June 15th, 2009 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
 Modern man doesn’t scavenge for food. French fries don’t need to be hunted and doughnuts won’t run away. Just look around. There’s a Krispy Kreme or a McDonald’s on every corner!
And all this food means a lot of waste. Go to any public park or look outside any restaurant and you’ll find a ton of discarded food strewn about.
But crows love it! These crafty little scavengers snatch up garbage like a feast, but a diet of fast food and pastries is bad, even for crows.
Leftover junk food isn’t nutritious and the chicks of urban crows are smaller and deficient in protein and calcium, compared to crows living in rural areas. Suburban crows eating natural food grow up bigger and stronger.
Here’s the problem. Crows are opportunists and scientists suspect they’ll feed their young with whatever is easier to find and cities are hotbeds for scraps of junk.
Via Discoblog.
Read More: Junk Food Making Crows Sick
Tags: Crows, eating habits, food, Health, Junk Food
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June 9th, 2009 - Laura Klein
 “It’s 100% vegan, but it tastes like KFC.”
Welcome to a magical place where grab and go, decadent comfort food blissfully coexists with super high nutrition and globally good underpinnings…The Veggie Grill’s got it all.
“Our overarching purpose is to show people how delicious and enjoyable plant-based food can be when prepared the right way,” says T.K. Pillan, one of The Veggie Grill’s owners. Goodbye bland tofu, uninspired bean sprouts…hello Chipotle BBQ, Grillin’ Chickin’ and Carne Asada sandwiches…all of which are made from 100% plant-based, veggie protein blends.
“The Best Chicken Sandwich I Ever Had!” Veggie Grill converts regularly proclaim that The Veggie Grill’s Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ (crispy fried chillin’ chickin’, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, southwestern spiced vegan mayo on a wheat bun with a side of red cabbage ‘slaw) is ‘the best chicken sandwich I ever had!” The irony? There’s no chicken in it!
By using its signature marinades and sauces, The Veggie Grill converts super nutritious plant-based proteins patties (which in their base form, are pretty much flavorless) into familiar and yummy all-American comfort food.
“There’s a certain stereotype about vegetarian and vegan food being boring and tasteless,” continues Pillan. The Veggie Grill busts through that myth, despite its cholesterol-, trans fat- and high-fructose corn syrup-free menu offerings.
Another amazing side effect? No bloating or sleepiness, as you might feel after a guilty indulgence in ‘conventional’ fast foods. What you eat affects your vitality, and The Veggie Grill is on the right side of your energy and nutritional levels.
Eco Bite The Veggie Grill takes a decidedly non-preachy approach to their vegan comfort food…but Pillan adds that 100% plant-based food is as sustainable as you can get.
The huge carbon foot print of cattle and other animals raised for food has a greater impact on the planet than even transportation, a little known fact.
“Meat is simply an inefficient use of the planet,” says Pillan, citing Brazilian rain forests that are currently being cleared to make room for raised-for-meat cattle grazing. You can get much more from land – and for people – by growing plant-based food versus animals raised for food.
Sourcing wise, The Veggie Grill strives for local and organic whenever possible, especially when it comes to produce.
Check out Fox’s Good Day L.A.’s recent visit to The Veggie Grill and plan your outing to this amazing eatery soon (there are two locations in Irvine and one in El Segundo, CA). Staying at home? Pick a new dish from Laura Klein’s huge offering of healthy organic recipes!
Know any other ‘comfort food’ vegan or vegetarian restaurants? Let us know!
Read More: Get Your Vegan Comfort Food On!
Tags: food, restaurant, vegan, vegetarian
Posted in Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | 4 Comments »
June 3rd, 2009 - Leslie Billera
…it’s a heck of a good start!
When I found out that there were several bitter truths beyond the taste of my favorite dark chocolate, another layer of guilt was added my guilty pleasure.
