US Whole Foods Steps System

[nyangel1227]

anyone out there familiar with the step system, how bad is it if I buy chicken and pork that is step 2 highest?  i can never find chicken in there above step 2 (only whole roasters which I buy on occasion).  pork is usually step 1. 

Sometimes I purchase my meat from uswellness meats online but they need to be shipped across the country (I live in northern NJ), and are very expensive.  My wallet cannot take it anymore.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[GFChris]

I'm not familiar with this system, but this article might help you budget Paleo/Whole30 choices when grocery shopping: http://whole9life.com/2011/01/paleo-poor-your-guide-to-the-grocery-store/

[Tom Denham]

I buy cheap chicken at Whole Foods occasionally. None of it is bad for you, it just isn't as good for you as grass-fed, pasture-raised meat. Buy what you can afford and don't worry about it. You really will be fine!

[nyangel1227]

thank you

I buy the free range meat for me but also for the animal welfare.  I refuse to support factory farmed meat.  I guess I just want to make sure the lower steps on this system are not factory farmining.  whole foods wouln't support them correct? 

[ShannonM816]

The descriptions of the steps are here, and more detailed information can be found in pdf files you can access here -- so it sounds like step 1 at least guarantees the animals are not in cages and have room to move around. For ethical purposes, it's really your call -- it sounds like an improvement over your average factory farming to me, but I know there are also people who would feel that it's not enough, and that's an argument I don't want to get into.