Does this Recession Make Me Look Fat?

We’ve all seen the images of scrawny depression era people, but things have changed since then. So what does a recession look like? Well it can look a bit plumper than your pre-recession body. And any time we face stress people tend to eat more. Less money, plus, more eating = fat.

It doesn’t help that our food is less healthy than it was during the depression. Although there is more focus on organic and natural, these foods cost more. Today eating cheap means eating poorly and that can add extra fat and sugar to your diet. During the recession you could buy a dollar meal at McDonald’s or pop some change into a vending machine for a super sweet soda.

To battle the bulge try reducing dependence on meat and cooking the old fashioned way. Buy your beans dried. Avoid packaged and pre-cooked food. As for organic food fruits and vegetables, the general rule is that if you are going to eat the skin, buy organic. There are also the dirty dozen lists add to that dairy, eggs, tea and coffee. For tips on how to shop organic on a budget visit Organic Authority.

I go through shopping and cooking slumps pretty regularly. That’s always a blow to my thighs and my bank account, because we’ll usually end up getting way too much take out. So to combat that, we’ve devised a list of enough dinner ideas to fill a month. I put them into an excel spreadsheet added a random integer column and use that to create a working menu for the month. For the next month I simple hit F9 to regenerate the random integers resort the list and create a new menu.

Our plan is to focus more on keeping the kitchen stocked to reduce last minute trips to the store and eating out. And by actually cooking meals rather than using prepackaged or readymade we’ll (cross our fingers) keep calories down.

Eat Well and Support Your Local Farmer

Okay, you know the health benefits of eating organic, but have you thought about the environmental and economic impacts of grocery store organics? Where do they come from? How many miles have they travelled?

The freshest and healthiest organic food is that which is grown closest to you. Many farms sell their produce and meat via a subscription service known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Simply put, a CSA is a financial arrangement between a farmer and a consumer. You become a part-owner, like a shareholder in the farm. Your investment yields you a bag of fresh food weekly or bi-weekly.

Other benefits of a CSA subscription are that you get to try new things that you might not otherwise buy. Many farms also let you visit at least once during the growing season. Farmers naturally benefit from the financial support, but CSAs also help them market their farm to local communities.

Things you should know:
Don't expect all your produce to come from the CSA
Most CSAs cannot provide families with enough fruit to meet their usual intake. Many don't provide any fruit at all, be sure to ask what to expect. You may also need to supplement the vegetables, especially staples like onions, garlic, and carrots.

Eating seasonally can take some getting used to
Because grocery store chains purchase food from around the world you can have nearly anything you want at any time. CSAs will provide seasonal foods. It may surprise you to see your winter box full of hard squash or that tomatoes are virtually unavailable until late summer.

Not all CSAs are equal.
CSAs are gaining in popularity all across the nation. There are about 16 CSA serving the Front Range. Before signing up with a CSA it helps to do a little research. Ask your friends and family if they’ve had any experience with CSAs. Also be sure that you understand all policies before signing up such as: vacation holds, pickups or delivery, missed pickups, etc. Also, some CSAs offer more than just fruits and vegetables, some also offer organic meats, coffee and may run specials that are acquired from other farms.

Use these links to find out more about CSAs:
Local Harvest
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Options in Colorado

Small Steps for Planet Earth

Tomorrow is Earth Day. Earth Day was first started in 1970 by Wisconsin Democrat, Gaylord Nelson as an opportunity to teach environmental consciousness. Most of us make some attempt to reduce our impact on the earth, but sometimes when we look at all the things we do it can be overwhelming. Maybe even to the point of inertia.

Every choice we make can have a rippling effect. Make one small choice for environmentally conscious living and you can help us all live better.
You can start with something that you do every day--eat. You might start by picking just one of these actions:

At the grocery store

• Buying just one or two pieces of locally grown produce each week can shift demand for local products
• Skip the bag when you can carry your purchase
• Choose not to use grocery produce bags to hold that single cucumber or bunch of bananas—nature has given many produce their own convenient packages
• Buy whole lettuce heads rather than packaged salad greens
• Purchase bulk items with reusable containers

At the coffee shop

• Bring your own cup—disposable coffee cups are often not recyclable since the inside contains a coating. Nationally we use over 350 million disposable cups each day. Plus many shops will discount your cup when you bring your own
• Buy only fair trade coffee. It sounds simple but fair trade is more complex and helpful than it seems. Fair trade helps independent farmers in Mexico, Columbia and Venezuela sustain their living. Unlike plantation grown coffee, fair trade farming protects the forests offering shade and safety to songbirds. As a bonus fair trade coffee is often higher quality and better flavored—well worth the extra $1/lb.

At your table

• Eat whole foods—reduce packaged and processed foods, their impact on the environment is great and whole foods are much better for you. Cook your own beans and don’t use instant rice or oatmeal.
• No more high-fructose corn syrup—Eliminating high fructose corn syrup would significantly affect the processed food industry. You’d be surprised how many foods contain this sugar alternative.
• Meat—Meat production is a huge burden on the planet. Less than 50 years ago meat was not served at every meal and was not typically the centerpiece of the meal. Anna Lappe, author of Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen says, “Factory farms contribute 18% of all green-house gas emissions—more than transportation.”

Okay, still daunted? Try making just one change in your food purchase decisions. The impact you make will count. Once the change has become habit and in another good choice.