Navigating The Grocery Store

PSA: I was a food stamp and WIC kid for many years because my family was tremendously poor after my parents got out of the service so in no way do I judge any of you for having to choose boxed pasta mixes and instant mashed potatoes. I get it and if I'm going to be honest with you, knowing what I know, times are going to get much harder, but I want to encourage everyone to choose foods wisely. Oh, and I'm not a medical professional by any means, I only speak from what I uncovered and experienced in the last 20+ years. 

My Background: I spent many years on the Feingold Program and being a researcher for them, so I've been exposed to enough of the industry to help Americans navigate their grocery stores and help you decide what path your family can go down. I can tell you without a doubt, most of the food on the shelves is filled with toxic chemicals and the companies that own them have been using them for many years. If you sit down and trace the foods currently in your pantry, you'll find pharmaceutical companies, cleaning chemical companies and even cigarette companies hidden in the shadows pulling the strings.

In addition to literally investigating hundreds of food companies, I have three special needs children and have had to navigate various specialty diets where I've needed to eliminate certain produce, grains, dairy, soy and other ingredients that caused my children digestive issues. Today, my husband and two sons have chosen the path of carnivore and my daughter, and I are trying to stick with the Persistent Caloric Density Diet I worked together to create for better satiation. 

I highly recommend you stick to the outer section of grocery stores to find the majority of your grocery needs as the inside is a great hellscape of toxic foodstuffs that 

MEAT

Best: Local, Pasture Raised, Locally Slaughtered

Good: Publix Greenwise Brand Meats

Acceptable: Raw or Frozen Meat, Of Good Quality; Avoid anything that indicates that it has been injected with flavoring, water solution, "natural flavorings" or marinades or breading

What's the deal? Most meat that is prepackaged is easier to hide "pink slime" and low-quality animal parts that come from a mix of various cows which could be infected with various viruses or diseases. In addition, animals are vaccinated while they are in the egg or are newborn but will still claim to be completely natural and healthy while keeping the consumer in the dark. There are herbicides and pesticides that many animals are exposed to within the hay and feed that doesn't disappear once digested. 

Avoid any meats that are "seasoned", breaded, brined or flavored whether it's raw or from the freezer section. Avoid sausage or other meats that have dextrose (gmo corn syrup), MSG (neuro toxic) and the artificial flavors called TBHQ/BHA/BHT.

SEAFOOD

Best: Locally sourced native species reared in clean pools using permaculture methods

Good: Locally sourced native species reared in local waterways that are known for not containing contaminants

Acceptable: Publix Greenwise or Wild specified species

What's the deal? Farm raised fish tends to be raised in environments where there is such terrible crowding that they spend their entire lives in their own excrement until harvest and then are sold off to uneducated consumers. When it comes to seafood, the further away from your home country the more likely it is to be contaminated with something dangerous. Take into consideration that Walmart had a huge recall just this year (2025) for frozen shrimp due to exposure to Cesium-137 and it was imported from Indonesia. 

Avoid any seafood that is breaded, precooked, glazed, brined or flavored in any way to reduce your chemical exposure. Avoid products that list MSG, dextrose or the preservatives TBHQ/BHA/BHT. 

DAIRY

Best: Local, raw unpasteurized pasture raised from a trusted source

Good: Local, pasteurized pasture raised from a trusted source

Acceptable: Organic or Organic A2 Milk, Cheese Imported from UK

What's the deal? Just like with beef cattle, you have to understand that these animals are given hay, feed and supplements that have loads of not only unhealthy but potentially dangerous chemical ingredients. We have to consider that some larger operations are injecting their animals with COVID-19 shots in addition to rBST hormone injection to increase milk supply.

Over 90% of American cheese products tend to be made with a GMO Rennet created by none other than your scientist friends at Pfizer. The U.S. Government allows cheese products to get away with not having to label products as having "genetically modified organisms" or "bio-engineered" labels due to a labeling loophole that Pfizer uses to its advantage. This technology made possible by CRISPR Gene Editing, and it only received a safety testing of 90 days on lab rats. Since only approximately 10% of American cheese is free from this ingredient, I recommend you buy the majority of your cheeses from UK countries where its usage is banned. 

