Food trends of late have highlighted the importance of eating a bit more like our grandparents, at least when our goal is eating healthy. 

Even Michael Pollan is on the record as saying, “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” But it turns out, millennials don’t actually eat healthy the way their grandparents do, at least not if their grandparents are baby boomers.

A new survey from the International Food Information Council Foundation compared perceptions of healthfulness along generational lines and showed some blatant differences between the way baby boomers and millennials approach healthy eating.

First off, boomers and millennials aren’t even looking for the same things when they define a food as “healthy.” Whereas boomers are keeping an eye out for foods that help manage weight, cardiovascular health, and digestive health, millennials seek out superfoods with specific benefits, such as foods that improve mental health, augment muscle health, and boost immunity.

Millennials and boomers also look to different professionals for advice when their goal is eating healthy. Boomers are far more likely to rely on registered dietitians, nutritionists, and healthcare professionals than millennials, who seek out fitness professionals, farmers, and bloggers for much of their healthy eating advice.

But perhaps the biggest difference the survey found was the specific strategies that each individual group used for assessing whether their diets were healthy or not — boomers appear to take on a quantitative definition, reducing portion sizes or eliminating carbs, sugars, and sodium to eat healthier. Millennials, on the other hand, define healthy eating less by what they don’t eat and more by what they do.

The term “superfood” only emerged around fifteen years ago, according to the Wall Street Journal, and millennials make many of their dietary choices by seeking out these nutrient-rich foods, rather than cutting out specific food groups. Millennials are also far more tapped into not only what a food is, but how it is produced: a 2012 article in Forbes highlighted artisanal, small batch, and specialty products as keys to a millennial heart — and stomach.

Organic is yet another label that millennials love, according to another recent survey, this time from the Organic Trade Association, Food Business News reports. This survey showed that an overwhelming 52 percent of organic shoppers are millennials with children, as opposed to a mere 14 percent of boomers who shop with the organic label in mind.

But according to Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of the Washington-based Organic Trade Association, this choice actually has everything to do with millennials’ Gen X parents.

“Many (millennials) were raised on organic products,” she says. “It’s not a new idea they’re embracing; it’s just something that’s incorporated into their way of thinking.”

Add the familiarity of the organic label to the desire to shop healthfully, ecologically, and sustainably that seems to pervade the millennial sensibility, and it’s no surprise that millennials are eating differently than their grandparents. And what’s more, as millennials begin to acquire the power of purchase that baby boomers are slowly giving up, this distinction is going to continue to change the way the rest of us shop and eat, too.

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Couple shopping at market image via Shutterstock

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Picture a restaurant chain that charges different prices, depending on the neighborhood. It may seem like a scam, but in reality, it’s how former Wall Street guru Sam Polk is feeding the hungry and democratizing healthy food.

Polk was once a hedge fund trader who admits to having been addicted to making money — millions of it every year. At age 27 he had already been on Wall Street for six years, but, as he admitted to PBS, he “basically felt empty.”

He decided to leave Wall Street and turned to tables, particularly to local tables, after having a wakeup call in front of a particularly poignant food documentary. While watching “A Place at the Table,” Polk became horrified by the notion that his city of Los Angeles was so segregated with regard to the haves and have-nots.

“It was easy to forget that just a few miles away people were starving,” he writes, especially because, as he notes, “Hunger in America looks strange.”

While we would expect those who are facing hunger every day to be rail-thin, the fact is that in America, many people who are food insecure are obese.

A 2010 study of more than 6,000 adults showed that wages and BMI were inversely related, meaning that poorer people were far more likely to suffer from obesity. A 2009 study showed that many of these sufferers are children; the study, which surveyed more than 12,000 children between the ages of two and 19, showed that rates of severe obesity were approximately 1.7 times higher among poorer children.

People with lower incomes tend to rely on cheaper foods; fast food is cheap and easy to come by, and in food deserts, many of which are in less affluent communities, fresh produce can be scarce and expensive.

“In the span of a day, a kid can go from being hungry, missing lunch, to eating KFC for dinner,” says Polk. “That fact—that many kids are both starving and obese—was what got to me.”

