By Gene Baur on January 25, 2012
1. Eat less chicken and fewer eggs. When you reduce or eliminate chicken and egg consumption, you’re helping some of the most abused animals on the planet. Chickens raised for meat are crammed by the thousands into filthy warehouses and denied access to the outdoors, fresh air and sunlight for their entire lives. Specifically excluded from the Federal Humane Slaughter Act, chickens are carried through the slaughter process so rapidly that many are injured but not killed and are instead boiled alive when it comes time to remove their feathers. Gardein and Quorn, two brands widely available in supermarkets, make chicken alternatives that — wait for it — taste just like chicken! Minus the fear and suffering, of course.
Chickens raised for eggs don’t have it much better. They are packed so tightly in fetid cages that they can never engage in basic natural behaviors or even stretch their wings. Millions are starved for a few weeks each year to shock their bodies into another egg-laying cycle. Think about it: Is your momentary enjoyment of an omelet really worth making an already depressed and miserable animal go hungry for weeks? If that doesn’t sit right with you, opt for the high-protein, cruelty-free tofu scramble instead.
2. Replace cow’s milk with a healthy, animal-friendly, non-dairy, calcium-fortified milk made from almonds, rice, oats, coconut, soy or hemp. It’s complete hooey that people need cow’s milk for calcium. Cow’s milk is for baby calves, and there are plenty of delicious, more healthful and calcium-rich plant-based alternatives we can consume. The only way for people to consume cow’s milk is to routinely tear newborn calves from their mothers as dairy cows are trapped in an endless cycle of pregnancy and lactation. Pushed beyond their biological limits, they are worn out and sent to slaughter after just a few years “in production.” Have you had an almond milk or soy milk mocha latte? They are fantastic and truly guilt free!
3. Avoid foie gras like the plague. Foie gras, or fatty duck liver, is only produced by the systematic and abusive practice of over feeding ducks via a metal tube that is forced down their throats. Foie gras is in a class with veal in terms of the cruelty inflicted on animals, and we should shun it every bit as much.
4. Resolve to eat vegetarian one day each week. If the above seems like too big of a challenge to start, eat vegetarian at one meal a week. Before long, you’ll realize how easy and delicious it is to eat vegetarian, and it will feel effortless to increase how often you eat vegetarian meals. Using this incremental approach, you may decide to eliminate animal products from your diet all together. Simply decreasing your consumption of factory-farmed meat will prevent countless animals from living a life of pure misery. More than 95 percent of all meat sold in restaurants and supermarkets comes from animals so cruelly confined they cannot lie down comfortably, extend their limbs, or engage in any of their natural behaviors.
5. Eat more plants! From salads and pasta dishes to vegetarian meats and cheeses, there’s a new world of flavorful alternatives to enjoy as part of a kinder, healthier eating plan. If you want cheese, try the Daiya non-dairy varieties; for sausage, reach for the Field Roast chipotle or apple sage links; instead of a hamburger, try a veggie burger with pickles, tomato, onion and other fresh toppings; when the kids want chicken nuggets, they won’t even realize that Quorn brand nuggets are missing the meat.
It’s 2012 — isn’t it time we stop eating foods produced by industries that treat animals like unfeeling commodities and start eating in a way that reflects the healthy, evolved, compassionate society we aspire to be? Let this be the year you opt out of eating cruelly. You’ll be amazed at how great it feels (and tastes) to eat compassionately.
For more by Gene Baur, visit farmsanctuary.typepad.com/making_hay/
Photo credit: Beth Terry
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By Neal Barnard, MD on December 16, 2011
While Congress debates how to cure America’s massive debt problem, let me offer a doctor’s prescription: five smart cuts could save taxpayers $383 billion and make Americans healthier at the same time.
Right now, the U.S. government spends billions subsidizing the least healthful foods, fueling America’s obesity epidemic and escalating healthcare costs. In contrast to federal nutrition guidelines that emphasize healthful vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, federal subsidies go in the opposite direction, supporting meat, dairy products, and sugar, and all the cholesterol, fat, and calories that are packed into them. This, despite abundant scientific evidence showing that increasing consumption of animal products is associated with obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and certain forms of cancer, among other health problems.
So here’s where to put the scalpel:
1. Cut Junk Food from SNAP
The government provides food for economically disadvantaged people through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly the Food Stamp Program). One in seven Americans now draws SNAP benefits.
The enormous size of the program — $65 billion a year — is not a testament to the political clout of SNAP recipients. Rather, it’s the food manufacturers who are profiting, as SNAP supports a growing market for candy, soda, fatty cheese, and specialty meats as much as it does for healthier foods.
