As a Washingtonian, I am disappoint. This election, the whole country was watching and rooting for us to pass I-522, which would have made labeling of GM foods mandatory in our state. We would have been the first, and could have set an example -- but as of right now, it looks like the initiative has been defeated by a margin of about 10%, with only about 25% voter turnout. Monsanto and all their biotech friends spent millions to bombard us with TV commercials (seriously, I saw at least one No on 522 ad during every commercial break on the major networks) and mailers full of lies and scare tactics to convince us to vote no. As if that weren't enough, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) illegally laundered donations from various big food companies for the No campaign, bringing about a lawsuit from the state Attorney General -- and still these slimeballs won. I am normally proud to live in such a progressive state, which is why I am flabbergasted and, quite honestly, disgusted that we let this happen. While I know the fight for labeling is still far from over, this is a very disheartening setback.
As of this month, I've been eating vegetarian for five years and GMO-free for almost 10 months. Along the way, I have inspired a few people to try following in my footsteps, but most of them have found it too difficult to maintain such a diet and returned to "conventional" foods. I'm not gonna lie; it's been really difficult for me too at times. There have been days I've craved a bag of Cheetos and a Coke -- but when I remember all the reasons why I've chosen this path, I find that I can overcome those cravings. And now, having been so long since I've tasted either of those things, I don't really miss them much at all. Besides, there are organic and GMO-free products to help fill the void that giving up junk food left in my life -- things like Blue Sky organic sodas, Annie's Homegrown organic snack crackers and cookies, Newman's Organic peanut butter cups (better than Reese's if you ask me), and Garden of Eatin' organic snack chips. I don't eat these things all the time because they're more expensive than conventional snacks and they're still not exactly "health food" -- but everyone needs some comfort food once in a while.
Showing posts with label rambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rambling. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
FUD IZ SRS BSNS.
My dear fellow food adventurers,
I've already stated that I'm in the process of changing my diet to exclude GMOs and the food additives that are derived from them. I'd just like to take a moment to explain why, and what all this means.
I was super excited when I saw my number of page views roll over to 10,000 -- that's something I never imagined would happen when I first started this blog. Back then, my only readers were my two vegetarian sisters. I can't help now feeling a sense of responsibility to everyone who visits Vegetablog to be as honest and helpful as possible.
Most of us don't even realize it, but the average grocery store is becoming a scary and confusing place. I've heard differing statistics, but they say that somewhere around 70-80% of the processed foods on the store shelves contain genetically modified ingredients. That's huge. Pick up any packaging for a non-organic food and you are likely to find a long list of chemicals and stuff you don't recognize or understand the purpose of. A lot of it comes from genetically engineered corn and soy. Over 80% of the corn and soy grown in the US are GMOs. Many other countries have banned or restricted GMO production and imports, and have mandatory GMO labeling on foods. Our country does not.
You might be thinking, Why should I be concerned? If they sell it as food, it must be safe, right?
For most of my life, I believed that too. But no, not necessarily. A lot of chemicals and even "natural" ingredients have been introduced into foods in the past and later deemed to be unsafe.
Genetically modified crops have had part of their DNA replaced with DNA from another organism (bacteria, viruses, animals, or other plants) in order to produce a desired effect (drought tolerance, pesticide resistance, herbicide resistance, pesticide production, tolerance to crowding, etc.). It is not equivalent to the techniques farmers and gardeners have used for centuries to cross-breed plants. These plants are things that would never occur in nature. And often, there are unintended consequences.
The "studies" conducted on animals to determine the safety of genetically engineered foods are funded by the companies who engineered the food, and they use any means necessary to manipulate the data in their favor. There are no long term human studies. And if that weren't enough, there are employees of these huge, multinational companies in the FDA and USDA, making our food safety decisions for us!
If you do a little googling or follow some of the links I posted in my previous entry, you'll find some scary, real, independent studies done on these foods, and news articles about farmers and their livestock getting sick. These foods may be slowly poisoning us, contributing to higher rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, food allergies, infertility, and general illness.
