Nutition - Is it possible to get a balanced diet?

[Phteven]

Dachlo - I've worked for supermarkets doing supply chain optimisation, I do have first hand experience of this.

I guess that it's best to just buy from the farmer's markets - then it's not a concern.
My boys own the markets we go to lol - they get so many freebies. Mind you it's a bit of a PITA that it's only open on saturdays.

Sloane, I don't know about the big markets in Melbourne but in Sydney we have the Flemington markets. They're open to industry on thursday and friday and the public (at higher prices) over the weekend. On the weekend the farmers are at one end and the other end is people who have bought from the farmers at the lower prices the day before so many of them are just selling the same stuff. They don't really have a clue what they're selling. The markets are stinky and crowded. My local greengrocer buys there on thursdays and fridays so I would rather buy from him for the same price as the public pay on saturday than bother with the market itself. I'd even pay more to avoid going there.

Have a look and try and find your local farmer's market. They're usually much less crowded and more pleasant. You can talk to the growers and ask them about their produce.

[sloane]

Sloane, I don't know about the big markets in Melbourne but in Sydney we have the Flemington markets. They're open to industry on thursday and friday and the public (at higher prices) over the weekend. On the weekend the farmers are at one end and the other end is people who have bought from the farmers at the lower prices the day before so many of them are just selling the same stuff. They don't really have a clue what they're selling. The markets are stinky and crowded. My local greengrocer buys there on thursdays and fridays so I would rather buy from him for the same price as the public pay on saturday than bother with the market itself. I'd even pay more to avoid going there.

Have a look and try and find your local farmer's market. They're usually much less crowded and more pleasant. You can talk to the growers and ask them about their produce.

thank you...have just googled & found some info. my weekend is looking fairly easy at this stage so i might have to go and have a look this weekend

i did buy some organic meat directly from a farmer at a farmer's market years ago & i actually found it difficult to stomach - the flavour of the meat was sooo strong. i guess that was a bit wake up call to me as to how far removed the meat we buy in (for eg) the supermarket is from the 'real thing'.

[TheBear]

i did buy some organic meat directly from a farmer at a farmer's market years ago & i actually found it difficult to stomach - the flavour of the meat was sooo strong. i guess that was a bit wake up call to me as to how far removed the meat we buy in (for eg) the supermarket is from the 'real thing'.

This is a fairly common experience, for some things you have to rethink how you will cook them as the flavours and textures are can be very different to the poor cousins that you have been used to - the flip side is that you need to eat far less of it in order to feel satisfied.
This is especially true if you do manage to source more mature meat - age makes a huge difference to flavour.
We ate at a restaurant recently which served a tiny 100g portion of 4 year old wagyu beef, which had then been aged for 400 days before cooking. It wasn't even a prime cut, merely a little strip of skirt steak that in a younger animal would have only been fit for the stew pot. It was the most mind-blowing explosion of beef flavour that I have ever experienced, soft as butter - but I doubt I could have eaten any more of it. Much better to eat a cheap cut from an expensive animal, than an expensive cut from a cheap animal.

It's not limited to meat - when was the last time that chopping an onion really made you cry? I need to literally wear goggles to deal with the onions that we are getting from the markets at the moment!

[Bathsheba]

What a great thread I agree with much of what Bear said. The best idea is to keep things simple... avoid the foods and drinks made by "scientists". Avoid anything that's been modified. I don't buy low-fat or artifically sweetend foods... fake foods don't do it for me. I personally see a trend that my over weight friends are the ones that seem to eat fake foods and my slim and healthy friends don't. My biggest concern is the ammount of soft drink most people seem to drink. Personally I think it should be limited to a few times a year... at parties only. Soft drinks create really bad imblalances with healthy gut flora (bacteria). Bacteria is needed to help absorb nutrients. There's a saying "Death begins in the colon". We are not designed to consume as much sugar as we generally do. I think the first step most people should take is banning soft drink from their homes. This is my policy.

[sloane]

It's not limited to meat - when was the last time that chopping an onion really made you cry? I need to literally wear goggles to deal with the onions that we are getting from the markets at the moment!

you know, i'd never actually thought about it - but now that you say it, an onion rarely makes me cry these days.

i'm glad you said that about the meat as well - i thought it was just me!

i'm sad that i have spent so much time going for convenience rather than freshest, healthiest food but i'm on a mission now!

sorry also to keep taking this thread away from it's original intention - i just find the whole topic so interesting!

[C~Q]

sorry also to keep taking this thread away from it's original intention - i just find the whole topic so interesting!

Don;t be sorry, this is why I started it!

I do have some info on the role of fat in our diet but I have to go and spend some time with the kids - be back later!

[Victoria Tsoleridis]

I like this post. And it's a very good question.

I believe that every individual has different dietary needs. E.g. a Body builder has far more protein requirement than a pregnant woman, a child, a stressed worker.

If food is sourced properly, cooked properly - and I hate to say it, but nutrients ARE destroyed when cooked. Not all, and not all the time, but some nutrients are not as stable to heat/light than others. There was a great study done by horticultural scientists at the Uni of California that supported the theory. This makes sense, because HEAT acts as a catalyst for reactions, and that reaction is degradation of nutrients. Best advice is to source fresh fruit and veg, and to consume within a few days. I don't cood my veg on the stove top, but rather in a controlled cooker where I can control the temperature.

Having said this, I do take a multivitamin and fish oil capsules. I don't eat enough fish in my diet, so I do consume the supplements. But if I ate more oily fish, I wouldn't need the capsules. The multi I take b/c I know I lack some essential B vitamins in my diet.

Generally, we should be able to get what we need from food, the problem is... we don't. Either due to poor dietary choices, or lack of nutrients in the foods. The question for me is, if we were able to get what we need from food, would we ever get sick?

[briggsy's girl]

The question for me is, if we were able to get what we need from food, would we ever get sick?

i think there is a big difference between having a nutrtious diet and being able to avoid illness completely. you might find that you have a stronger immune system if you're better nourished, so things like colds/flu won't kick in to the same degree kwim? we have been growing our own veg, and getting as much of our meat as possible direct from the local farmers (we have a lamb growing on a farm at the moment with our name on it, a pig too - and we're in the process of sourcing a beefer!), and in doing that, i've noticed that i haven't been as susceptible to colds/flu as i was a few years back. until recently, i hadn't had a serious bout of the flu in about 3 years - and i know i got sick more because of stress than anything... i work in a high exposure role when it comes to illness - 250 people in close working conditions - one person gets sick, everyone does, so it was very noticable to me when i didn't get sick at same time as everyone else...

also - fresh grown vegies just taste a thousand times better!