SNAP perpetuates food deserts — geographic areas with inadequate availability of healthful foods. Because shelf-stable junk food is covered on the same basis as perishable fruits and vegetables, grocers have little incentive to stock healthful foods, and providers of fresh fruits and vegetables operate at a disadvantage.
A vanishingly small number of Americans currently suffer from hunger, defined as an inadequate caloric intake. Instead, a great many suffer from poor nutrition — too much fat, cholesterol, and overall calories, and not enough of the fiber, vitamins, and minerals provided by vegetables and fruits.
SNAP also has an unintended demeaning feature in that it tacitly suggests that economically disadvantaged people view unhealthful foods as necessities. I don’t believe that for a minute. Everyone, regardless of their income, recognizes that unhealthful foods are not to be parts of our daily routine and that a continued supply of these foods is to our detriment.
Here’s a better SNAP structure: SNAP should be limited to truly healthful staples: oats, rice, and other grains, dry beans, fruits, and vegetables, which could be fresh, frozen, or canned. Participating grocers could be required to stock certain items, such as no-salt-added canned beans and vegetables.
With these nourishing foods, an adult’s monthly food costs would total approximately $134, which is one-third less than the $200 benefit provided by the most complete current program coverage. Were SNAP to be reorganized in this way, we could cut costs by $24 billion annually. For once, we could wipe out both hunger and malnutrition at the same time.
2. Prioritize Health in Commodity Purchases
American children today are in the worst physical shape of any generation in the nation’s history. One in three is overweight. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three children born since the year 2000 will develop diabetes at some point in his or her life. As the years go by, the drain on America’s health care resources will only escalate.
Contributing to this problem is the fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture routinely uses school meal programs and other food assistance programs as a dumping ground for agricultural commodities. When cheese prices fall, the USDA buys up millions of pounds of cheese. When beef prices fall, it buys up beef. School menus then feature cheeseburgers, cheese pizza, and Salisbury steak. These purchases are designed to boost agribusiness income, but they do children no favors.
In fiscal year 2009, USDA spent more than $1.4 billion on commodity purchases of meat, dairy products, and eggs — twice what it spent on all fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and oils combined. If USDA were to base commodity purchases solely on health value, we could reduce expenditures by about $14 billion over the next decade, save on medical care costs, and improve children’s health.
3. Eliminate Direct Payments to Agribusiness
Food producers currently receive yearly checks in a direct-payment program set up as part of the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act. These payments are based on the historic use of land. That is, if you used to grow feed corn for livestock, you’ll still be paid today. The direct payment program makes it profitable to keep land dedicated to the production of feed grains for livestock, and program restrictions block the growing of vegetables and fruits. Eliminating direct payments would save approximately $50 billion over the next decade.
4. Let Producers Buy Their Own Crop Insurance
Weather happens. When rain fails or floods arrive, food producers need to be insured against losses. All industries protect themselves against shifting profits and costs, and agribusiness is no different.
The cost of crop insurance programs was approximately $7.3 billion in 2009, and approximately 80% of crop-insurance costs are borne by the U.S. government. Unfortunately, these programs favor feed grains for livestock (especially corn and soybeans), providing a de-facto subsidy for meat production. It is difficult to argue that taxpayers should shoulder these costs. Privatizing crop insurance would save an estimated $70 billion over the next decade.
5. Make Polluters Pay
Feed-grain production and concentrated animal feeding operations create wastes that pollute rivers and streams. Government programs cover much of the clean-up costs, becoming yet another de-facto subsidy. In 2010, the Environmental Quality Incentive Program cost $839 million.
Producers raising crops for animal feed or raising livestock under intensive conditions should pay for their own waste clean-up. At the same time, governmental agencies that oversee environmental protection must have authority to enforce appropriate regulations to ensure a healthful, clean environment. Privatizing farm clean-up operations would save $9 billion over the next ten years.
Do the Math
Adding up our savings, we reach $383 billion over the next decade. But wait, there’s more. As we stop promoting unhealthful foods, our healthier population will need less medical care. Today, the medical costs attributable to meat consumption are approximately $60 billion to $130 billion every year. If we can trim even a little of that, we’re talking real money.
For more information on how to optimize your health, visit NealBarnard.org
Originally published on HuffingtonPost.com
Photo credit: KAZ Vorpal
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By Guest Blogger on December 15, 2011
Whether you’re shaking it on the dance floor, strolling cool ’hoods on art and architecture walks, doing yoga on the beach or sampling the newly hot bicycle scene, Miami gives you a workout. Good thing this sexy city also gives you hip and healthy places to refuel and rehydrate.
