How to Shop for Your Favorite Foods this Holiday
By: Julia Putzeys
Tags: Grocery Shopping, Startup, Healthy Foods, App Development, Healthy Eating

Photo by Yulian Karadzhov on Unsplash

Food is such an important part of how we celebrate the holidays, even if we’re just gathered at home with our close family this year. So as you plan your menu and make your grocery list, we wanted to provide a few tips for prepping some of the most popular holiday foods so you can make them #trashpandaapproved!

We hope you enjoy, and would love to see what you make. Share a picture of your creations with us on Instagram or Facebook to spread the holiday cheer!

Turkey

The star on many people’s holiday dinner tables. And it’s a great source of protein!

Photo by Gabriel Garcia Marengo on Unsplash

Be Aware: When purchasing turkey, be aware that many of them are factory farmed and injected with a saline solution and vegetable oils to tenderize them. As always, check the ingredients list — it might contain things like emulsifiers and artificial flavors.

What to Look For: Free range, pastured or USDA organic turkeys are your best bet! Free range/roaming and pastured turkeys have continuous outdoor access, while organic turkeys only eat organic feed and are raised without antibiotics or growth hormones (they’re also free range!)

Potatoes

Potatoes are the star of many delicious dishes on the holiday table, ranging from savory to sweet. They are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B6 and C.

Be Aware: Potatoes are part of the “dirty dozen,” meaning they are more contaminated with pesticides than other crops. Regular potatoes that are grown above ground are sprayed with pesticides, and the soil they’re grown in is treated with fungicide.

What to Look For: Buy organic! Sweet potatoes, especially the colorful ones, are a Vitamin A powerhouse, and the colorful ones provide an extra hit of antioxidants.

Eggnog

A traditional holiday treat made with eggs, cream and sugar. Since it’s a dairy product, we recommend going organic and full-fat.

Be Aware: Traditional dairy can have residue from pesticides, antibiotics and growth hormones that are given to non-organic cows.

What to Look For: Look for organic options to ensure they’re made with quality dairy. Vegan eggnogs can be a good choice as well, but often have more harmful or questionable ingredients.

You can also make your own, which enables you to avoid processed ingredients such as artificial and natural flavors, artificial colors, and thickeners such as gums or carrageenan. Check out this compilation by the HuffPost — they consulted bartenders, beverage directors and chefs to collect their favorite health-conscious eggnog variations.

Cookies

Whether you’re buying them off the shelf, whipping up a mix, or making your own from scratch, cookies are a favorite holiday treat.

Be Aware: When shopping for cookies or ingredients to make your own, you’ll want to keep an eye out for artificial ingredients and preservatives on the label. Avoid high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils.

What to Look For: As always, the fewer ingredients, the better! When purchasing flour and sugar, try to get organic options.

What did we miss? We want to hear about your favorite family dishes in the comments below! And don’t forget to sign up to get notified when the Trash Panda App becomes available, so you can use it while shopping to find the best quality options for all the items on your list.

By Katie Intihar

References