EGGS

Best: Local, organic unwashed fresh eggs from trusted source

Good: Pasture Raised Organic Eggs from the store

Acceptable: Organic Cage Free Eggs from the store

What's the deal? When it comes to choosing eggs, it's all in the fancy words on the package because even though a company might market eggs as "cage-free", they are still being housed in hoop houses without ever seeing the outside and just fed a steady diet of heat lights and commercial feed. With all farm animals, if they are spending their life eating grains, with no sun exposure nor access to the outdoors to graze then it makes for an environment which taxes their immune system and makes for a stressed and sickly creature.

PRODUCE

Best: Grow your own or local, organic or nearly organic produce

Good: Organic produce from store

Acceptable: Choose produce to eat commercial from the Clean 15 List and do organic for the Dirty Dozen List 

What's the deal? There's a belief that is now becoming mainstream that Americans aren't actually allergic to wheat and grains but are in fact struggling with exposure to herbicides and pesticides that are sprayed on not only grains but produce as well. The next time you decide to eat commercial grains or produce, journal any reactions that you may have after being exposed to a chemical such as red ears, itchy skin or random facial nerve movement. I would personally recommend that if you were going to be eating commercial produce, you should remove the skin thoroughly before adding to any dishes. 

If you are looking to purchase frozen produce, avoid anything with sauce or seasonings added. Be sure to read the ingredients to avoid dextrose (usually GMO corn syrup), MSG (neuro-toxic) and artificial preservatives like BHA/BHT/TBHQ. 

GRAINS

Best: Organic from companies who test their grains for lead, pesticide and herbicide drift and arsenic

Good: Imported from Italy, France or England

Acceptable: Organic store brand or reputable company

What's the deal? As I said with produce, there is a belief going mainstream that we are not necessarily allergic to wheat but rather having a response to all the herbicides and pesticides that are sprayed on crops. Most grains have been messed with my American and foreign corporations but there are still some grains out there worth keeping in the ol' pantry. You can buy oats from Ireland or France, Arborio, Farro or Emmer from Italy, Barley or Wheat from England. 

But what about crackers and cereals? Most of the cereals and crackers produced in the US have artificial preservatives sprayed either directly on the food or inside the package lining. If you don't have to battle with artificial preservatives, then you have to deal with the FD&C dyes which give most cereals their vibrant colors. FD&C stands for Food, Drug & Cosmetic which means that dye has been approved for anything involving food, medications, makeup and body products. Why should FD&C dyes be so concerning for parents? Because it's derived from petroleum compounds a.k.a. crude oil. Dr Benjamin Feingold was sounding the alarm in the 60's and 70's but was frequently shut out and ostracized by his own medical community for his views on the dangers of children being exposed to copious amounts daily. 

If you want to give your kids a snack, try a charcuterie or hors d'oeuvre plate with pepperoni slices, cheese cubes, fermented pickle slices, olives, walnuts, pecans, dried plums, unsweetened cranberries, and maybe a spoonful of pate. 

NUTS & SEEDS

Best: Locally grown, no pesticide or herbicide and shelled at the farm

Good: Organic store brought with no added oils or seasonings

Acceptable: Natural with no added oils, seasonings or flavorings

What's the deal? Most companies spray artificial preservatives listed as TBHQ, BHT and BHA on the inside of the package and do not actually inform the consumer that this exposure is about to occur when you purchase their product. Additionally, many companies will add artificial flavoring which can be derived from petroleum, gas by-products, coal tar derivatives, or industrial chemicals. 

LEGUMES

Best: locally produced without pesticides or herbicides

Good: Organic from reputable companies that test their products for multiple chemical exposures such as arsenic or lead

Acceptable: Naturally produced that contain no flavoring or seasonings; dried beans should have nothing added to them and nut butters should only have their own produced oil and salt, no sugar or artificial flavoring added

What's the deal? Again, it's the same concerns with grains and produce because legumes can be heavily sprayed with chemicals, so do your best to get the cleanest you can for your family.

SWEETENER

Best: Coconut Sugar doesn't spike your glucose/insulin as badly as the white granulated stuff

Good: Local Honey, doesn't spike your glucose/insulin as badly as the white granulated stuff

Acceptable: Turbinado Sugar or Molasses, which contains beneficial nutrients

What's the deal? One of the largest genetically modified crops grown is GMO sugar cane and GMO sugar beets for the production of refined white sugar and because it goes by many names, it can be snuck into multiple products. Do your best to avoid artificial sweeteners as they have been linked to everything from migraines and inflammation to even cancers. Xylitol and Stevia both have their pros and cons as well that should be investigated if you desire their usage. 

** If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at cmdevidal@gmail.com and I'll respond back as quickly as possible. **