Go Green with Your Cuisine
Green living has gotten tons of attention in recent years — and I think that’s great. I’m always praising the benefits of local, fresh foods to my friends and clients. Here some tips I follow to make my own smarter food choices.
Why eat organic?
• Organic foods are free of hormones, pesticides and antibiotics – all substances that can be harmful to our health and the planet.
• Organic foods are sustainably harvested, which means they have less of a negative effect on their immediate environment.
• Organic soil tends to be richer in nutrients, which make the foods grown in it also richer in nutrients.
Why buy local?
• Did you know that the average U.S. meal travels thousands of miles to get from the originating farm to your table?
• A fruit or veggie starts losing its nutrients from the moment it’s picked until it reaches your plate. That means something farmed far away has less nutritive value than something farmed closer to home.
• Think of all the wasted gas needed for food to travel the thousands of miles to get to you!
• Summer is prime time for berries so eat them up! They’re more likely to be from nearby sources; whereas berries you find in your grocery store during the winter might come from far away, warmer climates.
4 More Ways to Green Your Cuisine
1. Plant a backyard garden. Start with herbs and lettuce that are easy to grow and can even be kept in pots. You will save money AND have fresh, local produce. Once you’ve mastered the easy stuff, try planting peppers and tomatoes. You will be amazed at how tasty the produce is and at the amount of fruit you get from one plant.
2. Shop at local farmers’ markets and help support small, (preferably) organic farmers. If it doesn’t say organic, ask! It’s expensive to become a certified organic farm, so most small farms follow organic practices without the certified title. Take advantage of the wide selection of ingredients, some of which you might not be able to find at your local grocery store. Interesting ingredients can inspire you to try new recipes and get creative in the kitchen – a perfect combo for impressing your guests!
3. Consider joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program; as a member of a small, local, organic farm, I’m provided with organic veggies on a weekly basis (enough to feed a family of four!). Visit www.farmtocity.org for more information about your local CSA.
4. Read the label and find out where the food traveled from. I only buy foods that come from outside the U.S. on special occasions. If you’re on a budget, be mindful of which foods you need to buy organic or conventional. Check out this list of “Organic Shopping Dos & Don’ts.”
Katie Cavuto Boyle, MS, RD, owns HealthyBites, LLC and is a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, which airs Sundays on Food Network.
Going green would have been the optimal way to live but for pressures of life, 9 to 5 work routines and the need to be away from home. Organic food, like you have explained, retains nutrients in a safe way for man to consume. The term Green has come to mean free of synthetic chemicals but it goes further than that like one infers from your 3 main definition points for organic food. Organic manure, environmentally responsible cultivation and guaranteed nutrient retention are the three main hallmarks.I think if we patronize organic foods, we are preserving our health and conserving the environment. If we cant have gardens for wholesome crops, then the suggested farmers market becomes a viable option.
With great ideas like these, a winning personality and an even better smile, Katie, you alone deserve to win Food Network’s The Next Food Network Star! Not one of the others are people I would watch, ever.
I love all of these tips to transition to a sustainable food systems approach to living. Thank you and I feel your show would be a welcome change to all of the shows that are simply encouraging obesity and disease.
I love Katie's "Green Eating" approach. She is fresh, attractive and healthy looking, a great testimony to her healthy eating life style. People need a new food concept on the Food Channel!
I love the Next Food Network Star show, however, I feel that this season't contestants are lacking in many things, one is appearance! The guys could be a little better dressed and coifed. Pink hair and tatoos are a turn off. The girls are not too bad, but they, too can be more attentive to their appearance. Their personalities do not seem professional enough and their food expertise and experience is lacking. Why would I watch Teddy or Eddy?
Bring back Michael Chiarello!
Thanks so much the support! I truly appreciate it as I live what I teach and it is really important to me
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Spinach is my favourite green veg. Leafy vegetables are ideal for weight management as they are typically low in calories. Because of their high magnesium content and low glycemic index, green leafy vegetables are also valuable for persons with type 2 diabetes.