Upping the Learning Curve and Feeding the Hungry with Groceryships

Polk recently overhauled his own diet to include more plant-based recipes and fewer processed foods. Even from a place of means, it was a difficult battle to fight. He knew, then, that feeding the hungry wouldn’t be as simple as making healthy food available — he had to teach people how to use it.

Polk decided to found Groceryships in 2013, a program dedicated to feeding the hungry that revolutionizes more traditional programs. With a philosophy of teaching a man to fish, the program seeks not only to ensure that LA families have healthy food, but also that they know how to use it.

“Groceryships is working on a macro issue in a micro way,” reads Groceryships’ mission statement. “We work with small groups of families for long periods of time, providing education, temporary financial support, resources, and a sacred space for each person to share about their struggles and triumphs. We believe true change comes not from the top down, but from the inside out, and that changes in one person can have a ripple effect through a family, a community, a city, a nation, and eventually a world.”

The program gives each family a weekly food budget but also invites them to weekly two-hour meetings over the course of several months, where they learn the cooking, nutrition, and shopping skills needed to cook healthy plant-based meals and get support to help overcome challenges.

A New Challenge: Feeding the Hungry with Healthy Fast Food

In Pacific Palisades, where the per capita income is $95,000, childhood obesity is at 11 percent and life expectancy is 85. In South Los Angeles, where the per capita income is $13,000, childhood obesity is 30 percent, and life expectancy decreases to 75.

This discrepancy has nothing to do with geography and everything to do with means, and it’s something that Polk is still striving to change every day.

“The ability to eat healthy foods and maintain a healthy weight shouldn’t be luxury items for the upper classes, but rather human rights shared by all,” writes Polk. “We’re committed to turning this belief into a reality.”

Polk has set his sights on a new project, a logical continuation, in his mind, of Groceryships.

Along with fellow former finance professional David Foster, Polk created Everytable, a new healthy food chain with prices on a sliding scale. Both of the Everytable locations offer the same menu of healthy, prepared meals, like kale chicken Caesar salad, pozole rojo, and Jamaican jerk chicken, but at very different prices: in south Los Angeles, where the per capita income is $13,000 a year, the meals cost about $4; in hip, downtown LA, they cost $8.

“Four bucks is a great price here compared to fast food, which is the predominant option,” Foster says. And even the downtown branch offers competitive prices when compared to $10-$12 meals at chains like Whole Foods and Sweet Green.

“It’s basically making sure that everyone can afford healthy food,” Polk says. “In a world where inequality is clearly growing and becoming seen as structural, we think that this is the time for a new business that questions that fundamental assumption that prices should be the same for everyone.”

It’s a concept that, just ten years ago, might have floundered. But with an increasingly activist generation, the philosophy behind a company is just as important — if not more so — than the product they peddle. Everytable is hitting all of its targets: donating day-old food to local food banks, creating menus that include healthy, whole foods, and allowing patrons to feel good about every dollar they spend.

But the cheaper outpost of the chain isn’t bleeding money, either; these financial gurus have created centralized kitchen that seriously diminishes the need for staff and allows even the $4 meals to contribute to an — admittedly meager — profit margin.

“At $4 per meal in South LA, we’re not making much money from each meal sold,” Foster explains to NPR. “But if we get enough people to come out — and we’re already seeing great traction — it will actually be profitable. The location downtown will also be profitable. So together they’re part of this company that’s working to improve access. The higher-priced location will help fund the growth of new locations in both markets.”

And of course, that’s the next step.

Polk and Foster are both looking toward the future of the company, hoping to open tens of thousands of Everytable outposts, feeding the hungry all across America. This new concept of a healthy chain food store may help bring the knowledge and accessibility required to disintegrate food deserts everywhere.

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Healthy food image via Shutterstock

The post Ex-Wall Street Guru Feeds the Hungry with Healthy Food appeared first on EcoSalon.

Spring is in the air and for many of us that means spring cleaning our home and gardens. But our bodies and daily lives need attention too!

