Whether we acknowledge it or not, the foods that we choose to purchase speak volumes about our values. We are so good at narrowing our focus to find sale prices, low-fat foods, or organic products that we sometimes forget to look at what we buy as a whole. Unfortunately when we look so closely at only one part of a label, we may miss out on information that would conflict with our core value systems. While I don’t presume that we all shop with the same set of values, I have settled on a hierarchy of qualities that are important to me.

Sustainability is the first thing I consider when comparing products. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most difficult qualities to discern unless you are lucky enough to speak directly to the farmer, or shop in a store that explicitly lists “sustainably grown” on it’s signage. It is rare to find a company that will print information on it’s packaging that directly explains the farming practices it uses. Sustainable agriculture is an extremely complex issue that goes far beyond the decision not to use pesticides. You must also account for irrigation, crop rotation, genetic modification, livable wages for the employees, etc. For staples such as rice, eggs, and butter, I have spent numerous hours on the internet researching the farming practices of the various brands available in my area. The most sustainable companies are not always certified organic, because many of them are small operations that can not afford the high certification fees.

After trying to determine which brands use sustainable practices, I consider the distance the food had to travel before consumption. Since produce begins loosing nutrients as soon as it’s picked, local produce is more nutritive, and often has better flavor than the under-ripe food that is shipped from around the world. Buying directly from the farmers’ market allows fruits and vegetables to be picked ripe and purchased on the same day, or with minimum delay. It keeps you connected to the growing seasons of your region, and helps establish a local food culture.

While organic farming is a significant improvement over conventional practices, the organic label does not imply that the food is grown sustainably, or locally. I was absolutely shocked when I started reading produce labels in the organic department and found garlic from China and blood oranges from New Zealand. We grow blood oranges here in San Diego County! Aspiring locavores can make better choices by looking to see where the food is packaged or grown. You can be sure that foods containing multiple ingredients have multiple suppliers, and that each new ingredient is likely to be trucked in from somewhere different. Even with single ingredient foods you have to read carefully to be certain that you aren’t buying a product that was grown in California, but packaged in Texas. Looking more closely at the complete label can take thousands of miles off your food’s carbon footprint.

It’s no secret that buying local food can be more expensive. Cheap food is cheap food, and quality often costs more. I also know that as one of the millions of uninsured Americans, it is my responsibility to myself and to my country to be proactive in maintaining good health. It is true that you are what you eat, and I for one will gladly spend my money on food grown in my area by farmers whose practices I can trust. I understand the hardship of living paycheck to paycheck, but aside from having a roof over your head and clothes on your back, there is nothing more important than the food that sustains your body. The trick is to take advantage of what’s in season, which will usually be the most reasonably priced. By adding rice, beans, nuts, and grains purchased from the bulk bins at your natural food store, and favoring eggs over meats as a source of protein, you can cook healthy, inexpensive meals using sustainably grown, local ingredients. It takes more time, forethought, and creativity in the kitchen than heating a pot of hamburger helper, but when you opt for the convenience of processed food over healthful eating, you are essentially giving up on yourself.

We make choices about what we eat everyday, mostly out of habit. It is easy to look at the price tag, low-fat label, or organic sticker and be convinced that you know what you’re getting, but I encourage you to look beyond the obvious labels and make sure that the foods you purchase reflect your value system as a whole, and not just one part of it.