Ep. 291: Sourcing Groceries: Buying Locally or Online? In this episode, Stacy and Sarah are buying their groceries. But where do they go? What do they buy? Find out here! Click here to listen in iTunes or download and listen by clicking the PodBean Player below If you enjoy the show, please review it in iTunes!   The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 291: Sourcing Groceries: Buying Locally or Online? Intro (0:00) News and Views (0:40) Sarah gets to chaperone a sleep over field trip this week! Stacy thinks it doesn't sound like something she'd like, haha! Sarah's daughter has been looking forward to it and counting down the days. Sarah has chaperoned before and enjoyed it, though she knows she'll be exhausted. Stacy and family are prepping for their cruise in a couple weeks. It was the boys' Christmas gift. Stacy often gets asked about which food items she buys online and which she buys locally. It's an individualized thing depending on where you live and what you buy. Produce and Pantry: Buy Locally or Online? (6:15) There are a lot of international markets local to Stacy. This is great for those more focused on budget than quality (organic). They buy sweet potato noodles for Japchae here! Produce is 1/3 of the price they normally see. They don't buy "The Dirty Dozen" items here because they aren't organic. Trader Joe's and Costco are Stacy's other recommended places to shop. They are more limited in what they have and when they have it. Costco doesn't always have the same products because they rotate them out. Chosen Foods Avocado Oil is a great bargain here. Trader Joe's sources some things locally, and usually has an organic option. Stacy feels fortunate to have these stores available to her. Sarah loves her local farmer's market! It is very inexpensive, fresh, organically grown, and local. Sarah starts her shopping here and then rounds things out at other stores. Sarah loves the relationships she has formed with her local farmers. They do special things for her (and all their customers!) which she appreciates. Sarah also shops at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Kroger. She starts at the more inexpensive places and works up. Sometimes it depends on what she needs or which store is closer to her at the time. In the winter when her farmer's market is closed, she shops more heavily at grocery stores. Sarah visits Costco once every 6 weeks and stocks up because it is a farther drive. Costco is great for nuts, dried fruit, frozen foods, and pantry items. They are on a mission to make their store 50% or more natural or organic. The protein options have improved a lot. Sarah loves the toilet paper at Costco- it's "perfect." Stacy doesn't use any fresh food delivery system. Stacy is a control freak and wants to pick out her own food! If its a time or money-saver for you and you love it, that's great. Sarah's kids are eating a lot as they grow, so they try to use foods that stretch a meal. Cabbage and sweet potato are great for this! Sarah tends towards more inexpensive meats like ground beef and pork shoulder. Sarah's family doesn't eat all organic or pasture-raised meats all the time. Sarah likes Thrive Market, Amazon Subscribe and Save, and One Stop Paleo Shop. Stacy also uses Amazon and One Stop Paleo Shop, especially when they offer a coupon! Protein: Buy Locally or Online? (6:15) Stacy feels very strongly about buying meat locally. They live in a "farm state" with lots of options locally. It doesn't make sense for her to order meat online because of the cost on the earth to ship it. They save money on protein by buying 1/4 or 1/2 animals at a time. It isn't as convenient or quick, and takes more forethought. Stacy and Matt talk a lot about this in Beyond Bacon. She also subscribes to local farmer's newsletters to learn about sales and discounts. Stacy values eating "the whole animal," even if it means learning to use uncommon cuts. These are usually the more inexpensive cuts as well. Stacy has a local butcher shop (Organic Butcher of McClean) she loves. She can get things like broth bones and eggs year round. They know who she is when she walks in the door and what things she likes to buy. They have great recommendations for the best, freshest things they have that day. Shopping small and local lets you have great relationships with your farmer. Stacy doesn't prefer to have things that need to be refrigerated or frozen delivered. Capello's is a great example: they used to order it online, but Stacy has talked a couple local shops into carrying them, which was Capello's goal in the first place. Sarah has a bit of a counter-perspective on sourcing protein. Sarah gets a lot of their meat at the farmer's market in the summer when it's open. In the winter she's buys meat from both local stores and Butcher Box. There is an ideal: everything local, organic, in season. Then there is the compromise we have to make things actually work in our lives. We don't all have local farms close by where we can get quality food. It is worthwhile to search for what is available locally, which might take a bit of research. If it isn't available, don't feel guilty for ordering good quality meat online. Where you live will have a lot of influence over what you can find locally. There are so many factors that affect what we buy and what our food budget is. Eating locally is worth the effort into figuring out how to fit it into your life. If it isn't possible, there are many other great options! Stacy would love feedback from anyone testing the Amazon/Whole Foods delivery options. Shout out to Matt for turning a conversation into a podcast! If you've enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it. We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening! 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