Now I'm getting a little worried. But what can I do if most foods contain GMOs? How do I even know if the products I just bought are safe?
There are things you can do. First, buy organic if you can. Any food that is labeled certified organic cannot be produced through genetic engineering. Second, some companies are also now voluntarily labeling their products as "Non-GMO Project Verified", "Contains no genetically engineered soy", or similar. Third, read the ingredients list. Some ingredients that are red flags: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, corn starch, food starch, any soy that is not listed as organic or non-GMO, aspartame, canola/rapeseed, cottonseed, and many more. Buy whole foods: vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs, or grown your own. You can tell your grocery store manager and the companies who make your favorite products that you don't want to eat franken-foods. You can get involved in anti-GMO activism and work toward getting all foods labeled.
This is a lot to take in. I don't know if I can let go of some of the processed foods I know and love. I don't have time to cook and bake. Organic food is expensive.
I hear you. It is a lot to take in, and it's a really big change. Organic food can be a lot more expensive -- sometimes two or three times as much as conventional food -- but organic farming is not subsidized nearly as much as non-organic farming. And without all the added flavorings, sweeteners, and preservatives, it can taste quite different than what we're used to, so it takes some adjustment. If it makes it easier for you, introduce organics and non-GMO foods into your diet gradually. Even substituting some of your regular food purchases with organic will be better for you, your family, organic farmers, and the planet.
I would never have known about any of this had I not been forced to watch the documentary "Food Inc" in my nutrition class and consequently been inspired to start researching the matter myself. I knew there was some shady business going on in the food industry, but I was blissfully unaware of the nature and extent of it. I knew just enough to be convinced a little over four years ago to stop eating meat products, but I completely took for granted that everything else was fine to eat.
What does this mean for Vegetablog? Are you just gonna preach at us from now on? If so, I'm not interested.
Nah. From now on, I'll try to keep the preaching to a minimum. I just wanted to get this all off my chest, and provide a new foundation for the blog and where it's going. I want to start reviewing organic foods and vegetarian products, report on my from-scratch cooking and baking experiments that are soon to come, as well as tackle the immense and complicated topic of eating at restaurants. I hope that you'll still find Vegetablog worth reading as it moves on to even bigger food adventures.
Your friend in food,
jazzhands
I've already stated that I'm in the process of changing my diet to exclude GMOs and the food additives that are derived from them. I'd just like to take a moment to explain why, and what all this means.
I was super excited when I saw my number of page views roll over to 10,000 -- that's something I never imagined would happen when I first started this blog. Back then, my only readers were my two vegetarian sisters. I can't help now feeling a sense of responsibility to everyone who visits Vegetablog to be as honest and helpful as possible.
Most of us don't even realize it, but the average grocery store is becoming a scary and confusing place. I've heard differing statistics, but they say that somewhere around 70-80% of the processed foods on the store shelves contain genetically modified ingredients. That's huge. Pick up any packaging for a non-organic food and you are likely to find a long list of chemicals and stuff you don't recognize or understand the purpose of. A lot of it comes from genetically engineered corn and soy. Over 80% of the corn and soy grown in the US are GMOs. Many other countries have banned or restricted GMO production and imports, and have mandatory GMO labeling on foods. Our country does not.
You might be thinking, Why should I be concerned? If they sell it as food, it must be safe, right?
For most of my life, I believed that too. But no, not necessarily. A lot of chemicals and even "natural" ingredients have been introduced into foods in the past and later deemed to be unsafe.
Genetically modified crops have had part of their DNA replaced with DNA from another organism (bacteria, viruses, animals, or other plants) in order to produce a desired effect (drought tolerance, pesticide resistance, herbicide resistance, pesticide production, tolerance to crowding, etc.). It is not equivalent to the techniques farmers and gardeners have used for centuries to cross-breed plants. These plants are things that would never occur in nature. And often, there are unintended consequences.