From the moment I breathed in the sweet, fresh air of my mother’s garden in England, I felt connected to nature. Funny how it all started with a garden. For many, the love of food comes from the kitchen, but for me, it all started with the growing. I spent as much time as I could in that delicious wonderland, picking raspberries, cherry tomatoes and finding new flavors to play with in the kitchen. As a child, I was enchanted by the tastes and flavors available but then things changed and that natural goodness of food seemed to get lost. When I went to the grocery store I was struck by how similar everything looked. I was greeted with miles of one type of tomato when I entered the produce section. Why weren’t the varieties, colors and flavors that I knew existed available here? This new idea of how food should appear seemed to be eclipsing that and I became impassioned to show that great tasting food starts with a single seed.

This passion inspired me to write my first book, “Gorgeously Green” and tour the country teaching others to live a joyously healthy lifestyle. It was important to find, discover and support other initiatives that were helping people connect to the foods they were eating, like the Seeds of Change Grant Program. Getting more people comfortable with growing foods and taking their meals from the seed to the plate is an exciting adventure I am thrilled to be on.

It’s simple to start that journey with my simple steps to spring clean your diet and your life.

1. Learn to appreciate “slow food” and the care and time it takes to grow just one carrot. We often take food for granted but when we grow our own, we start to realize how precious fresh, organic food really is. So, instead of store-purchased vegetables, take the time to grow your own. If you are just starting your own garden, herbs are a great way to learn to grow.
2. The most important thing is that green living is 100 percent about health. It’s not something out there somewhere, it’s as close as the products you put on your skin and the food you put in your body. Try alternating your food by swapping out well-known foods for ones that may not be as main stream but can be part of a healthy lifestyle.
   • Swap out dairy-based cheeses for almond cheese or cashew cheese. Almond cheese in particular is very nutrient dense, high in protein, calcium and healthy fats.
   • Swap out eggs for chia and flax seeds when baking. These superfoods are filled with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
   • Swap out your beef patties for portobello mushrooms in burgers and other grilling. They are high in nutrients, low in calories, a great source of fiber and are fat-free.
   • Swap out chicken for tempeh. Made from soybeans, tempeh is low in fat, high in protein, fiber and essential antioxidants.
   • Swap out butter for coconut oil when baking. Coconut oil contains essential fatty acids and antioxidants that help in the absorption of other minerals. It also has heart healthy benefits.
3. Bring Zen into your life. Disconnect from your phone and computer and connect to what is real. We are constantly connected these days by phones, computers and television that sometimes we need to turn all of these things off, disconnect from the static and truly reflect on the goodness and beauty that is around us.
4. Better the lives of those in your community. Get involved with your local community garden or start one of your own.
5. Make it a habit to look beyond the “organic” label and read the full ingredient list of every food and skin care product you purchase. Products with 70-95 percent organic ingredients may use the USDA Organic label.
6. Organic living can make you healthier and save you money if you are smart about it. Switching to a plant-based diet, especially one you grow yourself saves you a great deal financially and these savings you can invest in organic produce from a local farmer’s market or ordering a CSA farm box delivery.
7. Don’t underestimate small changes. Try a refillable water bottle in place of a one-time use plastic bottle. Refillable water bottles are environmentally friendly and are a great way to move towards sustainable living. Many people believe that bottled water is cleaner water but that is simply not true. Plastic water bottles can contain BPA which is harmful to your health while refillable bottles are BPA free.
8. Last but not least, have fun living an organic, green life. It truly is a delicious and wondrous one!

Sophie Uliano is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and green and healthy living expert.

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ColumnAre the “healthiest foods” always what’s best for us?

Chances are, when you see an article with “healthiest foods” mentioned in the title, you click on it. You clicked on this one, now didn’t you? And if you’re not on the internet, I’m sure a magazine or newspaper article promising to tell you all about the healthiest foods out there would sound enticing enough to read. In a world where we are trying to eat better, this is perfectly normal behavior.

When we focus on the “healthiest foods,” often we’re most focused on nutrients. How many vitamins, minerals, calories and cholesterol we get per serving. Recently I saw a healthiest foods roundup where bananas came out on top.

