Food, Inc.

I told you not too long along that the Mr. and I watched Food, Inc., and I have to admit that I am still comprehending all that I saw on the video. I told the Mr. after watching it that we were never eating out or eating processed foods again.

As I sit here eating Velveeta, I ask myself, "how easy is it really to change your whole understanding of the impact the food you eat makes on you and the world?" This is what Food, Inc. tries to do.

Here is the synopsis from Food, Inc.'s website:

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won't go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

The meat that the Mr. and I cook at home comes from a family friend who raises cows humanely and pretty organically. But I forget all the meat that we eat when we go out. What cow in the plains had to stand in a stockyard their whole lives so that I could get an ok burger?

Now don't go thinking that I am going crazy treehugger on you and saying that everyone needs to quit eating the poor cows. If everyone did that would it help the environment? Yes. Am I at that point in my life or think you should be too? No. I still love meat. I do. I am just saying that I am starting to see the impacts that consuming so much meat (and not quality meat at that) make on our lives.

Don't forget all the other crap we eat that is unhealthy. I am a bad example on this front, too. I really want to push the Mr. and I harder into making these sorts of changes now, slowly, over time as to not freak ourselves out. Starting this month, I want to pull us slowly away from consuming so much meat and processed foods, and focus more on raw, unprocessed foods.

I am going to work on also keeping you all up to date on how this is coming.

Curious about learning more about food and the environment? Check out the reading list from Food, Inc.

What Do We Have to Eat?

Me: I honestly don’t feel like cooking tonight.

The Mr.: Do you want me to make something?

Me: Sure.

The Mr.: Well, what do we have to make?

Me: I don’t know. Go look.

The Mr.: No, you just tell me because I am afraid I will use something that you had planned for something else.

Me: I don’t care. You can use anything. I have no pre-plans for anything in the fridge.

The Mr.: Ok, but what do we have?

Me: Go look.

The Mr.: I won’t know how to make anything we have.

Me: Do you just want to go out to eat?

The Mr.: Sure.

And this concludes a typical evening at the Sustainable house.

Conversations like this made me think that we needed a new plan. I was tired of staring into the fridge or cupboards thinking, “what am I going to make?” I was tired of the Mr. never knowing what we had to eat and constantly asking. So I told him I was going to buy a dry-erase board so that we could track what we have to eat in the house.

SO here it is...

So I am hoping this cuts down on our grocery bill and eating out because we know what we have and what needs to be used. (I designated those by putting a star next to them.)

So what do you think of the idea? Do you have a better one or do you do things differently? Let me know what you think.

Green with Envy

This pantry is gorgeous, and I want one. Can you imagine the possibilities if you had something like this at your place? I feel like cooking would be 10x easier and 10x more fun....maybe not, but I would still be more than willing to find out.

I love the use of glass to display and organize. Trust me, I am already working in my mind how I can somehow replicate this someday.

What ways do you organize? Are you a see-through container person, a label person, or a pile person?

Picture from http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/green-style/green-style-the-prettiest-pantry-weve-seen--111952

A Fishy Situation: The Lenten Season

It probably is no surprise to you that eating fish is not a very sustainable idea. While fish is healthier than beef, the way in which we fish commercially is very unhealthy. All over the world the waters are being over-fished and leaving some species almost extinct.

With the Lenten Season upon us and many more of us eating fish, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the better choices of fish to eat. This list is taken from Gorgeously Green and the author has created the list by taking into account the status of the wild population, the fishing method, the by-catch, and the general impact on the environment.

Here are your best choices:
Anchovies
Bluefish
Calamari
Catfish (farmed)
Clams
Crab: blue, Dungeness, king
Crawfish
Pacific Halibut
Atlantic Mackerel
Mussels
Pacific Octopus
Farmed Oysters
Pacific Black Cod
Trap-Caught, Pacific Prawns
Wild Alaskan Salmon
Sardines
Scallops (bay-farmed)
Pacific Squid
Farmed Stripe Bass
Farmed Tilapia
Pacific Albacore Tuna
Sea Urchin (uni)

If you are interested in seeing a sustainable seafood guide check out Earth Easy.

What is your favorite type of fish? Does it make the best choice guide?

S-L-O-W Down and Eat

While re-reading my Gorgeously Green book not too long ago, I came across the section on eating slow food. I am not talking about eating snails and turtles here. But instead eating:

S - seasonal foods
L - local foods
O - organic foods
W - whole foods

The author of the book viewed this as a mantra that she said in her daily life to help get to focus on what she was putting into her body. I realize that this is something that I need to bring to my life as well. So starting Monday (March 1st) I am going to be kicking off my slow month. I am going to focus on eating slow food in hopes of bettering my diet and myself.

If you would like more information on the slow food movement. Check out Slow Food's website. Here is a clip from it.
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
To do that, Slow Food brings together pleasure and responsibility, and makes them inseparable.
Today, we have over 100,000 members in 132 countries.

What other ways do you find helpful to eat better food? Are you a label reader? Or a diet fan?

Time to Bulk Up

Buying food in bulk is still something I have not ventured into. I find it difficult when I go down the bulk bin aisle and stare at everything that is there. I want to try new things but am fearful of buying too much and hating it. I also don't know enough recipes in which to use these bulk items to actually get used to buying them. (This is definitely my own fault. And I sound like a huge pansy by admitting all of this.)

I know the benefits of buying in bulk such as:
1. You help to eliminate wasteful packaging.
2. It is cheaper.
3. If you bring your own container, you are limiting even more packaging.
4. It is cheaper.
5. You are more likely to eat healthier foods with whole grains by purchasing bulk foods.
6. It is cheaper.

You get what I mean.

So my question is to all 10 of you reading this: Do you buy in bulk and what do you make with it? I would love to have some recipes or good tips about where to start.

Please leave a comment or send me an e-mail to let me know. I am serious about this. I really do want to know.

Picture from www.globalenvision.org

Buying Locally

I went to the grocery today. I chose to go to our local chain called Buehlers which has 10 locations around here. Prices are a little higher than the big chain next door, but I was able to find more local brands there.

Here are just a few of the foods that I bought that were all made in state. Some things like the milk was produced about 30 miles away from my apartment, and the candle was literally made around 2 miles from here.
Here is a great Q and A from Sustainable Table. They talk about what is considered local and whether you should buy sustainable or local. I always think you should shoot for both. At the very least buy the products locally that you wouldn't buy sustainable anyways.

How important is buying locally to you? Do you know what products and foods are produced in your area?