Organic food in supermarkets

Kirri

^ we're practically sharing food! as much as I like semi healthy food this is a bit extreme for me!

MyWaitrose cards currently giving discount on Kallo choc rice cakes and ryvita.

B&Q were selling Serbian trees? I'd rather have something traditional. There had an article on the news last night about (cut) trees needing something like over a litre of water a day when they first come inside to help avoid needle drop.

Edwardia

Our Christmas tree is Norwegian and languishing in a bucket before going in its stand.. we have this gadget which you bash in the stump and it means the tree can draw in water.

It also helps to place Christmas trees away from radiators and howling draughts too. We don't spray with hair spray though, as it's a fire hazard !

If you live near an IKEA real Danish Nordmann trees are on sale.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2521175/IKEA-triggers-Christmas-tree-price-war-offering-foot-firs-just-5-voucher.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Kirri

The Ikea offer is a good deal, not on offer at my nearest one sadly. I'm going for the ultimate eco friendly (+ free) way, I don't always bother but I'm borrowing one this year! Just need to keep it alive until I return it..

On the subject of hairspray, although I don't use it (and haven't since the 80's big hair days..) I entered a comp for organic hairspray this week, didn't know it existed.

Edwardia

I don't use hairspray, sometimes use gel tho..

For those who can be tempted to celeb spot who's Eating Organic at Whole Foods, there's a website now. If I was a paparazzo I'd probably live in the W Hollywood WF parking lot

http://celebritiesisawatwholefoods.tumblr.com/

And in case you forgot/didn't see it this is the original Whole Foods Market rap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UFc1pr2yUU

dinein44

The switch to organic food is going slowly but I did take advantage of a special offer on organic surge toiletries and they are fantastic.

Kirri

Another article highlighting chemical irritants:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2524361/Ban-chemical-irritant-used-skin-creams-explosion-cases-allergic-reactions-eczema.html

I've won some organic root lift hair stuff - don't use stuff like this normally but I will test it out when it turns up, not sure it will do much on my type of hair though!

The salad potatoes in the salad box from A&C were really good this week, no idea what variety or where from though as not stated (they always put the variety on the bag before). Slightly unusual getting salad potatoes this time of year.

Anyone watch the Greg Wallace secrets of the supermarket programme?

alfsmum

kirri only caught the end of Gregg Wallace, so to speak. Couldn't believe all the processes the sprouts had to go through before ending up perfectly trimmed in those little bags.

Made the mistake of putting my head round the door of M&S Simply Food on way home from work - it was heaving, people filling their trollies to the gunnels with all kinds of stuff. Didn't hang about!

Have small Riverford orders in for Weds and Sun (our Christmas delivery day) and A&C for Friday. Have added a few cashew nuts and bits and bobs to A&C order so I will have everything to hand for the Christmas cashew and mushroom roast without having to venture out amongst the frenzied shoppers. Debating whether I need an Ocado delivery pre-Christmas but refuse to pay the inflated delivery charges nearer Christmas so it will have to be sooner rather than later.

I do love the festive season, honest, but just find the ever-increasing hype too much to cope with.

alfsmum

Forgot to say, I was in Wholefoods the other day and they were pushing sparkling wine etc. I asked if they had organic alcohol free vegan sparkling wine and they were flummoxed. They were going to contact all sorts of people and email me at some point! We don't drink any alcohol but thought it might be nice to have something special over Christmas.

Kirri

^ I just got an Ocado delivery for tomorrow night for free on a £40 spend. Up to £10 charges at the end of the week which is just outrageous. The slots between xmas and NY have been down to zero in previous years though. I seem to be managing ok to get either free or almost free slots every couple of weeks.

^ Also the staff in WF whilst outwardly helpful seem to know very little about food.

Those sprout tops all thrown on the ground in that prog and I never realised wine was shipped in bags..

My Ocado order was just basic staples. Added the Liz's Granola to try. I'll get all my veg from either A&C or Riverford later this week. Best do my order I suppose. My 9Bar selection box arrived today - I didn't realise some of the bars have carob on, that should improve things!

I'm struggling to find things to eat however, due to potential diagnosis, temporarily I should be following this and I've had a mare putting a food order together or even a meal plan! It's just wiped most of my fave ingredients or any flavour out of my food. I'm loathe to cut things out of my diet too.

No: sugar, pickled foods, saturated fat, dairy (although I've read yoghurt can be good also so bit confusing), salted foods, spices, acidic fruit/veg, alcohol, caffeine, citrus, processed foods, fatty foods, overeating, abrasive foods (again read hazelnuts are good and I've no intention to cut out nuts anyway).

I can eat oats/grains/beans, bananas, garlic, green veg, foods rich in Vit E/C/A/iron/beta carotene/fibre. I am sure there are things I can add to that but I am really struggling to work out what right now! As a veggie I've no idea what I can now use for flavour apart from herbs and garlic. I put tahini on last night as think that's ok ish.

I liked the look of Nigel Slater's root veg hearty hot pot thing he made last night but not sure if the stock will be a problem re salt or if juniper berries are acidic :huh: The Daylesford ones on Ocado look nice.. Didn't realise how low in protein chestnuts were either.

Edwardia

dinein44 welcome to the thread :santa2: and hi there alfsmum.

We don't normally drink alcohol either now but my mother paid for the bottle of Taittinger.

I don't bother with Ocado before Christmas too expensive - as long as I've ordered it early enough I'll get everything I want from Abel & Cole with no risk of subs. OH has five days off so if we have to shop for veg so be it. Already have the Christmassy non-fresh stuff from Ocado, Iceland, Lidl, Fortnums and Lakeland (try categorising me as a shopper :rotfl:)

Kirri wow that looks restrictive.. what about buying some growing herbs ? I don't know of any organic ones but they are cheap in Lidl and ASDA and last ages.

Seeds of Change does wholegrain quinoa and rice mix, and what about shirataki noodles < those are zero fat, vegan, (organic if Zero Noodles brand), 100% fibre, non-abrasive.

Also would tofu be OK instead of dairy ? Doesn't strike me as abrasive.