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650,000 Meatless Monday Meals Being Served in Los Angeles Schools

Jill Ettinger — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:36:16 +0000

The widely popular Meatless Monday campaign just got a boost from the nation's second largest school district. Los Angeles' school cafeterias are officially going meat-free on Mondays.

Vegetarian Diet Decreases Environmental Impact By At Least 30 Percent

Jill Ettinger — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 08:00:57 +0000

Putting aside the moral debate about whether or not there really is such a thing as "humane" meat (or eggs or dairy products), there are other issues equally as confounding at the forefront of the discussion about whether or not to eat meat, namely the impact on the environment.

Seriously, Eat Your Broccoli: Vegetarians WAY Outlive Meat-Eaters

Jill Ettinger — Sun, 21 Oct 2012 08:48:02 +0000

If Meatless Mondays have been working for you—there may be some good reasons to extend your vegetarian meals through the rest of the week: new research shows vegetarians significantly outlive meat-eaters. The research, conducted by Loma Linda University, was recently presented at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference and Expo, and [...]

Cambridge Study Finds Major Health Benefits in Decreased Meat Consumption

Jill Ettinger — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:24:35 +0000

New research coming out of Cambridge University suggests cutting meat consumption in half would lead to significant health benefits including a reduction in the number of cases of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

McDonald’s First All-Vegetarian Restaurant to Open in India

Jill Ettinger — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:04:49 +0000

Catering to the large vegetarian demographic in India, McDonald's has announced that it will open its first all vegetarian location in the holy Sikh city of Amritsar next year.

Vegetarian Diet Could Prevent Global Food and Water Crisis

Lacy — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:41:34 +0000

A new report out from the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) shows that unless the world adopts a vegetarian diet within the next 40 years, our planet could face food and water shortages of catastrophic proportions.

Mushrooms May Help Prevent Breast Cancer

Barbara Feiner — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 16:35:49 +0000

Mushrooms are known for their nutritional value and culinary versatility. Now, there’s a new reason to buy these fabulous fungi: They may help prevent breast cancer.

Shiuan Chen, PhD, a professor of tumor cell biology at the City of Hope in Duarte, Calif., was among the first scientists to study how white button mushrooms offer protective benefits.

“Diet is a key consideration for prevention because it is something that everyone can control,” he says. “Our research shows that women may benefit from a balanced diet that includes about 3.5 ounces of mushrooms per day.”

Party Food: Organic Eggplant Rollatini

Barbara Feiner — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:01:49 +0000

Some home cooks cringe at the thought of hosting a crowd because they don’t know how to plan the menu.

Entertaining needn’t be stressful. Focus on filling guests’ bellies, and remember that you can’t please everyone all the time. An organic vegetarian entree solves multiple problems.

If you don’t have a go-to dish, I’d recommend a classic eggplant rollatini. It’s a perfect entree, especially if time is of the essence. Pre-sliced raw or roasted organic eggplant slices are available in bulk from a well-stocked supermarket or natural/organic food store.

Warm Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Barbara Feiner — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:31:00 +0000

Cucumbers on the grill?

Absolutely! They’re even better when freshly picked from your organic garden.

Today’s recipe pairs English cucumbers with juicy tomatoes, and prep time is minimal. Use a grill basket to prevent veggies from slipping through the grate.

All of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Warm Tomato and Cucumber Salad

4 tomatoes
1 English cucumber
Olive-oil nonstick cooking spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
Salad greens
Your favorite Italian dressing

Cut tomatoes into wedges.
Slice cucumber into 1/2-inch slices.
Spray veggies generously with olive-oil nonstick cooking spray for extra flavor and browning. Spray grill basket, as well.
Place vegetables in basket. Grill until lightly browned, tossing occasionally, about 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Toss with salad greens and Italian dressing.

Recipe courtesy of PAM Organic Cooking Spray. Photo: La Grande Farmers’ Market.

How to Be Organic On a Budget

Gerald "Gerry" Pugliese — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:27:27 +0000

It stinks to admit it, but most times organic foods are more expensive than the regular stuff; sometimes organic farmers markets are cheaper or about the same.

So how do you go organic on a budget, especially in this miserable United States economy? Easy, you kidnap a genie and make a wish!

No, it's easier than that. RedPlum, a promotional company that helps sell various food products, from health foods to not-so health foods, has 10 tips for going organic on the cheap.

Guess what number one is? Shopping at a farmers market. Ha! See, I told you. Then again, organic or not, shopping at a farmers market is the best idea. Its less expensive and the produce is a lot fresher and higher quality.

Another tip I really liked is going vegetarian for a couple days each week. I'm a vegetarian and not only is it healthier for you, but fruits and vegetables are a lot cheaper than filet mignon and pork tenderloin.

RedPlum also suggests clipping coupons. No, coupons aren't just for little old ladies anymore. In this tough economy, if a supermarket is willing to play let's make a deal, go for it! Then again, I'm a hypocrite; using coupons feels weird to me.

For the complete list of organic tips, head over to RedPlum - do it, do it now!

Here's some more posts on going organic on a budget:

17 Tips to Shop for Organic Foods on a Budget

Defining True Value. How to Make Buying Organic Affordable.

Shopping on a Budget for Organic Food

Image credit: Boston.com