So where can you find sazón (sassy seasoning) – while keeping your pH and budget in balance? My Miamian gour-mates fed me their secrets, so now I’ll dish them out to you.
Vegan Venues
T.H.R.I.V.E. (The Raw Inspired Vegan Experience)
A true insider secret, this new oasis is tucked within a busy South Beach block. Look for the sidewalk sandwich board; pass through the blossom arbor and alley; then behold an Eden of breeze-blown sashes, lush foliage and beachy sofas. The all-vegan raw and organic dishes are phenomenal, attracting daily visits from eco- and physique-conscious foodies. Rich in enzymes, vitamins and flavor, tantalizing choices reflect the globetrotting owner’s wide-ranging tastes: spiralized zucchini with Tuscany-inspired sun-dried tomato marinara or basil pesto, nut meat/cabbage tacos, sprouted seaweed-veg pate nori roll. The new Sunday brunch includes tofu with sweet potato hash browns. Note: Sweet potatoes are culinary bliss to Miamians; the orange superfood pops up in foods from fries to pies … and in beauty and detox diets! 1239 Alton Road, South Beach. *Juice bar
Lifefood Gourmet
Aside from the honey, it’s raw vegan rapture, from the “wild milk” (Brazil nut-based) and goji shakes to the pumpkin nut-meat plus nut-cheese burrito, veggie-flaxseed pizza and lasagna layered with alt-Alfredo macadamia pine nut sauce, spinach and Irish moss-erella. Seeking chlorella, spirulina and blue green algae? Craving mamey or carob? Got it. In the throes of ecstasy, you might miss the mission statement, which outlines goals of cellular nourishment and rejuvenation, tapping self-healing powers and “spreading a sense of well-being, sanity and happiness.” Sounds and tastes great. 1248 SW 22nd Street, Coral Gables.
La Vie En Raw Cafe
Run by a vibrant integrative nutritionist and certified raw chef, this totally vegan, mostly organic cafe starts working its magic with the revitalizing local art gracing the walls. The menu changes with the seasons, but pounce on the Beet “Raw-violi,” ground walnut-and-carrot faux tuna with creamy avocado, any sea vegetable or nut-cheese dish – and the chocolate pie. 3808 Southwest 8th Street, Coral Gables. *Juice bar
Mac’n Food Truck
Miami has a new food truck – and it’s vegan. Feel like having mac ’n cheese with portobello and plant-based mozzarella? Fresh-cut sweet potato fries? Fried green tomatoes? Just-picked watermelon with fresh basil and sea salt? Step right up! Check the website for locations, which change daily.
Vegan-Friendly Restaurants
Catch Grill + Bar
Across the muy bello Venetian Causeway, the recently renovated Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay houses a cool new indoor/outdoor bayfront restaurant committed to sustainably sourced fare. The chef can veganize some dishes or whip up a seasonal veggie platter. But even more fun: plant-based teasers plus mocktails. Go for the zesty hummus, eggplant-abulous baba ganoush, munchy edamame and lightly fried plantain with yummy guac. Then greet the starry night with handcrafted healthy cocktails, such as a most refreshing pineapple juice splashed with agave and pink peppercorns. 1633 North Bayshore Drive, near the Port of Miami.
Metro Organic Bistro
This hip haven in historic MiMo (Miami’s Modern Architecture district) serves several vegan entrees such as a Green Burger and crispy Chickpea Cakes. Or make a meal of fresh-off-the-farm sides such as grilled fennel. 7010 Biscayne Boulevard, MiMo district.
Escopazzo
Long committed to organic, sustainable and divine, this chic Italian bistro introduced a raw-vegan menu late last year. Indulge in such delicacies as a gingery butternut tagliatelle with ginger, lasagnette layered with pesto, pine nut-derived ricotta, eggplant and squash, and spiced vegetables wrapped in Swiss chard. 1311 Washington Avenue, South Beach.
The Cafe at Books & Books
One of the few Lincoln Road sidewalk cafes offering inspired vegan dishes. Helmed by a pioneer of New South Florida cuisine, temptations include a perfectly seasoned Cuban black bean soup, grilled tofu fajita wrap with roasted corn salad, and tropical wild rice with coconut. 927 Lincoln Road, South Beach.
Sweet Tooth
Sweat Records Cafe
At this all-vegan coffee shop, great tunes pair well with Unicorn Love Bomb Espresso, Dirty South Chai and mouth-tingling cupcakes – coconut lemon-iced, anyone? (They even serve vegan empanadas: spinach/sun-dried tomato and curry.) 5505 NE 2nd Avenue, Little Haiti.
