Taking A Stand Against GMO's

Ok, so the title of this blog is Peasant Meals. Your expecting a bunch of my cheap, nutritious peasanty recipes, right? Well, you'll get them...but, I want this blog to be much more than that. I love food. It is one of my passions. I love to eat and I love to cook for my family. I am not fancy with my food, I am simple, healthy and budget minded. I cook from scratch and I want to encourage everyone, especially homemakers like myself, to get back to the basics.
One of my biggest concerns has been for the past few years the introduction of genetically modified or engineered foods into our diets. Our government is gaining increasing control over our food supply and we should all be very concerned. The goal is cheap food. How, you ask, is the government controlling our food supply? To make a very long story short, the government is in control of our large factory farms. They pay the farmers to grow food and that food is now being grown with genetically modified seeds. Watch the documentary, "King Corn" for an enlightening view on just one aspect of the American food supply. I also highly recommend the documentary, "The Future of Food".
Did you know that 7 out of 10 items off the grocery store shelf will now contain genetically modified ingredients? Wow! How can you possibly avoid consuming them? Here is a great site that can help you get started...http://www.geaction.org/truefood/shoppersguide/
My other tips are to purchase as many certified organic foods as possible, shop at local farmers markets and get to know the farmers personally, and (my favorite tip!) grow your own food in a backyard garden!
We are very blessed to live an area served by Meijer grocery stores. These large super stores are very similar in layout to Walmart, but I really hesitate to compare the two. Meijer is of much higher quality than Walmart! I love Meijer! They have really gone above and beyond to provide us here in the Midwest with exceptional quality food and other goods. They have recently introduced two new lines, Meijer Organics and Meijer Naturals. Both are free from gmo ingredients! They are very economically priced, which I appreciate very much. The stores are also clean and pleasant to shop in. As a mother of six living on a very tight budget, I need all the help I can get when it comes to purchasing food for my family. One of the complaints that I hear often from people who desire to eat well is that they just feel like they can't afford to. Meijer is making a way for families to start eliminating gmo's from their cupboards while sticking to a budget.
In my upcoming posts I would like to highlight some Meijer Organics and Naturals foods. If you live within driving distance of a Meijer store, I urge you to support them!
This is also gardening season. I am urging you to plant something this year! Even if it is only a few pots of fresh herbs or a small container garden... plant something. When you are choosing your seeds look for OP seeds, which are open pollinated. These seeds are often referred to as heirlooms. These seeds have not been engineered. The seeds can be saved and replanted year after year. Most f-1 hybrid seeds are also safe, but make sure you check with the seed company just to be sure. Hybrids are usually just seeds that have been bred for outstanding characteristics. They have not been engineered or bred outside of their classification. Many seed companies are now carrying a large selection of heirloom and certified organic seeds! This year I purchased many of my seeds at the local store that sells Burpee seeds. They were all 40% off and they had a great selection of heirlooms and organic seeds! I saved a lot of money. In the past I have spent an enormous amount of money buying heirloom seeds from various catalogs. That was not an option for me this year but I was still able to get some great varieties! Meijer also sells several started plants that are certified organic and heirloom varieties in their garden center. I am also fortunate to live nearby some wonderful family owned garden centers too.
I hope that you take this gmo threat to your health seriously. You have reason to be very concerned! For more information on this subject, visit www.seedsofdeception.com and www.mercola.com.