In North America, we’ve been eating bananas since the late 1800s; long enough for them to be a perfectly normal staple even though they come from afar. Besides being carted into grocery stores from other continents, bananas have a pretty dark side; poor worker conditions, human rights abuses, child labor and beyond. A banana might get five stars on various nutritional elements, but that doesn’t account for all the bad that happens in the banana industry behind the scene.

Even foods that are grown closer to home come with their issues. All that out of season stuff we see everywhere. In a supermarket, where we can buy anything we want at any time of the year, a lot of us don’t even know what’s in season and what isn’t.

But just because you can buy something, doesn’t mean you should. A caprese salad in winter for example; those tomatoes are not what they could be come summer. Stocking up on avocados every week, even though that consumption is drying up water supplies. Honeybees dying because growers have to cart them in to pollinate California’s almond crops and they’re in turn exposed to deadly pesticides. Or a morning smoothie made with raspberries and blueberries in the middle of winter. Again, just because you can make it doesn’t mean you should.

The reality is, that when we think about “healthy foods,” we are only thinking about “healthy” as it pertains to ourselves.

Choosing healthy foods is most often about about how I, the individual, will benefit from the consumption of said food. But food isn’t just about our own health. It’s about our community’s health, and the planet’s. And if we want to eat better, we need to reorient our selfish thinking into one with a more global outlook.

If there is one thing that’s sure when it comes to nutrition, it’s that we need more real food in our diet. Certainly bananas are better than a Twix bar. But focusing on only the nutrients of a food is a one-sided solution.

Eating well can be a very simple thing, but it requires a holistic approach, it requires thinking not only about what the food will give us, but where the food comes from, how it was grown, whether or not it’s in season. These are just as much essentials of a healthy diet as thinking about nutrition and nutrition only.

So next time you’re thinking about what healthy foods to eat, do more than look at the nutrition label.

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This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: robin_24

The post What the Healthiest Foods Don’t Take Into Consideration: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

This is totally effed up but also pretty hilarious. Watch these foodies get fooled into thinking McDonald’s is a healthy and tasty alternative…to McDonald’s? Yep. 

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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The post Organic Foodies Duped Into Eating McDonald’s…and They’re Loving It appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnDo we really have to care about real food all the time?

Let’s be 100 percent honest with each other: sometimes eating well is a pain. It’s time consuming. It’s exhausting. So many choices to make, so many things to pay attention to and sometimes you just want to buy a damn pineapple even though you know it crossed half the world to get to you.

In these moments it’s so easy to ask oneself, “does it really matter what I eat?”

Deep down, you know the short answer to that question. Between a diet of fast food and a diet of brown rice and greens, you know which one to choose. But those are two extremes. In between is the everyday routine where real life often gets in the way of aspirational eating. Sure, you want to bake your own bread, your own yogurt and your own granola bars, but sometimes you just want to stuff your face with a butter, gluten-loaded brownie, now don’t you?

First things first: eating real food is about eating, not about eliminating. So often we focus on what we can’t or shouldn’t eat, that we forget to embrace all that we can eat. A sustainable approach to food is about appreciating food. That’s the only way that you make healthy eating a part of an everyday lifestyle.

Does it really matter what you eat? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that you need to calorie-count and drive yourself crazy with it. It just means focusing on real food, and cutting out all the junk little by little. An imported banana every once in awhile isn’t going to kill you. Packaged foods however, will.

Besides maybe providing shelter for ourselves, eating is the most important thing we do in a day. Of course it matters what we eat.

The problem with food is that we so often take an all or nothing approach. But eating isn’t about all or nothing. It’s about balance. It’s about enjoying food. It’s about founding a happy medium where you make time to cook and eat, and don’t feel like it’s taking over your life. It’s about savoring those cherry tomatoes at the end of summer, and saying no to the red produce in the middle of January, when it will bland and mealy. It’s about gathering around a table and enjoying a meal with friends.

In order to eat well, we have to prioritize. Yes, it may take longer to prepare your own food, but think about what you would be spending that time on otherwise. The average American watches 5 hours of television a day. Think if just one of those hours went to hanging out in the kitchen or around a table.