Coconut Grove Saturday Organic Market
Eco-conscious, plant-based diners rejoice! In addition to just-picked veggies and raw deli, raw tostadas, raw pizzas, you can indulge in raw tiramisu and raw pies with moist crusts of dates, nuts and spices. 3300 Grand Avenue, Coconut Grove.
Peace A’ Cake
Pure vegan food porn made by a holistic health coach from spelt flour, apple sauce, coconut palm nectar, dark chocolate chips and raw almonds. Sold at local health marts and juice cafes; website lists locations.
Indulge for health’s sake – you’re in Miami! Want to add to our list? Dish and tell!
Robin Soslow is a writer/photographer who pedals and noshes her way through cities and countrysides. Embracing the credo “Be the change you wish to see,” she lives small, volunteers with animal welfare groups and enjoys having omnivores lust after her vegan dishes.
Photo francis ledoux, Lorenia, Zlatko Unger, Ines
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By Kevin Archer on December 7, 2011
The freshness of the summer market lingers on my palate as we slowly transition into winter. As I reluctantly let go of sun-ripened tomatoes and delicate salad greens, I reach for winter sustenance.
Summer is a time for letting it all hang out, like a garden filled with wispily waving fennel, nasturtiums sluicing through open channels in rapids of color, and trellised vines of sugar snap peas. Winter, however, is about finding one’s grounding again, seeking the concentrated energy to be found inward.
“Grounding” and “concentrated” are words that easily apply to the abundance of root vegetables available during winter. But root vegetables aren’t the only things available: hearty greens and squash are eager to provide us with the diverse nutrients needed to maintain our health and good cheer during the winter months.
A quick look at my availability chart shows me the wonderful array of vegetables that are waiting here at winter’s doorstep: sweet potatoes, onions, cabbage, beets, carrots, turnips, parsnips, shallots, butternut and other squashes, potatoes, garlic, broccoli, leeks, kale, Brussels sprouts, pumpkin — winter is far from drab and gray!
Also, when I consider the easy access I have to dried beans and grains, as well as cultured foods like tempeh, I realize just how abundant and vibrant my winter will be.
In some ways, cooking in the winter is much simpler than in the summer. Baking a sweet potato is about the easiest thing one can do. As the sweet potato finishes, I simmer a bit of quinoa. Above the simmering quinoa, I place my bamboo steamer, into which I’ve tossed a handful of chopped kale. When I plate this tasty trio, I supercharge their highly nutritious state by drizzling on a little flax oil and some nutritional yeast. A meal could hardly be more simple, satisfying, or whole.
The following recipes were developed around produce that is available fresh during the winter, as well as dried beans and grains. They are quite simple to prepare, and being simple, they are also flexible. If the recipe calls for carrots, feel free to use parsnips. Don’t want mashed potatoes on the Shepherd’s Pie? No problem, use sweet potatoes.
Sometimes we rely too much on heavy foods during the winter, simply because they feel so good and warming. Don’t forget, however, to include hearty helpings of leafy greens. The Winter Greens Salad is a perfect way to balance a meal.
Recipes
Mushroom and Barley Soup
8 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon herbs de Provence
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup barley
1/2 cup lentils
1 teaspoon sea salt
Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms until they give up their liquid, about 10 minutes. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add carrots, garlic, herbs and black pepper, and sauté until carrots are soft.
Add vegetable stock and barley. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower flame and simmer for 25 minutes.
Add lentils and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until lentils are done.
Add sea salt and remove from heat.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Fennel
6 servings
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 fennel bulb
4 shallots, quartered
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Trim ends of Brussels sprouts and remove outer layer of leaves. Slice in half through the base and place in mixing bowl.
Trim end of fennel bulb, and remove outer layers if blemished. Cut 1/4-inch thick slices, perpendicular to the root, up to the green stalks. Place in bowl with Brussels sprouts.
Add shallots, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. Toss well.
Place in 2-quart casserole dish. Roast uncovered at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Toss, cover and roast for 25 minutes more.
Winter Greens Salad
4 servings
4 collard leaves, chopped
4 lacinato kale leaves, chopped
8 red kale leaves, chopped
4 Napa cabbage leaves, chiffonade
3/4 cup carrot, shredded
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1/2 cup raisins
In wok or skillet over high heat, wilt the collard and kale in a small amount of water. Do not cook completely.
Mix cooked greens with Napa cabbage, carrot, pumpkin seeds and raisins.
Toss with Pomegranate Vinaigrette (recipe below) and serve.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette
4 servings
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar (optional)
1 pinch sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil
Place garlic, shallot, pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, agave nectar and sea salt in blender. Blend until fully homogenized.
