things my friend found at WAL-MART, questions about quality

[sisteeesmama]

Awhile back I posted about a girlfriend who was going to be shopping at WALMART and while she has been finding a lot at the Farmer's Mkt she has still had to shop at the WALMART for some certain things.

some products she found but wondered about:
"natural" pepperoni that is nitrate free but by Hormel I think she said.

coconut oil by LouAnne, I think. She said the container doesn't say much about the oil itself except that it is solid at room temp.

Un-homogenized, low-temp pasturized, grass-fed milk and cream

kefir

no-hormone, all veg. fed "natural" chickens

is there anything more she should worry about with these products or should she accept them as good options w=for what she can afford?

[Brigio]

I think those are pretty good for wal mart! I say she should continue buying those things... I would probably look into the coconut oil but if it smells and tastes good it shouldn't be too bad. You'll know when it is not good quality CO.

[JamieCatheryn]

That's the coconut oil I buy at Kroger, decent stuff, a little more refined than ideal but it's fine. Really, not everyone can afford to buy mail order or from a co-op for the perfect foods. I've given up worrying about foods at all so long as they're whole foods that don't cause any bad reactions in my family. It has probably added years to my life by lowering my stress level, at least as many as some conventional meats have taken off.

[funkymamajoy]

Where is this Wal-Mart? I never find anything at mine.

[TonyaW]

That sounds like a nice Walmart. In the documentary Food Inc, Walmart was talking about more consumers wanting organic and products like mentioned above. So they are paying attention to what the consumer wants and hopefully following through. I like what was said in Food Inc, we vote by what we buy.

[cristeen]

The only problem I see with what you listed is that a "natural" chicken means nothing, and chickens are not vegetarians in nature. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that those chickens are being fed soy, and if they're not organic, it's GMO soy.

The rest sounds pretty decent, though.

[Mama2Kayla]

Originally Posted by cristeen

The only problem I see with what you listed is that a "natural" chicken means nothing, and chickens are not vegetarians in nature. I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that those chickens are being fed soy, and if they're not organic, it's GMO soy.

The rest sounds pretty decent, though.

Yeah, but it's still better than Tyson. Also those natural chickens don't have broth injected inside-yuck!

PP~ I think for Walmart, that's awesome!! although, I'm pretty sure the Louanne coconut oil is hydrogenated.

[elleystar]

Could you find out the brand of that milk and cream? I'm curious! Sounds similar to milk I used to be able to buy at Hy-Vee before we moved.

[sisteeesmama]

Originally Posted by Mama2Kayla

Yeah, but it's still better than Tyson. Also those natural chickens don't have broth injected inside-yuck!

PP~ I think for Walmart, that's awesome!! although, I'm pretty sure the Louanne coconut oil is hydrogenated.

How bad would it be if it were hydrogenated? should she not buy it? I am ignorant in this area, I have been buying mine from Vitamin Cottage for a while now, since I started using it. It's organic and cold pressed I think, that's all I know.

[sisteeesmama]

Originally Posted by elleystar

Could you find out the brand of that milk and cream? I'm curious! Sounds similar to milk I used to be able to buy at Hy-Vee before we moved.

I can ask her, I think she said Farmer's Milk or something, I'll try and find out. She lives in the South.

[dogmom327]

I personally wouldn't buy the pepperoni. Even nitrate free...those pigs likely ate a horrible diet.

I am really impressed though with most of the list given it's a conventional grocery store (and Walmart!).

[FairyRae]

My super walmart carries 'wild caught salmon'--frozen fillets, w/ 4 fillets per package for only $4! I question those though--I've bought a package that was labeled as being packaged in India, and one packaged in China (both were the same packaging except for the statement about where they were processed/packaged...). I'm not sure what that means, but I don't think the fish were caught around either of those places . It seems extremely inexpensive for wild caught salmon, but I've bought them *hoping* it was really what it was labeled as...

I also just saw Food Inc, and got the impression that walmart now only carries rBST free milk...not sure if that's true though...

Also, I agree on the chicken--I think poultry is not allowed to be given hormones in the US at least (I could be wrong). 'Natural' really has no meaning...So they are likely full of antibiotics, were grown in a dark chicken house w/ little or no time outside ever, and ate a 'vegetarian' diet of gmo soy as the pp mentioned. Not saying I wouldn't ever buy this kind of meat, (we cut corners when needed and make these kinds of choices all the time--and I'll certainly buy poorer quality poultry b/4 I'll buy poorer quality red meat ) but I wouldn't think the 'natural' chicken is any better than chicken like Tyson or Perdue, etc... If it were antibiotic free, it would mention it on the packaging, and if it were fed organic (soy ) feed, it would be labeled organic...etc...(and if it were pastured, it probably wouldn't be at walmart ) I just think it's important to be aware of what food labels like 'natural' do or don't mean--no matter what we end up buying.

ETA: And I certainly have bought my fair share of antibiotic full, gmo soy fed 'natural' chicken! I'm so not judging here--I'm just glad to now be more aware of what I'm buying and what certain terms like natural, organic or pastured mean--I think my choices are much more informed this way!

[eastkygal]

I use the LouAnne coconut oil when I want something without the coconut taste. It is cholesterol free and non-hydrogenated.

I also buy the Hormel natural pepperoni and deli meats. I buy Oscar Meyer Bacon (Natural) when I can find it, and Swaggerty's Natural Sausage. In Appalachia our traditional foods are all pork based, so it would be hard for me to give up my pork. I compromise there because nothing else is available and if it was, I probably couldn't afford it.

Kefir is probably Lifeways brand. I like it. It has cane juice in it I think, but when I can get it, I buy it.

Our Wal-Mart doesn't have near that selection. Our Food City just cut the Natural Bacon. I use bacon grease to cook so many things. I don't know what I will do now.

[thefreckledmama]

Originally Posted by elleystar

Could you find out the brand of that milk and cream? I'm curious! Sounds similar to milk I used to be able to buy at Hy-Vee before we moved.

That sounds like the milk we get at our local chain grocer, which is Farmer's Creamery-our Walmart doesn't carry it, but our Walmart is lame. It is definitely the closest to raw milk I have found in a commercial brand.

[kjbrown92]

I saw organic chicken at Walmart the other day too. I was amazed at how much they've broadened their selection in the last 6 months. It's got to be a Super Walmart to get the good grocery section. I only use the Louann's coconut oil as a foot cream, etc. I use Nutiva for baking/cooking. The Louann's just seems way too processed for me. Walmart is even carrying more of the not-as-processed deli meats too. It seems like a lot of grocery stores are going that way because they're trying to lure people back from places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.