It does matter what you eat, and committing to a lifestyle where you eat well isn’t just about your personal health. It’s about the people around you; when we eat better, so do our friends, so just like you should surround yourself with good food, you should surround yourself with people that believe in good food top. It’s also about your community, about supporting the producers in your local area that are working hard to bring food to your table. It’s also about the environment; our modern day agricultural system has serious impacts around the world.

Eating real food should be empowering, not overwhelming. You have the chance to make positive change every time you grocery shop and every time you eat. Doesn’t that feel like a choice that you want to make?

Go out and eat well my friends, it’s very much worth it.

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This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Nick Harris

The post The Question of Real Food: Does it Really Matter What You Eat? Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnForget the trendy foods, we need all the boring real foods back in our lives.

Pro tip: if you want to eat well you do not need to buy all of the trendy health foods at the store. Sparkly probiotic drinks, omega 3-antioxidant infused vegan ice creams, supercharged gluten-free miracle cookies? You need none of it. You need real food. The boring stuff. The stuff that doesn’t have a marketing campaign behind it, or its own blog or Twitter feed.

We’ve come to a day and age where food trends win out over real foods, even in the health food department, and in turn we put some foods on a pedestal and forget a whole lot of other ones. That’s a shame, because there’s a lot of good food out there. A lot of good real food that’s easy to prepare and good for the budget.

I keep thinking of my friend Amy and her tried and true cookbook “Ecological Cooking” that has been on her shelf for years. With recipes like Carrot Rice Loaf, you could say that the book is the definition of simple, budget-friendly foods that are sort of boring and unfashionable.

But that’s exactly what we need.

We do not need the new cupcake. We need a resurrection of the foods that are good for us, and easy to cook. And not all of them are sexy, or cool or trendy. That’s ok. Eat them anyway.

1. Beans

Black beans, pinto beans, navy beans; who cares as long as you are eating legumes. Ok, so black beans are sort of popular because of tacos, but for the most part beans are definitely in the boring real food category. But white beans make for an easy dip, and you can in fact make brownies out of black beans.

2. Buckwheat

No, it’s not a grain, buckwheat is actually a seed, which means that it’s gluten-free. You can use it to make hot cereals and you can grind buckwheat down into a flour, that’s got an earthy, nutty flavor to it, perfect for dense breads.

3. Cabbage

Kale is hot, cabbage is not. Which is weird considering they are in the same damn family. Ferment it, grate it, cook it, steam it, use it to wrap things. Become the cabbage lover you always wanted to be.

4. Flaxseeds

Embrace the flaxseeds. Love the flaxseeds. Grind them up and add a little warm water and you get a vegan egg replacement. Grind up even more and you can use flaxseed meal as a replacement for flour. Who knew seeds could be so versatile?

5. Millet

Most people equate millet with birdseed, but it’s actually a very nutritious grain that’s drought tolerant and can compete with the best of the trendy grains, like quinoa. You can even pop it like popcorn. Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks even uses raw millet thrown into a muffin recipe to add a little extra crunch. I can get behind that.

6. Oats

Oatmeal is not the sexiest of breakfasts. Unless of course you make a savory one with pesto and put a poached egg on top. But while oats are on the bottom of the list of exciting grains, they deserve some respect. You can grind oats into flour, and even make milk out of them. And who doesn’t love a good berry oat crumble or a classic oatmeal cookie?

7. Sprouts

I grew up with sandwiches that had sprouts hanging out the edges. I was of course slightly embarrassed, but ate them anyway. And thank god my mother fed me sprouts, they’re healthy and easy to make at home. Lentils, chickpeas, alfalfa, mung beans – they can all be turned into sprouts, and to do so it’s as easy as growing them in a jar. How much simpler does it get?

8. Turnips

Of all the root vegetables, I think turnips don’t get a whole lot of love. Maybe simply because we don’t know what to do with them. But it has been used for human consumption since prehistoric times, so it has to have something going for it. You can roast them, and you can even sauté up the greens, which makes for whole vegetable cooking. Or you can turn it into a soup or a creative mash.

9. Yogurt

No, not the cute packaged version that’s full of “fruit.” (Hint: it’s not fruit, it’s sugar.) I mean good old plain yogurt. It’s a fermented food, so it’s full of probiotics. You can cook with it. You can make sauces out of it. You can eat it with homemade granola.