Add olive oil and blend until emulsified.
Shepherd’s Pie
4 servings
3/4 pound potatoes
1 small onion, whole and unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided use)
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (divided use)
1 teaspoon black pepper (divided use)
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
1/4 pound parsnip or carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon tarragon (dried)
1/2 teaspoon marjoram (dried)
1/2 teaspoon sage (dried)
1 teaspoon thyme (dried)
1/2 pound tempeh, crumbled
2 cups vegetable stock (divided use)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (can also use any gluten-free flour)
Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place whole, unpeeled potatoes and whole onion on a baking sheet. Put in oven and roast until potatoes are soft.
Peel and dice onion, and place in large bowl with the potatoes.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, non-dairy milk, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mash potatoes thoroughly and set aside. (If smoother, whipped potatoes are desired, use electric mixer.)
Lower oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Warm a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then the mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms give up their liquid, about 10 minutes.
Add onion, parsnip or carrot, garlic, herbs and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Sauté until onions are soft.
Add tempeh and sauté for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of vegetable stock and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Simmer over low heat until stock is evaporated.
Add flour and mix well. Pour in remaining stock and simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until gravy forms.
Place vegetable mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Photo credit: matupplevelser
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By Alexandra Jamieson on November 16, 2011
Cooking more of your meals will, hands down, save you money on food. Want to make grocery shopping even more streamlined and cost effective? Use these strategies and make them a habit. If you keep track of your spending, you’ll see a marked downtick in your supermarket spending.
1. Plan to Succeed
Using a meal plan is one of the best ways to save money at the grocery store. By plotting how your family will eat for the next week, making a shopping list and sticking to it, you’ll avoid last minute guessing games that result in over-buying.
Use a meal-planning chart to create your weekly menus. Before you make up your chart, see what you already have in your fridge or pantry that needs to be used before it goes bad or expires. Make a shopping list of what ingredients you need and check it against what’s already in your cupboards.
2. Buy Big
A 24-ounce can of tomatoes costs $4, which seems more expensive than the 12-ounce can that costs $3. But actually, you’re saving money when you buy the bigger can. The larger can is more cost effective because you’re paying less per ounce and you actually get more for your money. Here’s the math:
-$4 divided by 24 ounces = $0.17 an ounce
-$3 divided by 12 ounces = $0.25 an ounce
If you need fewer than 24 ounces for your current recipe, freeze the leftover tomatoes in a freezer-safe glass container until next week’s meal planning, and then be sure to include a recipe that uses the rest of the tomatoes.
3. Buy Bulk
Buying in bulk is similar to buying big, with a slight difference. Some stores have large bins of raw ingredients like whole grains, flour, beans, herbs, spices, nuts and seeds that you can scoop out and take home in plastic bags or reusable containers that you bring from home.
Buying bulk is always cheaper than buying the same ingredient in a package. Why? You won’t be paying for the branded packaging. At my local health food co-op (see more on that in the next tip!) I can get ½ cup of dried organic oregano for $0.50, which saves me so much money! To buy the same amount of dried herbs in a brand new bottle I would pay over $4. This one tip saves hundreds of dollars a year in my house.
4. Join the Club
Consider joining a members-run co-op or CSA (AKA community supported agriculture farm share program).
A co-op is a grocery store that is run by the members who work there. Some offer memberships for a small yearly fee that allows you to shop there and get a discount on groceries. Other co-ops require members to work a few hours a month to belong. I belong to the Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, New York. I work 2 ¾ hours a month and paid a small fee to join. The prices are amazing and the produce is incredibly fresh.
A CSA is where a local farmer offers shares to the public. Families and individuals buy a share and give money to the farmer before the growing season begins. This gives the farmer the funds necessary to buy seed and equipment and pay for labor costs. Each share is worth a box of food every week throughout the growing season. The farmer usually sets up a meeting place where members can pick up their share each week. A few deliver to homes and businesses. CSAs are growing rapidly across the country and offer financial security to the farmer while providing inexpensive, fresh produce to members.
To find a CSA or co-op near you go to: http://www.localharvest.org/
5. Savvy Snipping
Coupons have been around forever, but things have changed in the coupon game. The Sunday paper is filled with coupons for highly processed junk foods rather than things you actually want. Now you can find a coupon for almost anything you really need online. Try http://www.coolsavings.com/for things like paper towels, toilet paper and all kinds of non-perishable items.
For more information on how to optimize your health, visit http://deliciousvitality.com/
Photo credit: takomabibelot
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