Food | The Green Foodprint

If Vegetarian is Good, Is Vegan Better?

In Food, Food to Try, Recommended Reads,

Posted on September 21, 2010
Author: Linda,
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Eating lower on the food chain is recommended by health experts and by sustainability

experts — that is, eating less meat, fish, and dairy. We can all do this easily by having one

meatless day a week, by choosing chicken instead of beef, and stretching a little fish a

long way.

But what about giving up meat, fish, and dairy altogether? Vegans make this decision,

and also give up eggs and honey. So what do they eat – is it boring? Are they healthy?

Having researched this a bit, I can tell you that food made of animals is probably less

healthy, when you take into account pesticides, hormones, and cholesterol – not to

mention unsanitary slaughtering plants. We’ve all heard of food safety issues! So vegans

are probably exposing themselves to fewer health problems, as long as they choose a

variety of foods (which we should all do, anyway).

Back to the question, “Is vegan boring?” Not if you go by a wonderful cookbook called

Vegan world fusion cuisine, Mark Reinfeld, Bo Rinaldi and their colleagues at a

restaurant in Hawaii. I’ve tried quite a few of these and found them astonishingly tasty,

varied, and healthful.

Here in the Bay Area, we have a caterer who will offer vegan food on a regular schedule or for special events. Vegan Local Love Catering http://localloveservices.com/

Check out these menus from the website:

1. 3 grain Lentil burger with roasted Rosemary potatoes served with chipotle ketchup and “Mayo”.
2. Veggie Enchiladas with Black beans and seasonal veggies in a house-made enchilada sauce served with Spanish Rice.
3. Greek Moussaka: Layers of Eggplant, Zucchini, Tempeh, tomato, and onion baked in a creamy potato béchamel sauce.
4. Mushroom, and Carrot Sunchoke Risotto topped with crispy dried onion rings with a side salad.
5. Baked BBQ tofu in a tangy Barbecue sauce served with Quinoa pilaf and roasted Brussels Sprouts.
6. Tofu Roulade Stuffed with a Mushroom and Spinach Duxelle served with “Caesar” Salad.

*Story also found on Examiner.com

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables to the Rescue — biodiversity on your plate

In Food, Food to Avoid, Food to Try,

Posted on August 18, 2010
Author: Linda,
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The latest report on obesity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that obesity in the US is increasing constantly, with some states much more obese than others. (If anyone tells you it’s genetic, ask them why the obesity rate has gone up within our own generation).

In 2001, the US Surgeon General called for action on obesity, yet things have just gotten worse – as of 2009, not a single state has an obesity rate lower than 15%. That means one person in seven is not just pudgy, not just overweight, but seriously, dangerously fat. There are many causes of obesity, but with respect to food, our understanding is growing that WHAT you eat, not just how much, is key. You could reduce your calorie intake, but if your calories are full of fats and salt and additives, and prepared by frying, you haven’t made as much progress as you might.

You’ve read it before, and here it is again: eating more fresh fruits and vegetables can help. Luckily, this is part of the weight loss or maintenance plan that can be pleasurable. You don’t have to shovel down mounds of those same old green beans, when the earth has given us such a spectacular variety of foods to choose from.

In Berkeley, Monterey Market and Berkeley Bowl offer cornucopias of amazing colorful delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. Even your regular grocery store probably has more food diversity than you’ve realized. When in the produce aisles, look at the higher shelves or corners of the cooler that you ordinarily walk past without noticing. Jerusalem artichokes! Jicama! Tomatillos!

Tomatillos

I personally suspect that the chemical drenching inflicted by industrial agriculture on its crops may contribute to obesity, and I can’t wait for scientific studies on the matter. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and eat food with less processing, i.e., fresh.

Organic Farmer Tells His Side of “Getting Married to Walmart”

In Food, In the News,

Posted on August 11, 2010
Author: Linda,
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David Mas Masumoto is a farmer who raises peaches and grapes. His land has been organic since the 1980s. In a recent article in The Atlantic (humorously entitled, “Married to Walmart: What Was I Thinking?”), he describes his mixed feelings about selling his products to the mega-box-store chain. (This venture originated within the last ten years). He wondered, “Were our sweet, innocent organic raisins being courted by Walmart, and vice versa? Was Walmart, the slick city suitor, trying to sweep us naive country folks off our feet then suck the life out of us? Or was I an idealistic organic farmer, believing I could help hundreds of acres transition to organic, reduce pesticide use and protect the health of farmers and farm workers?”

This debate has probably gone on in the minds of countless farmers – and consumers. How do we know when good changes by a not-good corporation can be trusted? We’ve all heard that some corporations indulge in “greenwash,” which (like whitewash) covers a multitude of sins, with cheery slogans, furry animals, and green colors on the packages. And we each must decide where to situate ourselves along the spectrum of food purist to unconscious eater.

Masumoto concludes his essay with cautious optimism, saying that he hears more talk and intentions about going organic among farmers than he did formerly.

Let’s encourage them! Organic is not perfect (like cigarette smoke drifting in the wind, pesticides can drift even onto organic fields), and it’s not affordable for everyone, but it’s a start. We can help our own bodies and the planet we live on if we choose our food wisely.