10. Water

Yes, water. Not coconut water. Not an overly priced raw juice. Just water. From the tap. Into your reusable bottle. It’s free and nutritious!

Now, with our boring pantries stocked, let’s start the real food revolution.

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This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’ weekly column at EcoSalon: Foodie Underground, an exploration of what’s new and different in the underground movement, and how we make the topic of good food more accessible to everyone. More musings on the topic can be found at www.foodieunderground.com.

Image: Nick Saltmarsh

The post 10 Boring Real Foods That Should Be Trendy: Foodie Underground appeared first on EcoSalon.

These arugula recipes may just put all other salad greens to shame.

Its spicy leaves give arugula a very distinct taste, and while a few years ago it seemed to be a much forgotten green (and by “forgotten” I mean “snobby”), nowadays arugula is in many a recipe from pizza to pesto.

Arugula, just like all other leafy greens is quite good for you, packed with vitamins and minerals. In fact, arugula has about eight times the calcium, fives times the vitamin A, C and K, and four times the iron as iceberg lettuce. Makes you want to change your salad base doesn’t it?

But wait, what should you call it? Arugula also goes by the name “rucola” and in Britain it’s called “rocket.” Whatever name you choose to go by, it won’t stop you from taking advantage of these 21 tasty arugula recipes.

1. Arugula Salad with Thyme-Roasted Walnuts

Arugula pretty much puts all other salad greens to shame, especially when it’s topped off with these flavorful walnuts.

2. Quinoa Risotto with Arugula and Parmesan

Make this spin on risotto with quinoa instead of rice. The spicy bite of arugula pairs well with aged Parmesan.

3. Crispy Lemon Pepper Arugula

Forget about kale leaves, you want to make these crispy arugula leaves for your new favorite snack.

4. Arugula Salsa Verde

This salsa verde can go on just about anything. If you want it to be more peppery, use mature arugula leaves.

5. Mushroom Melt with Parsley Pesto, Kale and Arugula

The sandwich to beat all sandwiches.

6. Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Arugula and Poached Egg

Granted, anything with a poached egg is delicious, but anything with a poached egg and arugula? Genius.

7. Arugula Mojito

Just in case you were in the mood to drink up that arugula instead of eating it.

8. Potato Kale Soup with Parsley Arugula Pesto

Since warm weather days aren’t all the way here yet, you may still be craving some comfort food. This heart potato and kale soup gets the perfect dose of spring thanks to the addition of a pesto made from arugula.

9. Arugula Herb Quiche

The perfect spring brunch dish.

10. Arugula Pear Green Smoothie

The bit of arugula is offset by the sweetness of pear in this green smoothie recipe.

11. Grilled Potato and Arugula Salad

Warm potatoes help wilt the arugula in this simple recipe.

12. Goat Cheese and Arugula Pizza

A list of arugula recipes wouldn’t be complete without one for pizza.

13. Arugula and Leek Tart

A good combination of two spring friendly items.

14. Nectarine, Arugula & Brie Panini

Find some good bread, fruit, brie, arugula, and go!

15. Arugula and Roasted Chickpea Salad with Feta

If you are looking for a salad with a little extra protein, this is it.

16. Shiitake and Arugula Ravioli

Why not use arugula to make your own ravioli at home?

17. Arugula and Chive Baked Egg Cups

Another excellent arugula recipe that’s perfect for a Sunday brunch.

18. Arugula Almond Drop Cookies

Who said the bitter green couldn’t be used for dessert?

19. Arugula Quesadilla

A very simple dinner that you can throw together in minutes. Why not serve it with the arugula salsa verde?

20. Pumpkin Seed Arugula Pesto Sauce

A little twist on classic pesto.

21. Shaved Asparagus and Arugula Salad

As asparagus comes into season, this is a great way to put it to good use.

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The post 21 Arugula Recipes That Are Fun and Flavorful appeared first on EcoSalon.

Green your snacks.

