My title is a bit tongue in cheek, but also it isn’t. One of my favorite ways to vote with my wallet is to say no, thanks to factory farms and GM crops, and yes, please to foods that nourish my family and the earth.

I don’t choose the best of the best with every purchase, because I live in the real world and don’t have an unlimited budget. But the more I learn, the better able I am to choose which corners to cut and which toxins to flat out refuse to put in my cart.

The broad strokes of the rules I live by:

• avoid GMOs (because of the glyphosate)
• avoid growth hormones and antibiotics
• minimize microplastics
• choose whole foods over processed

I made this chart to summarize my personal shopping philosophy:

Common Foods and Safety Considerations

Food Category	Considerations	Words of Caution
Fruits & Vegetables	Pesticides, GMOs	Choosing organic is always safe, but you don’t need to spend the big bucks on each item. (This cheat sheet includes which fruits and veg I buy freely vs. organic.)
Eggs	animal welfare, GMOs in feed	Pasture-raised tastes best and makes hens the happiest; organic ensures non-GMO feed. Deep dive here.
Dairy	hormones, antibiotics, GMOs in feed	Choosing organic will always steer you right; or read labels to ensure Canadian content. Deep dive here.
Meats	hormones, antibiotics	Organic is always free of these, or read labels to ensure hormone and antibiotic free. (Deep dive coming soon.)
Seafood	microplastics, hormones, antibiotics	Choose wild or sustainably farmed. Deep dive here.
Grains	GMOs	Organic or Non-GMO logo.
Tea	microplastics	Buy loose tea, or choose your brand carefully. Deep dive here.
Coffee	pesticides, poor working conditions, rainforest clear cutting	Buy organic, fair trade, direct trade, or Rainforest Alliance certified. Deep dive here.
Packaged Snacks	Lots of opportunity for GMOs and other toxins to creep in via ingredients like corn syrup solids and more.	Look for organic or non-GMO labeling. Bonus points for compostable packaging.

Our purchases have power. Each time we support sustainable farming and ethical production, we send a message to corporations and policymakers that we want a food system that’s healthy for people and the planet. The more of us who do this, the louder they’ll hear us.

Is there a specific type of food that you’d like a deep dive into? Let me know. Questions from readers have inspired many of these posts!