The "studies" conducted on animals to determine the safety of genetically engineered foods are funded by the companies who engineered the food, and they use any means necessary to manipulate the data in their favor. There are no long term human studies. And if that weren't enough, there are employees of these huge, multinational companies in the FDA and USDA, making our food safety decisions for us!
If you do a little googling or follow some of the links I posted in my previous entry, you'll find some scary, real, independent studies done on these foods, and news articles about farmers and their livestock getting sick. These foods may be slowly poisoning us, contributing to higher rates of cancer, diabetes, obesity, food allergies, infertility, and general illness.
Now I'm getting a little worried. But what can I do if most foods contain GMOs? How do I even know if the products I just bought are safe?
There are things you can do. First, buy organic if you can. Any food that is labeled certified organic cannot be produced through genetic engineering. Second, some companies are also now voluntarily labeling their products as "Non-GMO Project Verified", "Contains no genetically engineered soy", or similar. Third, read the ingredients list. Some ingredients that are red flags: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, corn starch, food starch, any soy that is not listed as organic or non-GMO, aspartame, canola/rapeseed, cottonseed, and many more. Buy whole foods: vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, and herbs, or grown your own. You can tell your grocery store manager and the companies who make your favorite products that you don't want to eat franken-foods. You can get involved in anti-GMO activism and work toward getting all foods labeled.
This is a lot to take in. I don't know if I can let go of some of the processed foods I know and love. I don't have time to cook and bake. Organic food is expensive.
I hear you. It is a lot to take in, and it's a really big change. Organic food can be a lot more expensive -- sometimes two or three times as much as conventional food -- but organic farming is not subsidized nearly as much as non-organic farming. And without all the added flavorings, sweeteners, and preservatives, it can taste quite different than what we're used to, so it takes some adjustment. If it makes it easier for you, introduce organics and non-GMO foods into your diet gradually. Even substituting some of your regular food purchases with organic will be better for you, your family, organic farmers, and the planet.
I would never have known about any of this had I not been forced to watch the documentary "Food Inc" in my nutrition class and consequently been inspired to start researching the matter myself. I knew there was some shady business going on in the food industry, but I was blissfully unaware of the nature and extent of it. I knew just enough to be convinced a little over four years ago to stop eating meat products, but I completely took for granted that everything else was fine to eat.
What does this mean for Vegetablog? Are you just gonna preach at us from now on? If so, I'm not interested.
Nah. From now on, I'll try to keep the preaching to a minimum. I just wanted to get this all off my chest, and provide a new foundation for the blog and where it's going. I want to start reviewing organic foods and vegetarian products, report on my from-scratch cooking and baking experiments that are soon to come, as well as tackle the immense and complicated topic of eating at restaurants. I hope that you'll still find Vegetablog worth reading as it moves on to even bigger food adventures.
Your friend in food,
jazzhands
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Trader Joe's adventure
I enjoy shopping at Trader Joe's -- there's such an interesting selection of natural, organic, and vegetarian/vegan foods that you can't find elsewhere, and always so many new things I want to try. Unfortunately though, the nearest store is about a half hour from where I live, so I don't get to go there too often. I really wish they'd build a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods in my town instead of a third Wal*Mart (and I really wish I was joking about that third Wal*Mart).
I happened to be in the next city yesterday and needed to pick up a few groceries, so I decided to drive a few extra miles out and hit the TJ's. My approach to grocery shopping depends on my mood and need. Sometimes I'll walk into a store with a list in hand and try to be out ASAP; other times, like yesterday, I'll wander aimlessly, slowly surveying the shelves, waiting for interesting new things to jump out at me. I had a few vague ideas about what I wanted to find: some fake meat staples, some healthy snacks, actual fresh fruit or veg, a new milk alternative to try, and whatever else struck my fancy. I walked out of the store with a lot more than I'd planned, yet had to leave a lot of things on the shelves that were really calling to me.
