Stocking Up

Five more days 'til Corn-Free July and it's time to take a serious look at what's in the pantry.


And more specifically, what's in what's in the pantry.


The hardest part of avoiding a specific ingredient in your diet can sometimes be just figuring out what to avoid in the first place.  I spent a lot of time last summer on wild goose chases leading me deeper and deeper into Wikipedia pages that told me a lot about certain food additives' molecular structure, but nothing definitive about where they actually come from.


Luckily, just today I found this extensive list of corn-derived additives from Jenny Connor's website "Corn Allergens."  You'll find on it many (dare I say most?) of those "bottom of the list" ingredients like citric acid, maltodextrin, and sorbitol.


In addition to these, pretty much any meat or other animal product that isn't from a local source or specifically marked as "grass-fed" or "pasture-raised" (and even these can be misleading, as I found out last year), has been corn-fed, in a concentrated animal feeding operation.  That's just the way it is.  But if you're unsure, ask.  Most butchers and restaurant owners are happy to answer questions about their products.  


Just don't take it to this level.


The good news is that once you find your local farmers' market or health food store that carries unprocessed or grass-fed items, (and you've blocked off the extra time involved in both shopping and cooking) there's virtually no end to the meals you can make. 


Some of my favorites can be found in the Corn-Free Cookbook, but let me know in the comments section here or on the wall for the Facebook event if you have one you'd like to share, or if there's a dish you'd like to see added.


Happy eating!