What to look for when buying meat/seafood? page

[redpeony]

I'd like to start eating more meat, but I'm not sure exactly what descriptors I should be looking for when going grocery shopping. Of course "grass-fed" for beef, but what about chicken, turkey, fish, scallops, shrimp, etc? Is "wild" always best when it comes to seafood? What about eggs? My local farmer's market only sells fruits and veggies, not meat so I generally shop for other items at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Thanks!!

[noodletoy]

wild fish is definitely better and 3rd world fish-farming practices can be abhorrently unclean. stay away. for chicken and turkey look for free-range /pastured birds. these are usually hormone and antibiotic-free as well.

not sure where you live, but try doing a google search for organic farms in your area. you may be able to buy local eggs and meat more cheaply than from whole paycheck.

[Artichoke]

I agree with noodletoy, you can look at the Vietnamese and Indonesian prawn farming videos on YouTube and after you've seen them you'll never buy cheap farmed prawns again.

[KV8R]

I think I read one of Mark's articles before saying that shrimp or shellfish didn't matter, they're all the same. All other fish should be wild caught, and avoid farm raised.

[jimhensen]

It really depends on your priorities. I guarantee that you will see no practical benefit to your health if you buy the 5.99 organic free range chicken compared to the 1.99 a pound regular chicken. The more expensive chicken might taste better, but is that worth 3x the price to you?

As for grass fed beef...if you don't care about cost go for it. Otherwise it would be cheaper to buy the regular stuff and take some fish oil pills.

[Artichoke]

Organic food in the UK IMO is no better nutritionally than non-organic food and a UK government study backed this up. Some stuff tastes far better (organic bacon), other stuff (organic asparagus) no better, in my experience.

BUT organic food is often the only way to avoid GM ingredients, chemical preservatives, flavouring, colours, texturisers, added water, added sugar, insecticides, pesticides and fungicides. All of those things are a cocktail of unknown potency even in the UK which has far stricter food regulations than the US.

I am noticing better health since going organic because I've lifted the chemical burden off my liver, for example.