Some of the things I picked up:
* TJ's Vanilla flavored coconut milk beverage
* TJ's Meatless Meatballs
* TJ's Chickenless Crispy Tenders (which appear to be Gardein in disguise)
* TJ's Contemplates Inner Peas (a "Snapea Crisps"-like crunchy pea snack)
* TJ's organic vegetarian chili
* TJ's Short Stack Syrup (a butter-pecan flavored pancake syrup without high fructose corn syrup)
* TJ's organic sprouted tofu twin pack
* Some red pears and yellow potatoes
I've already had a chance to try a couple of these, and will write up the reviews in separate posts. The rest I'll try to comment on as I get around to them.
I happened to be in the next city yesterday and needed to pick up a few groceries, so I decided to drive a few extra miles out and hit the TJ's. My approach to grocery shopping depends on my mood and need. Sometimes I'll walk into a store with a list in hand and try to be out ASAP; other times, like yesterday, I'll wander aimlessly, slowly surveying the shelves, waiting for interesting new things to jump out at me. I had a few vague ideas about what I wanted to find: some fake meat staples, some healthy snacks, actual fresh fruit or veg, a new milk alternative to try, and whatever else struck my fancy. I walked out of the store with a lot more than I'd planned, yet had to leave a lot of things on the shelves that were really calling to me.
Some of the things I picked up:
* TJ's Vanilla flavored coconut milk beverage
* TJ's Meatless Meatballs
* TJ's Chickenless Crispy Tenders (which appear to be Gardein in disguise)
* TJ's Contemplates Inner Peas (a "Snapea Crisps"-like crunchy pea snack)
* TJ's organic vegetarian chili
* TJ's Short Stack Syrup (a butter-pecan flavored pancake syrup without high fructose corn syrup)
* TJ's organic sprouted tofu twin pack
* Some red pears and yellow potatoes
I've already had a chance to try a couple of these, and will write up the reviews in separate posts. The rest I'll try to comment on as I get around to them.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hello again, fellow food adventurers!
Sorry I've been away so long, but life keeps getting in the way...
I've started paying a lot more attention to my diet over the past year or so. With so many people around me developing various food intolerances and digestive disorders, wanting to get healthier and in better shape, and starting a nutrition class last week, I find myself looking at food in a very different way than I used to. I scrutinize food labels and ingredient lists even more than before. I think about whether the food I'm about to eat is going to be beneficial to me in any way or if I just want it for comfort or pleasure, and whether I could make a better choice.
I still continue to try new vegetarian products as I find them (and there have been a lot of new ones in the past couple years, yay!). I like to think that by doing so, it helps encourage the companies to keep putting out these new products. I'm especially pleased to find so many new products from Gardein, my current favorite meat replacement. All of their products are vegan, use non-GMO soy, and are addictively delicious! While I've tried a number of their frozen offerings, my favorite continues to be their Seven Grain Crispy Tenders.
I would like to get back to reviewing products, making restaurant suggestions, and just trying to blog more often over the next few months. If there's a topic or product you'd like me to cover, feel free to leave a comment here!
I've started paying a lot more attention to my diet over the past year or so. With so many people around me developing various food intolerances and digestive disorders, wanting to get healthier and in better shape, and starting a nutrition class last week, I find myself looking at food in a very different way than I used to. I scrutinize food labels and ingredient lists even more than before. I think about whether the food I'm about to eat is going to be beneficial to me in any way or if I just want it for comfort or pleasure, and whether I could make a better choice.
I still continue to try new vegetarian products as I find them (and there have been a lot of new ones in the past couple years, yay!). I like to think that by doing so, it helps encourage the companies to keep putting out these new products. I'm especially pleased to find so many new products from Gardein, my current favorite meat replacement. All of their products are vegan, use non-GMO soy, and are addictively delicious! While I've tried a number of their frozen offerings, my favorite continues to be their Seven Grain Crispy Tenders.
I would like to get back to reviewing products, making restaurant suggestions, and just trying to blog more often over the next few months. If there's a topic or product you'd like me to cover, feel free to leave a comment here!
