Food Quality vs. Family Budget
Of course, meat quality matters but budget and affordability also matter. I’m of the firm opinion that buying meat and making stock using ingredients you can afford is better than just wishing you were drinking meat stock. Rather than didactically break down the pro’s and con’s of meat quality using statistics and research, I’m going to share a little bit of what has worked for my family over the years. Anyone can share information on grass-fed vs. corn fed, free range vs. pastured, omega 3’s vs. omega 6’s, and the benefits of supporting local farmers but I’m here to support families who choose to use food on their healing journey — and that’s something I know a lot about.
My family saw great healing using conventional meats because that was what we could afford at the time with one income and a mom with a mission to dramatically increase healing foods her family was eating. I took full advantage of the fact that meat stock uses cheaper “non-choicy” cuts and would buy the boniest, toughest cuts I could find because not only were they they the cheapest but they also have the most healing collagen. We were that crazy family buying 40 pound boxes of frozen chicken backs from our local butcher shop and having frequent convos with the shop owner about whether or not he could source bulk chicken feet and chicken necks. Back then we lived in Orlando and there was a great local grocery store that sold the off cuts that I was so keen to buy — I would fill my buggy with pork ribs and pig feet, knowing full well that I would be questioned why I was buying 10 pounds of trotters to every employee that walked past!
Would I have preferred to take a healing path for my family with exclusively local pastured meats? YES!
Was that possible? NO!
At this point, my family has a larger grocery budget but we also have a larger family with less demand for healing foods. I try to prioritize pastured, local fed meats for our meals but when the local co-op has a big shipment of conventional beef liver for half the price of the local chicken liver I’ve buying, you can bet I will fully stock my freezer to meet my toddlers’ liver pate needs for the foreseeable future. I’m clearly still that crazy lady!
The bottom line is I trust families to make their best choices and do the best they can with their available resources. Finances can be a real barrier to getting over the hump to get started with big lifestyle and diet changes but staying realistic and remembering perfection is an impossible goal can be the helpful push for turning plans into action steps!