Not-so-sweet truths about ‘conventional’ chocolate include:
- Pesticides used in ‘conventional’ cocoa farming impact the soil, water, and the health of cocoa farmers
- Unethical practices in the cocoa industry – especially in Africa – include forced child labor, unfair pay, and poor working conditions
That’s why I was pleased as punch to read about the World Cocoa Foundation’s June Partnership meeting in Washington, D.C. June 3-4th. The meeting will be attended by top U.S. foreign agriculture brass and many other key decision makers in the industry. According to the WCF’s President, Bill Gutyon, “Efforts to improve farming practices, incomes and overall wellbeing for the millions of people who grow this unique crop are expanding significantly.”
One great start is the Cocoa Livelihoods Program, a new, $40 million program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, eleven leading chocolate industry companies, and other partners. The program aims to significantly improve the livelihoods of approximately 200,000 cocoa farmers in West and Central Africa.
Show your support for organic chocolate with this scrumptious cupcake recipe; and let us know what favorite organic, fair trade chocolate brands are in your cupboard. We love hearing from you!
Source
Read More: Can $40 Million Help Build a More Sustainable Cocoa Industry?
Tags: chocolate, cocoa, food, healthy food, Organic Food
Posted in Green Living, Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Food Recipes | Comments Off
May 28th, 2009 - Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese
 Some people feel genetically modified organisms are an unholy abomination, but others think they’re a scientific breakthrough. To put it lightly, the worldview is conflicted.
Recently, at the Vatican, activists argued that GMOs are invasive and will choke out indigenous plants, but in Uganda officials want to explore the usage of GMOs to help reduce the cost of food.
For the Vatican the major taboo about GMOs is their threat to God the creator. After all, God made tomatoes red. Who are we to make them blue with yellow polka dots
Although, I think God would appreciate our creativity, but then again, I doubt we REALLY need carrots mixed with scorpions.
Via Red Green and Blue.
Read More: GMOs Aren’t on God’s Good Side
Tags: food, GMOs
Posted in Health, Organic | 2 Comments »
May 21st, 2009 - Laura Klein
[caption id="attachment_3885" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Organic fruits and vegetables at the farmers market"]  [/caption]
Fears Surrounding Food Safety Legislation Are Overblown
We all want our food to be safe. That’s a no-brainer.
But will the push for new laws and increased oversight hurt organic farmers, consumers of fresh local foods and even backyard gardeners in the rush to fix the nation’s food safety problems?
That’s what The Cornucopia Institute a Wisconsin-based organic food and agriculture watchdog, is keeping a close eye on.
Rumor v. Reality
The controversy has centered around one of the pending bills, The Food Safety Modernization Act (HR 875)sponsored by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The bill has sparked a flurry of viral internet and email agitation, with some warning the agribusiness and biotechnology lobbyists are conspiring to pass legislation outlawing organic farming and home gardens.
We spoke to Will Fantle, a spokesperson from The Cornucopia Institute to clear the air.
Mr. Fantle told us that while there are some concerns – primarily that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to food safety legislation will simply not work – the reaction has been alarmist. “The outrage shows that there’s a deep well of support for farmers and CSAs which is great,” he admits, “but it needs to be directed towards positive actions.”
“Our food safety system is broken,” he admits, going on to note that his organization, and many others like it, will do their best to protect organic and local farmers from overly burdensome food safety legislation that might hinder their trade.
With the government focusing on climate change and healthcare legislation, the food safety legislation has been back-burnered until June. We’ll keep you posted.
Until then, an action alert released by Cornucopia provides talking points and guidance for consumers and farmers interested in contacting their legislators to urge protection of organic and local food production. It can be found on Cornucopia’s web page at http://www.cornucopia.org/2009/03/action-alert-critical-pending-food-safety -legislation.
Let us know what you think about the most recent food safety legislation…we love hearing from you!
Read more about Food Safety from our Organic Blog:
Factory Farms Pose Unacceptable Risks
Pork Wars
FDA Makes Food Safety a Priority
Fundamental Flaws in Food Safety
Father-in-Chief Joins Ranks of Concerned Parents
Factory Farms Under Fire
Big Agribusiness Dictating U.S. Food Safety
Read More: Turn Off the Alarm Bells…
Tags: farming, food, food safety, Organic Food
Posted in Organic, Organic Food | Comments Off
April 24th, 2009 - Laura Klein
 Last week, I wrote about Michelle Obama’s edible, organic garden planted on 1100 square feet of White House Lawn earlier this month.
