BTC Eco-Challenge: Earth Friendly Foods Friday

This challenge is closest to my heart.  Being in the event planning and restaurant business for over 10 years and the fact that I am married to a fabulous chef, means that food is very important to me.  Most people say that eating healthy is important to them, but as our world’s population continues to expand and convenience continues to be most people’s top priority, we have lost touch with our relationship with food.

There are so many quotes I can think of in relation to food:

You are what you eat

Vote with your fork. ~Food, Inc.

Only eat foods that your grandparents considered food. ~Michael Pollan

Foods are being treated more as products than a source of nutrition and sustenance

If you think organic food is expensive, have you checked the price of cancer lately? ~Joel Salatin

The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. ~Ann Wigmore

Today’s challenge is Earth Friendly Foods Friday and we challenge you to cook or eat only sustainable foods that foster a healthy planet.  So what exactly does this mean?  

• Select foods based on their Carbon footprint.  For more info, see this infographic 
• Eat whole foods, avoid processed
• Choose organic or local produce
• Choose produce that is in season, see infographic
• Do not consume seafood that is on Seafood Watch red list
• Be a patriot: Buy U.S. caught or farmed fish.
• Choose lamb over beef or pork (took less grain & water to produce and less GHG emissions)
• Choose free-range beef over conventional
• Choose free-range chicken that was produced without the use of antibiotics or hormones
• Choose almond milk over conventional (more info here)
• Avoid products containing GMOs (especially corn & soy)
• Stay clear of sodas and other drinks containing HFCS
• Avoid foods that contain HFCS (they are hidden in sauces & salad dressings, breads, breakfast cereals, and processed snacks. More info here)
• Avoid foods that use MSG (more info here)
• Buy foods products from known sustainable companies (more info here)
• Choose a sustainable wine, see infographic
• Choose tap water over bottled water - restaurants are required to filter their water

It’s Friday, so that means you might be going out to dinner.  Reference the Seafood Watch Pocket Guide to help you choose a sustainable fish (note: they have an app for mobile phone or they will mail you pocket guides for FREE).  Or you can ask the server where they have sourced their seafood or meat from to help you select the best sustainable menu item.  Even better, choose a restaurant that grows their own food.  In Denver, here is a list of my top three (3) favorite sustainable restaurants:  Bittersweet, Fruition, & Potager.  Other sustainable favorites include Sazza, ModMarket, & Root Down.

We want you to realize that is not hard to choose Earth Friendly Foods, all it takes is a bit of education and research.  Ask questions.  Not only will you be making good choices for a healthier planet, you will be making good choices for your own health.

Share with us what Earth Friendly Foods you are cooking or eating today, and if you ate out, tell us where you chose to eat.  Even better, share a picture on Facebook of what you cooked or ate and tag “The Real Meaning of Green”.

This is the last challenge of week one (1) of the Be The Change Eco-Challenge so make it a good one. 

Bon Appetit!

~Kristin & Kelsey