So, who decides what's healthy for everyone?

[Food Lady]

I took a gander at the most recent batch of customer survey comments. One was about our groceries. Someone told us to get rid of "junk food" and have more healthy stuff, like free-range meat and gluten-free and I forget what else. The comment said something about us catering to the majority with our "junk".

OK, first, who is this person to decide what is junk and what isn't? Free-range or not, meat is not healthy for me. Some people can't have gluten, but it isn't junk for me. For some of us, it's a viable protein source. If this person doesn't want to eat chips, that's just fine, but some of us would like to buy them occasionally. It's subjective and personal, what food one buys.

And second, my company is supposed to say forget you to everyone who doesn't eat like this person? You can't impose your lifestyle on the rest of the public. And you want my company to do so? What self-righteousness and ignorance, I don't even....

[fireheart]

I took a gander at the most recent batch of customer survey comments. One was about our groceries. Someone told us to get rid of "junk food" and have more healthy stuff, like free-range meat and gluten-free and I forget what else. The comment said something about us catering to the majority with our "junk".

I'm assuming by "free-range meat" they mean that the chicken/turkey/whatever can run around freely before it's slaughtered.

I can give her some free range meat if she wants....has she ever eaten kangaroo before? (and no, I haven't )

As far as gluten-free stuff goes, most of the sausages that my old store sold were gluten-free anyway without the premium price.

[Seshat]

I have. For a while it was among the cheaper meats available at our supermarket.
(Yes, I'm also Australian.)

It's a strongly flavoured meat. The 'common' meat it's least unlike is beef, and if I was planning a meal with kangaroo, I'd use the same sorts of additional flavours to go with it.

(As it happens, kangaroo would also be ecologically sound for Australian farming. In savannah land, grass is usually the most viable crop; and converting grass to food is most efficiently done by using grazing animals.
Wide-mouthed European animals rip most Australian native grasses out by the roots, thus removing ground cover and contributing to erosion. However, native animals with narrow, marsupial mouths and teeth, bite the tops off the native grasses. Thus, no loss of ground cover, no erosion.
And if you consult the experts when choosing your 'roo breed, you can avoid disturbing the rest of your local ecosystem.)

[csquared]

Yeah, what is "healthy"? After my heart problems, I am trying to get healthy. I am running into conflicting diets.

I need to raise my HDL and lower my Uric Acid (gout). So I am doing some research. To raise my HDL I should eat A, B & C. A little more research and I find that to lower my Uric Acid I should avoid A, B & C. What am I suppose to do? Fast? Nope. Fasting is a gout trigger.

As for Roo...
I got to go to Sydney in 2000. While we were there, one of the restaurants we ate at had kangaroo on the menu, so I tried it. Not bad. Quite rich. It is not on my favorite foods list, but I would eat it again.

[LillFilly]

Hmmm, I have plenty of squirrels in my yard I can send the survey writer; it's about as free range as you get!

[SongsOfDragons]

I had kangaroo, or apparently did, at a Walkabout restaurant in Torquay. It was so nice. I want some more.

I'd like to see these wenches try to interfere with my shopping.

[thehuckster]

Had the complaint said something like, "In addition to your existing products, I'd like more alternatives that I enjoy, such as free-range and gluten-free food." I'd be all for it... it's the "replace the stuff I don't personally enjoy with stuff I do enjoy" that makes it EW-ish and self-centered.

[It's me]

I need to raise my HDL and lower my Uric Acid (gout). So I am doing some research. To raise my HDL I should eat A, B & C. A little more research and I find that to lower my Uric Acid I should avoid A, B & C. What am I suppose to do? Fast? Nope. Fasting is a gout trigger.

Low carb. A few sites:

http://www.livinlavidalowcarb.com/ (Note: the podcasts have links to supporting views, opposing views, etc.)
http://garytaubes.com/
http://www.fatswitchbook.com/?_sm_au_=iVVL1tn6Qj1fFjHS

PM me if you want more ideas. Or maybe we can start a thread in "off topic"? Not sure if this would be considered controversial enough for Fratching... I would hope we could discuss diet options without arguments occurring but.....

[Merriweather]

Yeah, what is "healthy"? After my heart problems, I am trying to get healthy. I am running into conflicting diets.

I need to raise my HDL and lower my Uric Acid (gout). So I am doing some research. To raise my HDL I should eat A, B & C. A little more research and I find that to lower my Uric Acid I should avoid A, B & C. What am I suppose to do? Fast? Nope. Fasting is a gout trigger.


.

Yep, I can identify with that. My best example - I need to lose weight, for health reasons. I try to do it fairly healthy (not just starving myself) and what really helps are the "lean" or "healthy" type brands of frozen entrees, and some of the "lite" and "healthy" soups. Fine, until it was found my blood pressure is running high, and doc wants me on low-sodium diet. All the best low-calorie easy to fix things I relied on are now taboo. I knew conveniece foods were usually high-salt, but never realized how high, or how many foods you'd never guess are high sodium actually are. Even many so-called "low-sodium" varieties just mean there's less than in the regular version, not that it's actually low in sodium. It feels like I'm taking my life in my hands to wander outside the produce section nowadays.

The majority of foods labeled "healthy" aren't healthy for someone on a low-sodium diet. Do I wish they'd develope & carry more low-sodium foods, yes, do I expect them not to carry high-sodium, no.

[sms001]

The comment said something about us catering to the majority with our "junk".

OMGWTF911BBQ! What a horrible business model your company has implemented. Catering to the majority? It's ludicrous, it's devious, it's...

Oh. Wait.

Looked up "majority" and apparently I'm an idiot. Seems pretty sensible now.

[AmethystSquirrel]

Hmmm, I have plenty of squirrels in my yard I can send the survey writer; it's about as free range as you get!

Noooooooo. Please don't eat my friends!

[EvilEmpryss]

I'm one of those who think "organic" is junk, so I appreciate you having the non-organic meats and veggies.

[csquared]

Yep, I can identify with that. *snip*

Yep, ran into that one too.

Low carb. A few sites: *snip*

Thanks for the advice. I should also mention that I was diagnosed as Type II Diabetic, so I have to maintain a stable carb intake.

I have been on the ADA Exchange or "Constant Carb" diet. I am down 65lbs since last March. Blood pressure is good and I am now pre-diabetic.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Newsflash for complainy person: Not everybody can or wants to pay $3 for an apple, or $50 for some ground chuck because it's organic or free range or shit.

For those that do, there's a place for them. It's called Whole Foods. Or maybe even Trader Joe's. You'll know you're there by the smug rolling out of the parking lot in sheets.

[Aislin]

I got some yummy free range buffalo because it didn't sell. So half off! They don't carry it anymore because they don't make money selling it.