Trader Joe's meats

[Beets]

Gosh, $6/lb for gr. beef sounds pricey to me when you can get a 1/8 or 1/4 of the absolutely best quality locally cow for about the same price. I definitely want to know who my farmer is when it comes to eggs - it is a dirty, dirty industry. I like to make sure eggs are pastured and fed GMO free grain - I don't know of an egg you can find on the market that is GMO free unless you know your source intimately. I don't worry about whether it's organic if it's local - you can find out what their practices are first hand which is far superior. There are good websites out there to show what is available in your area.

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$6/lb for grass-fed beef sounds cheap to me! The going price around here seems to be around $8. At the farmers' market I can get a dollar off if I buy two or more lbs at once. But I haven't seen grass-finished beef for less.

I hear what you are saying--it seems expensive in comparison with a portion of a cow. But that requires space to keep it. I'd have to move my kids' beds into the kitchen to fit a large freezer in my apt. Some day I will move to a place with room for a giant freezer--but not anytime soon.

And I toootally agree with you 100% on the eggs. The egg labels are BS. What the heck does "certified humane" even mean? Someone greased somebody's palm when somebody was writing a bill that had just the right loopholes? I don't trust any of those labels at all. I trust a nice orange yolk and people I can talk to about their chickens. I will avoid at all costs supermarket eggs. (And yes when we have room for our freezer I'd love to have our own chickens.)

I used to be able to buy beef directly from a farmer upstate. All of her cows were raised the same following good practices. But in order to get an "organic" label she had to pay for a more expensive processing plant. If you buy your meat or eggs from a farmer you know their practices. Otherwise it takes some serious detective work.

That said, I understand the money constrictions. I just don't think people should be lulled into a sense of safety or humanity or healthfulness by labels.

[deborah]

I hadn't even heard of Whole9/Whole30 before last Thursday, when I stumbled upon It Starts with Food by accident. I purchased the book, plowed through it, and dived into Whole30 as of the moment I finished reading. Pro: immediate health benefits; there's already been a noticeable improvement in my reflux. Con: no advance research/adjustment period.

What's this have to do with this thread? I bought a few TJ organic meats, which I was stoked to find at such a reasonable price. Unfortunately, I've gotten gas (et al) within a few minutes of eating each of these meats, even cooked in nothing but their own juices. No such problem with the meats I've bought elsewhere. I spent a little time trying to locate further details on how their meat is sourced, how it's treated from beginning to end, but couldn't find anything substantial. Because my job involves some sourcing (albeit non-food), this concerns me.

For now, I think I'm going to order meat online while looking for locally sourced options. I just wanted to put this out there in case anyone else with acute sensitivities found themselves wondering, "But how could I possible have a problem with this meat?!"

I'm trying to balance short-term frustration with not being super knowledeable now with satisfaction that I'm learning, and will be knowledgeable someday.

[Jinkse21]

I hadn't even heard of Whole9/Whole30 before last Thursday, when I stumbled upon It Starts with Food by accident. I purchased the book, plowed through it, and dived into Whole30 as of the moment I finished reading. Pro: immediate health benefits; there's already been a noticeable improvement in my reflux. Con: no advance research/adjustment period.

What's this have to do with this thread? I bought a few TJ organic meats, which I was stoked to find at such a reasonable price. Unfortunately, I've gotten gas (et al) within a few minutes of eating each of these meats, even cooked in nothing but their own juices. No such problem with the meats I've bought elsewhere. I spent a little time trying to locate further details on how their meat is sourced, how it's treated from beginning to end, but couldn't find anything substantial. Because my job involves some sourcing (albeit non-food), this concerns me.

For now, I think I'm going to order meat online while looking for locally sourced options. I just wanted to put this out there in case anyone else with acute sensitivities found themselves wondering, "But how could I possible have a problem with this meat?!"

I'm trying to balance short-term frustration with not being super knowledeable now with satisfaction that I'm learning, and will be knowledgeable someday.

Did you just eat the meat or did you eat veggies with it? Can't say I've heard of meat causing issues with gas but I've also heard of strangers things...