I was shopping, determined to get the best quality food I could comfortably afford. I decided to get some ham to have with eggs for breakfast. I eliminated all the overly-fatty types, the ones with added honey, cheese, and so on. I narrowed it down to two brands of sliced ham, one of which was labeled as nitrite-free and "all-natural". The nutrient information was similar for both.

I decided to get the "natural" one. It cost more than the other brand, and a LOT more than the fattier ones. But I feel better getting it, because I think the lack of unwanted ingredients is important. I won't go into the debates over various additives and their possible dangers. You can find those discussions easily. I believe that the extra expense of getting better quality foods is easily offset by the health benefits obtained.

A better diet usually leads to better health, and who doesn't want that? More energy — fewer days incapacitated by illness — and faster recovery. When you eat better foods, you can exercise more effectively, which leads to weight loss when desired, and for many of us weight-loss or maintenance is an ongoing concern.

I also chose a better quality packaged salmon, opting for the clearly labeled wild-caught fish from a brand that I am familiar with, rather than generic fish of unspecified variety. The protein content was not much different, but it's nice to know with some assurance what you are getting.

I also got low-fat, hormone-free cheese, because I do not want to consume bovine growth hormones. There is too much of that in the food supply already. It makes cows fat! Why should we think it's slenderizing for us?

Premium-quality meat is very expensive. Grass-fed beef is the best you can buy, and it is not cheap. But the nutritional quality is very high, and a smaller portion can do the job of a larger portion of fattier, lower-quality beef.

Organic fruits and vegetables are generally more expensive than the regular ones, sometimes shockingly so. If you can, join a co-op or find a farmers' market, and see if you can get some good deals. More supermarkets are featuring organic items now, so prices may come down.