Let’s face it: not everyone has access to the highest quality of food at all times. Nor is pastured chicken and biodynamically grown vegetables available in every area, but we should all be working in that direction.

So here’s a simple guide.   When the very best is available and within your price range: buy it.   If you can’t find the best, then just shoot for the next best thing.

Red Meat & Pork

• Best: Wild game or local grass-finished meat and pasture-raised pork purchased from a rancher you know.
• Better: Non-local grass-finished meat and pasture-raised pork purchased through a good-quality company (you can buy it online from US Wellness Meats
• Good: Organic or free-range beef and organic or natural pork.
• AVOID: Conventional meat from confinement operations.
• Tip: If purchasing the best quality meat stretches your budget too thin, don’t give up and purchase CAFO meats; instead, consider purchasing less expensive cuts and supplementing with highly nutrient-dense, but inexpensive organ meats.

Poultry & Eggs

• Best: Wild birds, local pasture-raised poultry and eggs from local, pasture-raised hens purchased directly from the farmer.
• Better: Pasture-raised poultry and eggs from an indirect source like a local market.
• Good: Organic, omega-3 eggs and meat from “free range” chickens.
• AVOID: Conventionally raised meat and eggs from battery cage industrial chicken farms.
• Tip: There probably is someone locally raising chickens and selling eggs, don’t be afraid to ask around or take a trip to the country.

Fish

• Best: Frequent and heavy use of fish and roe from wild-caught,   ocean-going fish from cold waters.
• Better: Periodic use of fish and roe from wild-caught ocean-going fish.
• Good: A spoon full of cod liver oil or fish oil.
• AVOID: Fish from fish farming operations.

Fruits & Vegetables

• Best: Fresh locally, organically or biodynamically grown fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Better: Fresh and frozen organically grown fruits and vegetables.
• Good: Purchasing as much organically grown fruits and vegetables as possible while supplementing with conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with low-pesticide residue.
• AVOID: Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with high-pesticide residue. Most canned fruits and vegetables.
• Tip: Check out the Environmental Working Groups guide to the pesticide levels in produce.

Dairy Products

• Best: Raw whole milk, butter and cream from grass-fed cows producing milk containing A2 beta casein.
• Better: Raw whole milk, butter and cream from grass-fed cows containing A1 beta casein.
• Good: Vat-pasteurized, non-homogenized dairy from grass-fed cows.
• AVOID: Non-organic dairy products from cows of unknown origin.   Ultra high temperature pasteurized organic milk.
• Tip: Check out the Environmental Working Groups guide to the pesticide levels in produce.

Fats & Oils

• Best: Traditional fats including raw butter from grass-fed cows, suet & tallow from grass-fed cows, organic unrefined coconut oil, organic extra virgin olive oil, poultry fat from pastured chickens, lard from pastured pork.
• Better: Butter from grass-fed cows, unrefined coconut oil, poultry fat from “free-range” chickens, extra virgin olive oil.
• Good: Organic butter, refined coconut oil, olive oil.
• AVOID: Canola oil, margarine, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, vegetable oils (excluding coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter, olive oil and flaxseed oil), shortening.

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