I don't know if it's all the summer produce that just happens to be filling the markets or if there's been some allignment of the planets, but it's been a banner week for food writing on the Weblogs, Inc. network. Over in the world of finance, Walletpop offered a couple of useful posts, exploring the relative value of in-store brands, and highlighting a free cereal offer from Malt-o-meal. Meanwhile, sustainability site GreenDaily offered some great suggestions for enviromentally-conscious summer cocktails, and an exploration of Pizza Hut's new quasi-organic vegetable pizza.
Over at ParentDish, Bethany Sanders questioned the bona-fides of supposedly healthy kids' snacks and Jennifer Jordan pointed out that (surprise, surprise!) most fast-food kids' meals are unhealthy. Speaking of health, That's Fit explored the benefits of tea, almonds, alcohol, peaches, spices, cherries, and even cake! They also waxed rhapsodic about the values of salsa, salad and beans, and even offered some suggestions for the healthiest kids' cereals!
The question of whether to go green and shift your diet to a more organic is a challenging one these days. These days all we hear are reports of climate change, the need to buy carbon offsets when you go on long airplane ride and the importance of eating organic. I admit to being on the organic and local shopping and eating bandwagon, although I do it more because the food tastes so much better (and is often less expensive) than the stuff I can get at my local chain grocery store.
Over at Green Daily today, Bruce Watson ruminates on the issue of organic food and whether it's as green and planet-friendly as we'd like to think. Go on over and see what he has to say and let us know what you think.
Sister site Green Daily has a great new feature: the Sustainability Series is composed of several videos about production and consumption of organic food in America. GD contributor Alexia Prichard interviews several people in the environmental and sustainable food sectors in order to uncover some oft-unknown details about organic and "natural" foods. They're full of depressing facts, like that most food travels, on average, 2500 miles before we get to eat it.
Prichard acknowledges that the USDA organic regulation system is a confusing one, and that most consumers - even otherwise environmentally-conscious ones - are frustrated and baffled by the labels emblazoned on their food. "Organic," "free range," and "natural" are terms that we once thought we understood, but that now take on entirely different meanings within the confines of the USDA's rules.
Learn about "re-localizing" your diet and how to overcome challenges that keep you from getting the healthiest, most local food you can.
Are you baking Earth Day-themed cookies? Making an organic fruit salad? Walking to the grocery store (with your reusable bag, of course)? Finally starting your own compost pile?
Check out GD for tons of food-related info...it's amazing how often the topics of environment and food overlap, especially as farmers explore greener methods and more food goes organic.
Back in December, I wrote a post about how scientists had found that taking a spoonful of honey could help suppress a cough. There was some dissent in the comments about whether or not the finding was true, although several people wrote in to say that they had had positive experiences soothing a ragged cough with honey.
Whether or not it will help with a cough, apparently honey can help to ease the pain of minor burns. In recent studies, scientists have found that honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. So next time you burn yourself in the kitchen, grab that jar of honey and dab a little on for some relief.
These days, more than ever, issues of food and the environment overlap one another. Our friends over at Green Daily have been busy this week, blogging about all sorts of green food issues. Here's some of what they had to say.
The Lazio region of Italy is adding organic fruit to local vending machines. They are doing this to make healthy food more accessible and to fight against childhood obesity. I wish that vending machines in this country dispensed organic fruit.
Bluefin tuna is overfished and so several countries have agreed to limit fishing in the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans. This means less tuna for sushi bars and so some chefs in Japan are experimenting with other options, including raw horsemeat sushi.
Taking your own reusable bags to the grocery store is the thing to do these days. Check out clerks have mostly adapted to this practice and often ask me for my bags before I can even offer them. However, one woman had her bags refused and Patricia asks Green Daily readers if anyone else has had this experience.
After a visit to a chicken farm, Jamie Oliver was horrified by the treatment of the chickens. He is now working to improve living conditions for chickens and is asking people in the UK to pony up the extra money it costs to buy a free range bird.
Organic maple syrup comes from trees that are pesticide-free for life. The number of taps allowed in those trees is also limited so as not to oversap the trees. Looking for places to buy organic syrup? Check out Laura's post!
The 100 foot diet challenge means preparing meals that are grown or raised within 100 feet of your home and use as few store bought ingredients as possible. Oh to have a backyard and the space in which to grow some food!
Issues of the environment and food often go hand in hand. Our friends over at Green Daily have a number of current posts up about issues that are near and dear to our foodie hearts.
Yesterday, Patricia posted about a group of Italian farmers who have contracted with a prison to have the inmates make eco-friendly ice cream with local milk and fruit. The group of farmers is leading a campaign to encourage Italians to eat locally as a way of reducing carbon emissions.
Beer is about to get more expensive because of climate change, says Jonathon. Apparently in Australia prices of wheat and barley, vital ingredients in beer brewing, are rising due to extreme drought conditions.
Sarah's got good info about keeping the world a better place by packing lunches in safe, reusable plastic containers.
Want some simple tips on how to go green at the grocery store? Look no further than Rigel's post with recommendations on what to buy when it comes to coffee, chocolate, fruits, veggies and salad dressings.
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I don't know if it's all the summer produce that just happens to be filling the markets or if there's been some allignment of the planets, but it's been a banner week for food writing on the Weblogs, Inc. network. Over in the world of finance, Walletpop offered a couple of useful posts, exploring the relative value of in-store brands, and highlighting a free cereal offer from Malt-o-meal. Meanwhile, sustainability site GreenDaily offered some great suggestions for enviromentally-conscious summer cocktails, and an exploration of Pizza Hut's new quasi-organic vegetable pizza.
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