We love kale. This versatile veggie is a good source of potassium, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Making a kitchen sink salad or sauteing it with some garlic are some standard ways to enjoy kale. Sometimes though, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and that big bunch of kale is starting to look a little wilted. So is it time to throw it out? No way! Instead, make a healthy snack for when you’re on-the-go. Kale chips are easy to bake and super tasty, but don’t just take our word for it — try it yourself!

Ingredients:

• A bunch (or two!) of kale
• 1-2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil (depending on batch size)
• Sea salt
• Cookie sheet(s)
• Parchment paper
• A mixing bowl

Directions:

This post originally appeared in Sierra magazine.

Sierra is the magazine of the Sierra Club. Our motto: Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet. Follow Sierra magazine on Twitter.

Image: Well of Health

The post How to Make Your Own Kale Chips appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnWhy we have to get past thinking about the Big O.

“I now feel completely vindicated for NOT buying organic foods.”

Well, great.

The internet was abuzz with the recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that found little evidence that organic foods are more nutritious than conventional grown food, and I found myself getting severely agitated by comments like the above posted in social media circles. Granted, I spend a lot of time thinking about food, but simple statements like the aforementioned prove to me that we are entirely removed from the food process and what we are eating. We are oversimplifying a complex issue.

We love it when studies prove to us that our decisions are right. Want to justify a habit? You can probably find a study that does just that. Coffee is good for you, no bad for you, no good for you.

In an information based society, there is no surprise that we’re drawn in by headlines. But if we are going to base our eating values on a headline and the first paragraph of an article, we should question the importance we are putting on our well-being and that of the planet.

Here’s the issue with a meta-study: it only focuses on one element. When it comes to organic food, this specific study, as with many others, doesn’t paint a full picture.

“This study disputes how significant the differences in antioxidant and nutrient levels are between organic and conventional food. But that’s not central to the discussion of why organic is important, which has a lot more to do with how the soil is managed and the exposure to pesticides, not just in the eater’s diet but to the farmworker,” said author Michael Pollan in an interview with KQED.

We have to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. The study did find that conventional produce has a 30% higher chance of pesticide contamination compared to organic foods, and as the Guardian pointed out, “it should be noted that there are currently no long-term studies of the health outcomes for people consuming organic versus conventionally produced food.”

Beyond that, as Pollan emphasizes, there is an environmental cost to everything that we put in our bodies. Food cannot be reduced to single elements. It’s not just about antioxidants or carbohydrates or omega 3s. Food is a process, a compilation of nutrition, environment and experience.

“Organic” has certainly become a buzz word. Slap the big O on anything and you’re sure to attract a certain demographic. In a controversial op-ed, The New York Times writer Roger Cohen called the organic ideology “an elitist, pseudoscientific indulgence shot through with hype.”

He is partly right.

There is a challenge to feeding the planet, and it’s not going to be solved by $4 organic asparagus from Whole Foods; that’s about the same as the average amount as a food stamp recipient is allotted per day. However, if we are talking about building sustainable food systems that solve hunger, we have to think about the whole approach. And if we’re in the socio-economic group that has the money and time to think about what we’re eating, we have no excuse not to be doing so.

In the modern age, if you are able to comfortably put food on the table, it is inexcusable to not think about what you are eating. This issue isn’t about organic vs. conventional, it is about building a food system that is focused on good food. A food system that puts a value on local small-scale businesses and not just agribusiness. A food system that normalizes appreciating good food instead of making it pretentious.

“Is it organic?” is only one of many questions that we should all be asking when we’re standing with a grocery basket in our hands. “Where does it come from?” “What pesticides were used?” “How are the people that produce it treated?” “What synthetic chemicals are part of this meal?” The list goes on.

There is not one simple solution to eating better. If you think that filling your basket with foods just because they have a specific label on them means you’re doing the right thing, think again. Take a holistic approach – one that thinks about food in a new way. How it affects you. How it affects your community. How it affects the planet.

If we are going to move the food system forward, in a progressive and sustainable manner, we have to be asking the hard questions, and that takes more than just reading a headline.

Editor’s note: This is the latest installment of Anna Brones’s weekly column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground, discovering what’s new and different in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to the culinary avant garde.

The post Foodie Underground: Should We Care About Organic? appeared first on EcoSalon.