It turns out not everyone was as excited as me.
Take the Mid America CropLife Association (MACA), for instance…this group represents agribusinesses like Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences and DuPont Crop Protection, and they’ve got a bone to pick.
In a letter they wrote to Michelle Obama, brought to the public attention via La Vida Locavore (where you can read the letter in its entirety), MACA expressed concern that the decision to grow an organic garden would give consumers the wrong impression about conventionally grown food – and by that I’m assuming that they mean letting the public at large know that food can actually be grown without using chemicals (imagine that!)….
The letter states…
“We live in a very different world than that of our grandparents. Americans are juggling jobs with the needs of children and aging parents. The time needed to tend a garden is not there for the majority of our citizens, certainly not a garden of sufficient productivity to supply much of a family’s year-round food needs.”
Which begs the question: are we really considering children and aging parents who have underdeveloped or compromised immune systems, when we spray our yards, and gardens with poisonous pesticides? Children and pets roll around and play on the lawn and in the dirt. If we are spraying our lawns, and gardens with pesticides we are exposing them to toxic chemicals that can compromise the human body.
The Danger of Exposure
We absorb chemicals and toxins three ways:
- Swallowing – ingesting them via our food.
- Breathing – via inhalation of air.
- Skin and or eye contact – i.e. absorption of your personal care products.
So when you spray pesticides in and around your yard and home, keep in mind that you, your family and pets can absorb its chemicals via all three of these passage ways.
The New England Journal of Medicine, published a study in July of 2000, that states we are more likely to get cancer from pesticide exposure than from hereditary causes.
Studies have also shown that pesticides and toxic chemicals can be up to 10 times more poisonous to child’s underdeveloped immune system.
Clearly, I don’t think that a ‘busy’ lifestyle if enough of an excuse to use pesticides – ever.
What are your thoughts on the MACA letter – and about pesticide exposure overall? I’d love to hear from you!
Read More: A Chemical Reaction to the White House Garden
Tags: food, garden, michelle obama, Organic, Organic Food
Posted in Green Living, Health, Organic, Organic Food, Political Action | 32 Comments »
December 8th, 2008 - Leslie Billera
The amazing folks at Environmental Working Group are at it again…this time, protecting our pets!
The non-profit think tank’s latest study – the full results of which haven’t been released yet – tested 10 brands of dog food. Of those 10, they found that eight of them showed dangerous levels of fluoride.
While most of us think of fluoride as good for us, in high levels it can be very bad for humans and animals, causing brittle bones. Too much fluoride contributes to bone cancer (a big problem for big dogs), thyroid disruption and changes in behavior.
The top recommendation? Avoid any pet food containing bone meal.
Laura Klein, pictured here with one of her two dogs, Bamboo, recommends an organic diet for your pooch: read about the top five benefits of natural organic pet food, here!
Read More: Skip the Bone Meal When it Comes to Pet Food
Tags: food, healthy, non-toxic, pets
Posted in Green Living, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Living | Comments Off
May 15th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner
 It’s normal to crave comfort foods that elicit happy memories from childhood. As summer temperatures climb, this can mean only one thing: juicy barbecued hot dogs nestled in fluffy buns, with all of the usual condiments.
But if you shop for organic food, hot dogs seldom make the list. Most of us are concerned about meat purity, whether animals have been raised properly, and whether nitrates and nitrites have been added during meat processing.
The good news is that you can enjoy this culinary blast from the past, as long as you shop wisely. Companies like La Farge, Wisconsin-based Organic Prairie specialize in organic meat, including favorites from the sausage family. You’ll find a great-for-grilling organic assortment: skinless beef hot dogs, Italian pork and chicken sausage, pork bratwurst and chicken hot dogs (above).
