New to Traditional Foods

[Nikki98]

I'm relatively new to MDC, but as I've been looking around here, I've become so so interested in eating more traditionally (it really appeals to me). Anyway I was wondering if their are some basic things I could do to start eating more traditionally. Any/all suggestions appreciated! TIA

[mamabohl]

soaking grains, legumes, buts and seeds
use butter
raw, whole, grass-fed milk
free-range eggs
coconut oil
cod liver oil
eat grass-fed/pastured/free-range meat
eat organ meats

those are just some basics.

[Nikki98]

Thanks for the info!!! Also I am wondering where do you get most of your food items? I live in a relatively big city and it sounds as if most traditional foodstuffs need to be purchased from farms. Is raw milk sold in health food stores, and where do you get the Kerrygold butter? Just curious.

[saratc]

Welcome, Nikki!

I get most of my meats and produce from farmer's markets most of the year, and from Whole Foods and Trader Joe's the other part of the year. If you get a chess freezer, you can go to a farm and get 1/4 cow or 1/2 lamb/pig and stock up. Whole Foods and most stores don't carry pastured meat except for chicken and you have to be careful since some of the produce at the grocery stores are from New Zealand, Mexico, Peru, etc or across the country; local is better since the nutrients will be more intact, so farms and farmer's markets are your best bet.

Depending on what state you live in, raw milk is available in stores. It is illegal in many states and you can only get it from farms or through a cow share. You can look at http://www.realmilk.com/where.html to see where it is available near you.

I've gotten Kerrygold butter at Whole Foods before and Kerrygold cheese at Costco (big block for $7.00 or so!). When you can't get Kerrygold or pastured butter, cultured butter is a good choice.

[*Di]

Hi Nikki -
I'm also new to the NT way of eating and like it very much... I posted a few things that I've found helpful, in the "Nutrition", "meal planning", "traditional foods meal planning" thread, but I'll post it here too:

A few times savers that I've found helpful...
Just wanted to add a few things that I found that are available for purchase, which saves time, especially since I'm just starting the whole NT thing saving any step is great !

- I found a farm (also online) that cleans their whole grains (not with water, but somehow with "air") prior to packaging, so when you grind it, you don't have to worry about first washing them and then drying, etc. It's http://www.paulsgrains.com

- After my first experience with skinning hazelsnut last night, I found a reasonably priced nut site that sells hazelnuts or almonds already blanched. It's http://www.superiornutstore.com/16rawblfi.html

- Then, locally, I found a organic/grass-fed meat shop which also sells bone stocks and some lacto-fermented vegetables. You could ask around the town/city where you live and maybe also find a good shop like this.

I buy most of my food in a local health food store which carries organic veggies, frozen grass-fed meats (hardwick beef or little alaska farms) and the good eggs and butter. I also noticed that you can get lots of stuff on-line, like salmon at vitalchoice.com, or meat at grassfedbeef.com . If you buy in larger quantities it's usually cheaper and free shipping.

Good Luck

[thomlynn]

I can find Kerrygold at Publix. I wonder if their website has anything about who they sell to...

[pampered_mom]

I can't get Kerrygold around here so I usually get Organic Valley's cultured butter. They are a co-op of farms so it's unlikely that it's from 100% pastured cows. We had conventional butter in the house a couple of days ago and you can definitely tell a color difference. OV's is so much more yellow and the conventional was so much more white!

[twins10705]

Originally Posted by *Di

- After my first experience with skinning hazelsnut last night, I found a reasonably priced nut site that sells hazelnuts or almonds already blanched.

Why would you want them blanched? I would think the skins would come off easier if you soaked/sprouted them first.

[Nikki98]

Thanks for all the great feedback!!! I just ordered Nourshing Traditions and can't wait to read it. I think Traditional Foods really appeals to me because it reminds me of my grandparents (and their farm) and how they raise food themselves, just so connected to the foodsource. My grandfather is 80 y/o and still plants a garden, freezes venison, cans veggies with my grandmother, etc. I live about 11 hours from them so I don't get to see them much . I want my daughters to know that food doesn't magically appear in the grocery store, it has a source. Living in a relatively big city now I feel somewhat disconnected from the food we eat, but I am researching other oppurtunities beside the tradtional grocery store ( like the food co-op).

[*Di]

Blanched hazelnuts

Originally Posted by twins10705

Why would you want them blanched? I would think the skins would come off easier if you soaked/sprouted them first.

Well, because I first tried the oven/towel method which didn't work so well, then I searched on the net for how to remove skins, so I did that - which said to boil them with baking soda for a few minutes, and although it worked, if I could just buy them already de-skinned for the same price... why not save some time ?

I don't know if soaking/sprouting would make them come off... I haven't tried that method.

Thanks, Diane

[desertpenguin]

Nikki, there's a good chance that there is a cooperative that is in your area. here in OK we have a cooperative that sells only goods made in OK, including pastured beef and buffalo, free range eggs, fresh herbs and veggies, homemade jams&jellies, etc. also, there should be some type of farmer's market where you can get fresh local produce, etc....but i've heard it's best to check with the people selling first to make sure it's even local produce because sometimes it isn't.