Food

How about saving the planet and its animals, all at once?

Many people give up the consumption of animal products for numerous reasons, which may include personal health and well-being, ethical beliefs, food expense reduction, and more. Thinking today about the reasons why I choose to follow a vegan lifestyle lead me to considering the environmental impact of the lifestyle. For those of you who are opposed to giving up your cheeseburgers regardless of the information presented, this will at the least provide you with some food for thought (a small side order for your burger).

In the past, the United Nations issued a report, somewhat like a call-to-action, for the world to reduce its consumption of animal products (both meat and dairy). As quoted in the U.K. Guardian, the UN feels that a "global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change." Clearly, this is a pretty serious issue.

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I love Costco.  I get my eye exams there, I love their Kirkland organic peanut-butter, I greedily accept all of their free samples, and I even own lots of clothes from there.  They also are known to treat their employees well and they also tend to donate money to Democratic candidates. That's why I was so disappointed to hear about all of the unsustainable fish they sell.  Unsustainable fish includes Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, grouper, and more.  AND, AND, AND...they tell their shareholders that they support sustainable seafood!  Bad Costco!

Greenpeace has launched a website and campaign to urge Costco to stop selling those types of unsustainable seafood.  With the amount of food that Costco sells coupled with the number of locations they have, if they stop selling those varieties of fish it will really make a big difference with the over-fishing problems.... read more

One of my favorite summertime activities:  BARBECUES!  Who doesn't love sitting in the backyard with their friends and family, sipping some cold lemonade, and chowing down on corn on the cob grilled just so?  

It's actually really easy to throw a green barbecue!  If you want to make your barbecue a little more eco-friendly, here are some tips:

• When it comes to grilling, to really be green, solar-powered ovens and stoves are the best. This isn't the most realistic, however. Gas and electric-powered grills are greener options than charcoal. If you have a charcoal grill, opt for lump coal instead of briquettes or seek out natural options.

• Do away with plastic flatware and paper plates. If you're having too large of a gathering to use reusable plates and flatware, look for compostable and/or biodegradable alternatives.

• Clearly label your recycle bin for recyclables such as beer bottles.

• Make a bin for compostables, such as corn cobs and husks. Use unbleached napkins and encourage guests to toss those into your compost as well.

• Buy as many organic and local food products as possible. Organic beer, too! Even better: serve stuff from your own garden, if it's in season!

• Instead of soda, make your own beverages to serve in pitchers. Fresh-squeezed lemonade always goes over well. Also, now that we've been pureeing our own baby food, I've been puree-happy, so at our last barbecue I pureed strawberries to mix in with our lemomade...viola! Fresh strawberry lemonade! Iced tea is a great option, too. Don't forget to compost the tea after brewing!... read more

If you're thinking about making homemade baby food for your little one, it's so easy and cheap cheap cheap.   Here's what you need to do to get started:

- Have your baby try different types of food.  I didn't want to make a huge batch of squash, only to find out that my baby hates squash.  Before making our own baby food, I bought a few jars of different types to get a feel for what my baby likes.    For store-bought baby food, I like Earth's Best the most.  I also like that they come in glass jars, which you can reuse for your own homemade baby food.  Wild Harvest and Beech Nut also still come in glass jars; Gerber Organic comes in plastic containers.

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I was always a big fan of Tom's of Maine.  From their deodorant to their toothpaste, I've bought many of their products.  Aside from the fact that they offered widely available products without all the garbage in typical personal care stuff, I also liked that they were not a major corporation. In 2006, I was a little disheartened when the Colgate-Palmolive company purchased Tom's of Maine.

It made me think a bit about some of the other big brands of natural and organic products, and who owns what. ... read more