I got in to Charlottesville after Winter Break around 2 p.m. and only had one errand to run that day. So, naturally, I didn’t get around to it until 9 p.m.
Arriving at Harris Teeter — my hunger making me feel like there was a small tiger living inside of my stomach — I saw a woman running into the store. I immediately began to fear I had arrived too late and the Holy Grail of supermarkets would be closing.
Thankfully, a glowing sign was sent to me like a divine message — “Open 24 hours,” it read. I no longer had to worry about rushing through the aisles in a scene straight out of “Supermarket Sweep” — a show I highly recommend, by the way, for those of you who did not experience the pleasure of watching it as a child.
The neon sign only brought me temporary peace, however. Once I got into the grocery store, I felt my familiar level of grocery store anxiety. As my great friend Biggie once said, “Mo Money Mo Problems.” In this case, it can be said, “Mo Food Mo Problems.”
As I roamed the aisles of Harris Teeter, my brain was full of facts I’ve learned from health articles and documentaries which scared me away from every food item imaginable. I’ve been told countless times processed food will kill me, so obviously I steered clear of the chips and soda aisle.
When I went to buy tomatoes, I couldn’t help but think about Eva Longoria’s recent documentary on the human cost in our food supply and the maltreatment and underpayment of farmworkers. I scanned over the avocados and, instead of grabbing two, I only grabbed one, knowing the one I left behind will certainly solve the impending avocado shortage.
Slave labor in the production of sugar, factory farming, the harmful effects of grain on the brain, soil degradation, unsustainable levels of petroleum inputs, MSG and overfishing — the list of problems which flew through my mind as I walked through Harris Teeter goes on and on.
The grocery store, it seemed, was filled with inescapable problems.
For me, the solution has become to buy local food. Eating local isn’t just beneficial for the environment or local producers, but for our bodies. Every single thing we put into our bodies matters. Many people are digging their own graves with their forks and they don’t even realize it.
Some people avoid learning the facts so they don’t know what harm they’re doing. Instead, I try to learn as much as I can. Then when I’m in the grocery store overwhelmed, it becomes a matter of picking the healthiest option — even if it’s only marginally better.
Of course, selecting the best options can get monotonous — so it is important to eat smart, not crazy. Surely everyone needs cheesy bread once in a while, and not only will I support this move, but I will call the order myself.
But cheating once in a while doesn’t impede progress. Replacing a grocery store visit with a farmer’s market visit, eating meat once a day instead of three times a day and watching documentaries like “Vegucated” or “Death on a Factory Farm” are all forms of progress. For me, the first step to making these choices is knowing the facts.
Avery’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at a.moyler@cavalierdaily.com.
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