Australia and New Zealand's Food Standards agency (FSANZ) has concluded that hemp foods containing considering low levels of THC (the psychoactive substance in marijuana) are safe for widespread consumption as consumers would not feel any effects associated with ingesting marijuana.

The traditional Sweet Potato Bake, topped with gooey browned marshmallows, has become a Thanksgiving tradition—especially if you have kids.

But recipes are now geared toward more adult tastes, be it Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Pecan Streusel Topping.

Bananas add a touch of the exotic—and a nutritional boost—to today’s Caribbean-inspired recipe. Prep time is 20 minutes, bake time is 40 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

If you’re a fan of TV cooking competitions, you know cheftestants sometimes do themselves in by going overboard with ingredients. Judges remind them to simplify their dishes and allow natural flavors to shine through.

Chef Michael Chiarello, a finalist on the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and owner of Bottega Napa Valley, gets it. Simplicity trumps fussiness, and his food is clean and elegant. (Check out his recipes for Radicchio Salad and Home-Style Minestrone.)

As noted yesterday, the roasting process is ideal for winter squash, as the vegetable’s natural sugars caramelize as it cooks. Add some organic butter, salt and pepper, and you have an easy-to-prepare side dish for your Thanksgiving table.

’Tis the season to buy winter squash at your local natural and organic food store or farmers’ market.

Whether you select the acorn, buttercup, butternut (above) or Hubbard variety, you’ll enjoy numerous health benefits, as well as a tasty entree or side dish.

Let’s review the four basic ways to get cooking.

1. Bake/Roast

This method is super-delicious because it caramelizes a squash’s natural sugars:

Los Angeles-based Original Pet Food Co. has introduced a complete line of dog and cat meals made from organic, grass-fed beef.

“With the sustainable, organic, grass-fed beef revolution well underway, we believe it’s high time for the same quality meats to make their way from the dinner plate to the pet bowl,” says company founder Melissa McGinnis.

High-calorie beverages that have been disallowed by federal guidelines are still available in most U.S. elementary schools, according to a study that will appear in an upcoming issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago conducted a nationally representative survey to examine the availability of high-calorie and sugar-sweetened beverages for sale in elementary schools during lunchtime, in vending machines and snack bars, and in school stores. They also examined the types of milk available in school cafeterias: low-fat, whole-fat and flavored milks (right).

While 16.1% of students could purchase only those beverages recommended by Institute of Medicine guidelines during the 2008–2009 school year, 44.7% could purchase beverages that the guidelines frown upon. This pattern applied to both public and private school.

Fall’s dynamic trio—a bowl of homemade organic soup, a tossed salad, and a loaf of crusty bread or homemade biscuits—is hard to beat on a chilly autumn evening.

Creating this filling dinnertime soup couldn’t be easier. Prep time is only 10 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Enjoy!

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup

Makes 6 servings

For a quick lunch, I’ll often combine a container of organic yogurt with a half-cup of cottage cheese, a dollop of sour cream and a healthy serving of fresh fruit. This dairylicious combo helps fulfill my daily calcium requirement.

You can also:

1. Lighten baked goods by substituting cottage cheese for full-fat cream cheese.