Yes. (the problem is that they’re TOO easy to eat)
6. Yes! Room temperature is fine for jelly beans
7. Yes! There is absolutely no question that I could eat many pounds of these before they went bad.
8. Sometimes. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans are pretty expensive for empty calories. I buy them when I can find a good deal on them or when I really need to self-medicate. Candy is my drug of choice these days and it’s often, but not always, found in my larder.

Organic Baby Spinach

1. Yes. I’ll eat spinach in salads, some sandwiches, and cooked.
2. Yes! Spinach is exceptionally nutrient dense
3. Yes! The majority of the things I need to increase in my diet can be found in spinach
4. Yes! No pesticides, no additives.
5. Yes!
6. No. This not only needs refrigeration, but comes in a big bulky package that takes up precious room.
7. Yes, if I promise myself I’ll cook whatever is left when it starts to look a bit wilted. Spinach keeps longer than other salad greens too.
8. Yes, especially if I buy the biggest container (which I can only do if there’s room in my fridge) and I keep my promise to cook what I don’t eat in salads. This is one of my staples – it’s unusual if there isn’t a package in my fridge.

Wild-Caught Alaskan Salmon

1. Yes! Formerly a fish hater, I’ve learned to love salmon
2. Yes! Salmon is exceptionally nutrient dense
3. Yes! Lots of protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and selenium
4. Yes! No pesticides, no additives and no problem with mercury!
5. Yes! I’m not about to eat raw salmon (and I don’t like smoked salmon), but it’s very easy and quick-cooking
6. No! It keeps poorly in the fridge and I usually buy it frozen
7. No! Unless I can buy a small portion
8. Sometimes. If I’m staying with a friend or family member who is willing to share a little freezer space, I eat a lot of salmon and also when I can find (and afford) wild Alaskan salmon in a restaurant.

Grapefruit¹

1. Yes! I LOVE grapefruit!
2. Yes! Grapefruit is quite nutrient dense
3. Yes! Lots of vitamin C, vitamin A, and fiber plus some b-vitamins
4. Yes! Since we don’t eat the skin, even conventionally grown grapefruit is reasonably chemical free.
5. Yes! It’s easy to eat, especially with a grapefruit spoon.
6. Yes! While it keeps better in the fridge and I like it cold, I can move it out of the fridge if I need room. It doesn’t necessarily require refrigeration.
7. Yes! It keeps well.
8. Yes! This one is a winner on all points and I almost always have it on hand.

What things do YOU consider when buying food?  What other things SHOULD you consider?

¹If you take prescription medication, ask your pharmacist or doctor if grapefruit may cause a problem with it.

Why do I have a small energy budget, small fridge, and no freezer?  I live, work, and travel in a 100 sqft Mercedes Sprinter van converted to be an economical, ecologically sensitive campervan. Other than the diesel engine and diesel furnace, all energy is provided by solar panels; no propane or hookups are used for cooking, refrigeration, lighting, ventilation, etc. There's no blackwater produced because I use a dry composting toilet. My service dog and my cat also live in the van. Together we use less than 13 gallons of water a week and produce about a gallon of greywater. I do this so I can afford to support myself, my animals and my volunteer work. See http://www.servicepoodle.com/service-poodle-outreach-outdoors-tour for more information.

Photo credit: By Tamorlan (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons