Say produce is expensive and many people will understand, even commiserate. If you mention organic, many people, especially those in communities of color will think you’re either a health nut or  wealthy with a mindset veering towards “let them eat cake”.  Our country has become informally segregated socio-economically (and some would say this translates to racially also) around the produce aisle.  This is despite the fact that most of America recognizes the need for substantial changes in our collective diet. Take for instance, blueberries. They along with pomegranates have become “in” fruits so to speak. Indeed for the wealth of anti-oxidants and vitamins they provide but also as a minute cultural symbol of class & socio-economic level. They’re expensive little things often sold in small 6 oz. packs.  Top them off with the organic label and they become cost prohibitive for most to consume on a regular basis when purchased from your average grocer.

When you consider that many low income urban areas  have little to no access to any type of healthy fruits and vegetables , your average blueberry becomes the Birkin bag of the fruit world. Coveted by many but only affordable for a very few.  A simple breakfast of organic yogurt, whole grain granola & blueberries becomes the modern day pheasant & truffle feast available only to the affluent classes of ancient times.  Informally, social sumptuary laws begin to color the arguments found on parenting boards and in forums where those not a part of  a certain economic echelon are derided for “wasting” their money or the more common shaming euphemism, ”the taxpayer’s money”  by  investing in such upper class fare.  How dare “they” have blueberries?! “How dare this single mother using food stamps purchase organic blueberries”-an  anonymous complaint found on a popular parenting board. Never mind that the overall assumption by the others on the board seemed to be that the single mother on foodstamps in question had to be one of “those people”. Translation: of color, minority, brown .

In the interest of brevity and keeping with the topic, we won’t deal with the myriad false assumptions and stereotypes that come about whenever the topics of race & class intersect.  I will say that  in the African American community we have a public health emergency that centers around diet and proper nutrition and crosses all socio-economic levels.  Many of us think its about our high rate of obesity and how we “look” to others outside of the community. No, think again. Diet should not be looked upon as simply a short terms means to weight loss and “looking fine” but instead a means  to nourish the body in the most healthful way. There are those of us who are slender, physically proportionate, gorgeous junk food addicts. In truth, I speak from experience in saying that when the body begins to be properly nourished, the loss of excess weight comes about naturally and pain free (I’ve lost 50 lbs thus far with no dieting but by focusing on natural whole foods). Weight loss takes longer but the body wants to be healthy if we give it the right tools for health. The same goes for the amelioration of  the symptoms of certain lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Many of us regardless of our personal socio-economic levels need to eschew the mindset that says certain things are only for certain types of people. We have to do new things for the sake of the young people that we feed and nurture.  Besides, organic tastes better no matter the fruit!

I have found that organic apples, blueberries, peaches, etc. have a richer, sweeter taste. They are juicier and plumper.  In terms of affordability, it is better to cut back on the higher priced meats that many of us have no problem making room in the budget for in order to get a better quality of produce. 

In many parts of the country,organic is still considered a specialty type of produce and in some communities there is simply not the access due to limited or no grocery stores.  Many communities are already coming up with long term solutions that include the growth of community gardens but also a political call to arms in the name of self determination & collective responsibility.A number of communities in places such as Detroit and Oakland have begun grassroot campaigns to reach the attention of  papers,local government leaders and even national grocery chains to advocate for the creation of local stores in their area. In some economically disadvantaged ares such as the west Oakland neighborhood of the San Francisco bay area, community members in conjunction with local  non-profits have opened  food co-ops. There’s  even a popular saturday farmer’s market which features organic produce from primarily African American owned farms, all of which helps make fruits and vegetables accessible to the people.  Short term solutions include carpooling or sharing cab fare to places outside of one’s community to reach more affordable and better quality produce choices.  Costco has opened stores in several traditionally lower income urban areas such as their location in East Harlem, NY. There is a membership fee of $50 for the most basic membership but that membership opens the door to a wealth of savings on better quality foods.

Healthy living should be equal opportunity and we all must advocate for better choices for those in our collective community who cannot do so for themselves.   

Those of us who easily and readily have the means to make better choices nutritionally are often still not doing it.  Start small as our family has done and simply try to purchase the organic version of the ”dirty dozen” fruits. These fruits are called the “dirty dozen” because they contain the highest amount of pesticides when purchased non-organic.  Some of them have been found to contain up to 50 different kinds of pesticides when lab tested. I’ve also included  safer alternatives that contain the same vitamins and minerals if the organic version is definitely out of the price range or unavailable:

• apples: alternatives are bananas, watermelon, tangerines
• nectarines: alternatives papaya & mango
• strawberries: pineapples & kiwis
• celery: alternatives are broccoli, radishes, onions
• peaches: alternatives are grapefruit, watermelon, oranges,and tangerines
• blueberries: please buy these organic as they are considered the “dirtiest berry”, great value can be gotten from getting them organic at smaller local produce stands or Costco which has a huge 3 lb clamshell for $6.99
• bell peppers: alternatives are green peas, cabbage, broccoli
• kale: alternatives are cabbage, broccoli
• cherries:  alternatives are cranberries & raspberries
• imported grapes: domestic made in the U.S.A grapes are safer
• potatoes:  alternatives are eggplant, mushrooms, and cabbage
• Spinach: considered one of the dirtiest vegetables, good alternatives are cabbage, broccoli, bok choy

Buy organic & buy whole whenever you can. Help your neighbor to do so as well.

To find out more about organizations in your area that are working for nutritional justice and helping to make changes  for those communities that do not have access to quality foods, call your local community access line, usually 211 nationwide or 311 in the New York area.  Some community urban  organizations for nutritional justice:

• The Point,  www.thepoint.org located in the South Bronx, NY
• Growing Home,  www.growinghomeinc.org Chicago Il
• Mandela food co-op, www.mandelafoods.com Oakland, CA
• Mandela Farmer’s Market, www.mobettafood.com Oakland CA
• Earthworks Urban Farm, www.cskdetroit.org Detroit, MI

Here’s my recipe for Miser Wat or Ethiopian lentil stew. It’s basically a spiced bean dish hearty enough to be eaten alone, over a rice of your choice or with the traditional Ethiopian injera bread. Depending on your personal predilections, you can make it as healthy or rich as you choose by lessening the amount of oil or nit’r qibe that you place in the dish. An average size pot calls for about 1.5-2 cups of oil. I always use olive oil and I like to lessen it a bit because it seems like a good deal to me as an American. Great for picky toddlers…and husbands. You can lessen the spice for those whose digestive systems are tender. 

****note: A great recipe change to make it especially palatable for children & those who like less spice. Decrease the Beri-beri spice to 1 teaspoon and then use 1 tbsp. of paprika. It gives you the requisite red coloring & the pungent spice without the mouth burning heat.

Here’s the authentic recipe courtesy of Awash Restaurant and Market in San Diego, CA.

Miser Wat:

2 cups lentils
4-5 cups water
1.5 cups nitr qibe (Ethiopian spiced butter)
2 cups onion
1 tsp. garlic chopped
1 tbsp. fresh ginger minced
2 tbsp. beri-beri spice
1.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

Saute the onions in the nitr qibe or oil until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1 more minute. Add the beri-beri and saute for a few minutes more, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. The onions should start to carmelize, mix in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, & salt. Stir.  Now add the water. Allow the pot to come to a rolling boil.   Add the lentils.  Allow the lentils to boil for a bit (about 10 min.) constantly stirring. Turn down to a simmer and cook for an 30-45 min. Be sure to watch that pot and KEEP STIRRING. Beans burn quickly…I’ve learned that one quite a few times.

Simple right? Except, what the heck is nit’r qibe and which one of my limbs do I have to sell to get it? Ahaa! That’s where my American style tweaks come in. As you could see, the two primary ingredients of this recipe are a special Ethiopian spice called beri-beri and a spiced butter called nit’r qibe.  Both are composed of ingredients not readily available in the states. I am blessed to be near a vibrant Ethiopian community so I’ve found both, but here’s some solutions for those who not.  Without further ado, here’s how to make your own beri-beri spice. Keep in mind this is a version and not an absolute replacement for the real deal.

Beri-beri spice:
2 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. fenugreek
roughly a tsp. of ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1/2 tsp.pepper
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. salt.
2 tsp. onion powder
5 tsp. red pepper

In a frying pan on med. heat. throw all of the spices in and toast them for about 2 minutes or until your kitchen smells darn good.

Ethiopians everywhere are going to kill me for dishonoring the authentic recipe in that manner BUT…it works and gets you there using spices that are pretty common in every American grocery store.  Make extra so that it can just be a spice that you have on hand in your kitchen. I put it in everything from chili to quick veggie stirfries.

As for the nit’r qib—for the sake of the miser wat recipe you can get away with using an oil that doesn’t have a pungent taste(stay away from corn–preferably olive or vegetable) and then use an extra tbsp. of beri-beri when preparing the stew. Once you have the beri-beri already made, the entire affair should take about an 1 hour to cook and 10 minutes to prepare.

Wishing you blessings & good eats!