Monday, November 9, 2009
It's November again!
It has been one year since I went vegetarian full-time! I am as happy about my choice as ever, and really can't imagine ever going back.
And you know what else this means -- my second vegetarian Thanksgiving is approaching! Time to start planning the menu!
Many new vegetarians (and non-vegetarian guests at a meatless holiday table) may feel like they will miss having a turkey, that it just won't be Thanksgiving without one. I say, what's so special about it, anyway? Most of my memories of Thanksgiving turkey weren't so great -- it was usually really dry and chewy, no matter how it was cooked (sorry, Mom!). I suspect lots of other people secretly feel that way about their experiences of Thanksgiving turkey, too -- but it's such a deeply ingrained American tradition that it's hard to let go of. But just think of all the poor turkeys! :(
Well, there are other options! Of course, there are various turkey substitutes available from Quorn (their meatless turkey roast -- a log-shaped, very tasty substitute which has a firm, meat-like bite -- I highly recommend it), Tofurkey (a meatless roast complete with stuffing -- not bad, but a little rubbery in texture), and Field Roast Grain Meat Co. (I have yet to try their stuffed Celebration Roast). Or you can decide to move away from the turkey tradition altogether and make another main dish -- my meatless "meatloaves" have been a big hit at the past two Thanksgiving dinners! Or take it a step further and have a completely untraditional meal -- whatever you want! Try a new hearty vegetable soup recipe with garlic toast or sandwiches, make a smorgasbord of your favorite breakfast foods, barbecue up some veggie burgers and tofu dogs, bake a vegetable lasagna or some meatless burritos with all the fixin's... or just get some take-out! Don't be afraid to think outside the box. The world will not come to an end if you don't have turkey and green bean casserole on the fourth Thursday in November. ;)
Over the next two weeks, I intend to share a few recipes and review a few Thanksgiving-related veggie foods. Stay tuned!
<3 jazzhands
And you know what else this means -- my second vegetarian Thanksgiving is approaching! Time to start planning the menu!
Many new vegetarians (and non-vegetarian guests at a meatless holiday table) may feel like they will miss having a turkey, that it just won't be Thanksgiving without one. I say, what's so special about it, anyway? Most of my memories of Thanksgiving turkey weren't so great -- it was usually really dry and chewy, no matter how it was cooked (sorry, Mom!). I suspect lots of other people secretly feel that way about their experiences of Thanksgiving turkey, too -- but it's such a deeply ingrained American tradition that it's hard to let go of. But just think of all the poor turkeys! :(
Well, there are other options! Of course, there are various turkey substitutes available from Quorn (their meatless turkey roast -- a log-shaped, very tasty substitute which has a firm, meat-like bite -- I highly recommend it), Tofurkey (a meatless roast complete with stuffing -- not bad, but a little rubbery in texture), and Field Roast Grain Meat Co. (I have yet to try their stuffed Celebration Roast). Or you can decide to move away from the turkey tradition altogether and make another main dish -- my meatless "meatloaves" have been a big hit at the past two Thanksgiving dinners! Or take it a step further and have a completely untraditional meal -- whatever you want! Try a new hearty vegetable soup recipe with garlic toast or sandwiches, make a smorgasbord of your favorite breakfast foods, barbecue up some veggie burgers and tofu dogs, bake a vegetable lasagna or some meatless burritos with all the fixin's... or just get some take-out! Don't be afraid to think outside the box. The world will not come to an end if you don't have turkey and green bean casserole on the fourth Thursday in November. ;)
Over the next two weeks, I intend to share a few recipes and review a few Thanksgiving-related veggie foods. Stay tuned!
<3 jazzhands
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Lost in the interwebs of cyberspace
4:30 AM, and I was sleepless and bored. I decided to Google it up and see if I could find my blog. Over 13 million results for "vegetarian blog", and I am not in the top 13 pages. If I search directly for "vegetablog", at least I'm on page 2. But who in the world is going to search for "vegetablog"?