“As a dad, I’m proud to know that a new generation of young people will be able to enjoy a traditional all-American hot dog experience, with all the benefits of organic,” says company president Michael Levine. Hot dogs are produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones or pesticides, and animals are fed only 100% certified organic feed and pasture. No rendered animal byproducts are used in processing, and hot dogs are nitrate-free—smoked over real hickory hardwood and seasoned with fresh sea salt and organic spices.
Each package contains seven hot dogs, with a suggested retail price of $5.99. If you have trouble finding organic hot dogs, click here for store listings in your area.
Tune in tomorrow: Organic Vegetarian Alternatives
Read More: All-American Organic Barbecue
Tags: barbeque, bbq, food, organic barbeque, Organic Food
Posted in Organic Food | 2 Comments »
April 4th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner
 One year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture unveiled MyPyramid—a replacement for the outdated food pyramid. Organic Authority weighed in on the new eating plan, criticizing its oversimplification and inattention to the difference between conventional and organic food. (Click here to view the article.)
The publishers of the Harvard Heart Letter confirm our reservations, stating “although it redecorated and renamed the old pyramid, the USDA didn’t carry out the necessary changes needed to offer clear information on strategies for healthful eating.”
MyPyramid fails to convey key messages from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the document the food pyramid is supposed to represent, and it makes some recommendations that aren’t the best nutrition advice. For example, the guidelines recommend cutting back on animal fats, avoiding harmful trans fats, and limiting intake of salt and added sugars. MyPyramid only urges you to “choose wisely” when it comes to fat and carbohydrates.
MyPyramid’s advice on protein also poses problems. Lumping together red meat, poultry, fish and beans as equally healthful protein sources sidesteps the evidence that eating less red meat and more of the other protein sources offers numerous health benefits.
The good news? MyPyramid does stress physical activity. It also uses common measurements like cups and ounces. And it tries to get away from one-size-fits-all recommendations.
When all is said and done, MyPyramid is not an unbiased source of information. It comes solely from the USDA, the government agency that promotes American agriculture. For better advice, consider the Dietary Guidelines for Americans or the Healthy Eating Pyramid created by Harvard’s Dr. Walter Willett and described in his book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.
Read More: The New Food Pyramid: One Year Later
Tags: diet, food, food pyramind, Health
Posted in Health, Organic Food | Comments Off
March 14th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner
The House of Representatives passed a bill last week that threatens the safety of our food supply.
The National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 (HR 4167) is the result of food-industry lobbying. Sponsored by Rep. Michael Rogers (R-MI), it would remove warnings about arsenic in bottled water, pesticides in fish, lead in candy and allergy-causing sulfites, among other dangers, according to an Associated Press report. The bill requires states to follow federal labeling laws, which are not as stringent as many state laws. In California, for example, voters passed Proposition 65, which forces companies to warn the public about toxins like mercury in tuna.
The bill’s proponents argue that labeling should be consistent across state lines so that a label in New York is consistent with one in Alaska. But this places more than 200 state food-safety laws at risk.
“There seem to be a lot of lawmakers who think that states’ rights end at the supermarket sliding doors,” says Andy Igrejas, director of environmental health for the National Environmental Trust. “This is special-interest politics at its worst—a blatant, under-the-dinner-table handout to major campaign contributors.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) managed to attach an amendment that would allow states to warn consumers about mercury in fish. It passed with a 253-168 vote.
A similar bill will soon be introduced in the Senate. Please call your senators to voice your concerns. You can also sign the Organic Consumers Association petition by clicking here.
“We look at this bill and think that House members have sold their votes to big business interests that fear consumer labeling laws which save lives and expose harmful ingredients commonly used in conventional foods and beverages,” says Organic Consumers Association Executive Director Ronnie Cummins. “GOP leaders and some Democrats who backed the bill really are out of touch with consumers who are more conscious than ever about the quality of ingredients in their favorite foods. This willingness to put the interests of their donors ahead of the demands of their constituents is really a travesty.”
Read More: Safety Alert: Congress Plays With Your Food
Tags: chemicals, food, food warnings, government, Health, toxins
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