The Opposite of Fast Food–Slow Food

In Food, Recommended Company, Take Action,

Posted on August 5, 2010
Author: Linda,
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Like the weather, we all deplore fast food – but one organization is doing something about it! Slow Food was founded in Italy over 20 years ago in conscious revolt against America’s fast food intrusion into a nation that prides itself, justifiably, on its culinary artistry.

So in a concerted effort to restore the leisurely family meal, the rare breed of a crop, and lovingly made artisanal foods, this organization (with 100,000 members worldwide in 132 countries) gets people together to rescue their cultural heritages. Not to mention helping the environment by getting away from pesticide-drenched crops!

Something you may not have realized is that, like wildlife, biodiversity in food is threatened – the group Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) has found that over 1,000 American food species or varieties are endangered! So one thing you can do every time you go shopping is to buy a fruit or vegetable you’ve never tried before – that encourages the farmers to keep growing them. Slow Food’s diversity project is called the Ark of Taste. They help preserve endangered vegetables, wines (and the vines grapes grow on), fruits, and the minimally processed foods such as olive oil, cheese, and preserves.

And plenty of Americans agree that fast food is a sign of more than junky, manufactured meals – it’s also a sign of haste, uniformity, and family fragmentation. Slow Food USA has over 200 chapters nationwide . One local chapter (Berkeley) hosts monthly mixers every second Sunday. This month, it will be on Sunday, August 15, 3pm-6pm at Lake Chalet in Oakland (near Lake Merritt BART).

Try Dragon Fruit

Also found on the Examiner.com/san_francisco

Strawberries — would you like pesticide-grown, or organic?

In Food, Food to Avoid, Good News, Toxins and Pesticides, Useful tools,

Posted on August 4, 2010
Author: Linda,
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commons.wikimedia.org

We’ve long known that strawberries are among the most heavily sprayed crops, and now we have another reason to worry. Yet another chemical is being considered to add to the war on bugs. Remember this name: methyl iodide. You’re going to be hearing a lot about it.

This week, though, the state of Washington ruled against allowing the pesticide maker to sell it in their state, giving hope to those who don’t want it permitted in California. The Pesticide Action Network, based in San Francisco, applauds the decision, as does a spokesperson for the Physicians for Social Responsibility. Earlier this year, a report from Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy asserted that the state could save $700 million a year in health care costs if we reduced our exposure to toxic chemicals. One expert said, “California’s budget crisis has led to drastic cuts in health services, and the cost of healthcare is soaring across the nation. If we can prevent illness, save money, and save families, then we need to do it,” says Martha Arguello, Executive Director of Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles. “Physicians advise patients on how to lead a healthy lifestyle, but no amount of physician consultation can prevent exposure to some of these toxic chemicals — the government has an obligation to step in and make create public health protective policies.” http://yubanet.com/california/CA-could-save-700-million-in-health-care-costs-by-reducing-chemical-exposure.php

While you’re waiting for the government to protect us, do you want to see a colorful, scary readout of the pesticides you just might be putting into your body? Pesticide Action Network has created an amazing website (aptly named What’s On My Food) where you can click on the name of a food and get a slew of information about what chemicals are used to grow it in conventional agriculture. Just the names of the types of chemicals give me the willies: carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, and developmental or reproductive toxicants.

Chemical war against bugs seemed like a good idea a few generations ago, but now the dangerous side effects are well known. If you can’t afford an all-organic diet, please think about making strawberries the first organic on your grocery list.

Also found on the Examiner.com

Help run a sustainable healthy food festival in Oakland

In Food, Take Action,

Posted on July 25, 2010
Author: Linda,
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Better than reading about the new food world, in August you’ll have a chance to plunge happily into it. At the Eat Real Festival in Jack London Square, Oakland (August 27-29), you’ll have the opportunity to meet and observe small-scale food and drink artisans at work. Or if you’re a closet food artisan yourself, you can compete in some state-fair type food and beverage contests.

Activities: eating food, of course! Also watching cheesemakers, tofu artisans, and coffee roasters demonstrate their skill; check out local mini-brews; listen to music, storytellers, and poetry; and take lessons in beekeeping, chicken raising and much more! There will be contests for those so inclined (bring your best beer, jam, and preserves).

For anyone who ever read the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie and its wonderful sequels) and marveled at the many amazing domestic skills of her mother (best line of dialogue: Pa says to mother, “You’re a wonder, Caroline”), here’s your chance to learn or show off some of those same arts of making food at home.

Event partners include Food and Water Watch, a valuable watchdog group; the Community Alliance with Family Farmers , which encourages us to connect with small local farms for benefits to both sides; the San Francisco food entrepreneur incubator La Cocina ; and the People’s Grocery, whose mission is to improve West Oakland’s economy and access to healthy food.

If you’ve been following the news in the last ten years about food safety, pesticide contamination, factory farm cruelty, and environmental damage caused by industrial agriculture, you’ll be thrilled to learn how many people in our area are successfully creating, maintaining, and recreating a grassroots food system.

Why am I telling you about this a month ahead of time? So you can volunteer to help run this multi-sensory festival! Sign up on the website http://eatrealfest.com/volunteer, where you can also sign up for the event newsletter.

(This is also found in the Examiner.com Be sure to check up more of Linda’s articles!)

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