I wonder how I can get my blog noticed... in a good way.
I wonder how I can get my blog noticed... in a good way.
Monday, January 5, 2009
My two-month milestone
I just realized I've been a vegetarian for two months now. Some of the things I initially found challenging are getting a little easier. I don't really miss meat, exactly, but I do sometimes miss meat-based products. For instance, I've been feeling a little under the weather for the past week, and have found myself craving a nice steaming bowl of chicken soup. But, to my knowledge, there aren't really any vegetarian chicken soup substitutes. Things like that get to me sometimes.
For the most part, I really enjoy most of the meatless food I've been eating, though I find myself getting a little bored of eating the same things sometimes. And sometimes, being the lazy and convenience-loving person I often am, the extra effort I have to put into making myself interesting vegetarian meals feels like too much bother. Especially since my boyfriend is an omnivore (and a picky one at that) -- I used to cook dinner for both of us occasionally, but that doesn't happen anymore. Even dining out takes a little extra planning because there are fewer options where both of us will eat.
They say vegetarianism is supposed to be not only better for your health, but also better for the planet... plus, the cost of producing meat (in terms of money, resources, land, etc.) is, pound for pound, much higher than producing plant-based food. So the idea that the diets of the vast majority of people in the Western world are meat-centered just boggles my mind. I guess it's easier for a lot of people. It's how they were raised. It's more convenient. Meat tastes good. Meat is everywhere. Vegetarianism is for hippies, health freaks, and animal rights activists. Excuses, excuses. I was full of them, too. I'm not sure what finally pushed me one day to give up meat completely. I had wanted to for a long time, but something inside me just felt like giving up meat would feel like some kind of self-punishment, like I would be depriving myself of something that everyone else enjoyed... not to mention just generally making life more difficult and complicated for myself. Sometimes I do still feel that way. Life is a little more difficult and complicated now. But I'm choosing to see the challenge more as an adventure than a punishment. I'm trying all kinds of new foods now that I wouldn't have felt motivated to try before.
I don't expect my blog to change anyone's life or convert anyone to vegetarianism. I'm not even convinced yet that anyone will ever read it... but if somehow, somewhere one person tries a vegetarian food for the first time because of this blog, well... w00t!
For the most part, I really enjoy most of the meatless food I've been eating, though I find myself getting a little bored of eating the same things sometimes. And sometimes, being the lazy and convenience-loving person I often am, the extra effort I have to put into making myself interesting vegetarian meals feels like too much bother. Especially since my boyfriend is an omnivore (and a picky one at that) -- I used to cook dinner for both of us occasionally, but that doesn't happen anymore. Even dining out takes a little extra planning because there are fewer options where both of us will eat.
They say vegetarianism is supposed to be not only better for your health, but also better for the planet... plus, the cost of producing meat (in terms of money, resources, land, etc.) is, pound for pound, much higher than producing plant-based food. So the idea that the diets of the vast majority of people in the Western world are meat-centered just boggles my mind. I guess it's easier for a lot of people. It's how they were raised. It's more convenient. Meat tastes good. Meat is everywhere. Vegetarianism is for hippies, health freaks, and animal rights activists. Excuses, excuses. I was full of them, too. I'm not sure what finally pushed me one day to give up meat completely. I had wanted to for a long time, but something inside me just felt like giving up meat would feel like some kind of self-punishment, like I would be depriving myself of something that everyone else enjoyed... not to mention just generally making life more difficult and complicated for myself. Sometimes I do still feel that way. Life is a little more difficult and complicated now. But I'm choosing to see the challenge more as an adventure than a punishment. I'm trying all kinds of new foods now that I wouldn't have felt motivated to try before.
I don't expect my blog to change anyone's life or convert anyone to vegetarianism. I'm not even convinced yet that anyone will ever read it... but if somehow, somewhere one person tries a vegetarian food for the first time because of this blog, well... w00t!
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