I'm not very worldly when it comes to food, so I am not sure what the solution is (I am not so un-worldly to believe it is not a problem). Start my own farm and produce all of my own food? Shop organic? My day job and its commensurate relatively meager pay, combined with my lack of free time, discounts these notions.

I basically just try to do the best I can with available resources. Cutting down sugar and saturated fat and drinking boatloads of water, and exercising like a boss minimizes the damage inflicted by the WalMart grocery section.

Amy, I've noticed that your diet is rather pork-centric. Any suggestions on ways to cook greens (like kale) so they taste tolerable, but without using pig parts?

So far, I've decided that my ancient copy of Joy of Cooking is probably the best bet I've got. I might just learn what the heck "rendered fat" is and what to do with it.

Shannon,

I use a bit of olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil depending on my mood. All three are very "good for you" oils.

Do you really think kale tastes that bad? I eat it raw now - I literally would rather have kale salad than any other food out there. Kale+lemon juice+oil+lots of cheese.

I now buy by bacon from a local pig farmer who set up a store in lake country. He has his pigs butchered at a small plant in a very small town. More expensive than Walmart but about the same as a regular grocery store. When lake people head back to the twin cities in the fall they buy out his three bacon freezers. Luckily, with his inventory of pigs, he has the ability to refill before the winter for locals. I eat less bacon but it is offset by quality and more real fat.

Is kale really good? I used to eat no greens whatsoever, and spinach and arugula was a big step for me!

Scallops are expensive. If you splurge for them, then get "dry" scallops.
"Wet" scallops have been soaked in a solution of tripolyphosphate. This attaches to the protein and onto extra water. They will be plumper and cheaper, naturally, than untreated scallops.

Wet scallops have a strange flavor and weep out their water when cooked. Browning scallops in butter or oil is a great way to prepare them. Wet scallops will not brown.

I don't buy anything which has tripolyphospate or other phosphates in the ingredients. Scallops are often not labelled.

Also, it is hard to find a shrimp which has not been treated with phosphates. I have only found dry shrimp at Whole Foods and specialized fish markets.

Part of the problem is that the farmers have essentially been told that raising fatty pigs (and other animals) is not economically viable.

If they want to breed and raise this type of pig, they're only going to get $0.30 a pound, but this breed will get $0.70 a pound. What do you think they'll do?

Amy - Sorry. It must have been the repeated references to bacon :)

Sam - If it is green and leafy then it does taste that bad (at least to me). I am extremely sensitive to taste - bitter tastes in particular. Almost all things leafy and green have bitterness to them. I have no idea if kale is tasty or not to people who aren't so sensitive. My poor husband grew up in Texas and when I think something is spicy, he can't taste it at all!

Let's give a big round of applause to the Federal Reserve, helping to ruin our lives since 1913.

"My poor husband grew up in Texas and when I think something is spicy, he can't taste it at all!"

Sounds like you grew up in Minnesota - place where ketchup is considered barbecue sauce.

I grew up near Chicago. I'm VERY sensitive to taste. I'm told I can taste things in wine that people who have been doing tastings for years have trouble picking out... I am particularly sensitive to bitter tastes. I think it might be part of the ADD thing.

Shannon: Duck fat while more expensive can be used in the same way. Toss in a few drops of liquid smoke and it's quite bacony. Kale can also be baked into chips. Same crunch as potato with a salty tang before you add anything. Cooking appears to destroy the bitter compounds. Also not everyone can taste them it's a know genetic factor.

If you like pig that's nice and fatty look for game pig in the southern states. Feral pigs are a serious nuisance there. Here's one site: http://www.dartagnan.com/51346/Wild-Boar.html?npp=8&CMCID=SEM_G_WildGame_WildBoar&gclid=CNzA_76M4LICFQqZ4AodD1QAiw Note the fatty shoulder which you don't tend to see in farm pig. Also way more humane then farmed meat for those who are meat welfare conscious.

Looking forward to next deer season now that I know my rifle will kill any game instantly.

@Sam RE Ass Kale: I would need to double-check because it's been so long, but I believe it's a genetic thing. Remember biology, where they make you taste the paper strips, and some people taste the bitter and some people taste nothing? It's related to that if I recall, but would have to double-check.

Kale tastes horrible to me. I've even tried cooking it in bacon grease but still couldn't stomach it. Maybe I didn't cook it long enough.