Tip: Good Eating, and Cheap!

You had me with the headline! Environmental Working Group's (EWG) "Good Food on a Tight Budget" shopping guide recently appeared in my inbox and I just had to share it.

Who doesn't want to save money on their grocery bill while still being able to enjoy good, healthy food?! This is such a great resource, and in great time for school and, heck, even for those of us raring our engines for the fall work rush.

Visit the website below to learn what the top 100 foods are that will help keep the "beans" in your pockets while still giving you the goods (nutrients and proteins, that is). They also highlight which organic foods are most worth the extra $$.

The site offers plenty of tips, a quick list of the top 100 foods, a menu planner, shopping list, price tracker, and a whole lot more:

http://www.ewg.org/goodfood/index.php

Also, EWG did this all for our health. But they are not-for-profit and if you like the information you see here, they would appreciate our donations so they can keep doing this kind of great work. If you do donate, EWG will send you a hard copy of the guide so you have the food list accessible all the time - pretty great!

Thanks for this great resource, EWG!

For Your Sweet

It's been a while, so I figured, what better way to come back than with suggestions to make Valentine's Day that much sweeter and greener? Okay, truth is, I usually roll my eyes at this quasi holiday because it's so commercial. People feel forced to go out and show their loved ones just how much ($$) they care for them with chocolates and flowers. I put my eye roll on pause this year because I realized that people are going to go out and buy stuff anyways, so better that they be armed with some stellar and more conscious choices. With that said, here are some local suggestions to show your sweet just how special they are:

Photo credit: eco stems

 - flowers from environmentally and socially responsible eco stems: 267 Queen St. E., 416-214-6479

Photo credit: Consonant

 - lotions, soaps and facial products that are organic, made in Canada... Consonant: where to buy.

Photo credit: Emma McIntyre.

 - handmade, fair trade, organic chocolate from Delight: 805 Queen St. W., 416-760-9995

For the love of food: Karma Co-op

One of my number one missions when I came back to Toronto this past September was to visit the Karma Co-operative, a not-for-profit food store, to see what this alternative shop had to offer. A friend of mine introduced the Karma idea to me after learning of my interest in organic and ethical eats with an emphasis on local sourcing. This past fall, I grabbed some reusable bags, stuffed them in my backpack and headed out in search of some good Karma.

The Karma Co-op has a lot of charm because of its location. It is tucked down a laneway off of Barton Avenue, just east of Palmerston. Taking public transit, the station that gets you closest is Bathurst. The store is housed in what looks like a small warehouse smushed behind homes with bike racks and recycling bins hugging it close.

I feel like I should back up a bit and admit that I haven't always been so good with my food. As a university student, I ate my share of Mr. Noodles and pizza, and didn't really spend much of any time thinking about where my food came from. It is over the last few years of learning more about climate change, about the importance of local farming, and the health aspects of organic food that had me walking down this laneway.

I had no idea what it meant to be a part of a co-operative, but I soon found out. Everyone gets a one-time trial shop, and then you need to sign up, at least for now. All members pay a fully refundable, one-time loan of $70. This helps secure the continuity of the co-op and really wasn't a big deal for me to pay considering I'd get it back if I ever decided to "leave" Karma. Other costs include two $18 fees per year that help to cover member services and building/capital costs. Again, this sounded reasonable to me - especially because Karma doesn't mark up its groceries like other downtown stores do. The last item, which I found kind of novel, was the idea that members have rights in this food store. You can choose to be considered a working member (which means you join a work team to either work at cash, clean up, set up or even cut cheese for two hours once a month) or a non-working member (people chooose either to pay $18 at the beginning of the month or receive $10 on top of their purchases). You also get to vote and sit on committees if you choose. The Co-op has been around since 1972 and reportedly has about 500 members that are considered working and more than 380 non-working households on its roster.

Okay, let's get to the shopping! Karma is stacked with loads of local produce, some organic and some conventional, that is sourced as locally as possible given the season. It carries a decent supply of household and personal care (shampoos and supplements) items, the bulk food section is really quite good and well priced, organically raised meat and local cheeses fill the fridges and freezers, and the shelves are well-stocked with canned and packaged foods (they even have their own Fair-Trade Plus Karma Coffee). Basically, the Co-op brings in whatever its members want, with an emphasis on the local, the environmental and the social.

Karma Co-op is always looking for new members. Being a former big grocery store shopper myself, I understand the hesitation, but I encourage people to come and check it out.  Also, this is not the only co-op in the city, so do a bit of research and see which one is most conveniently located to you. Check out the Karma website: www.karmacoop.org to learn more.