Mom Goes Green

Summertime is the perfect time to enjoy fabulous, fresh produce. Whether you’re raiding your local farmer’s market or buying the usual organics from your grocery store, you want to make sure you get the “most” out of everything you buy.

Sadly, the nutritional content of today’s conventionally-grown produce is believed to be dramatically decreased from 30 years ago (the vitamins, minerals and proteins are dwindling, due in part of the use of synthetic fertilizers that make them grow faster and inhibits the absorption of nutrients!) so this is another little testimonials for “going organic” too.

But whether your produce is conventionally-grown (afterall, the “Clean 15” is often considered) or you go 100% organic, there are a few helpful tips to get the “most” out of your produce:

• “Fresher is better” – all produce begins to lose nutrients are soon as it’s harvested, so consume it as soon as possible after you buy it. The rule of thumb should be one week maximum (plus, you must consider where your produce “originated”), so plan for what you need and don’t overbuy, even if it will “keep”.
• “Bigger isn’t better!” – choose smaller pieces of fruits and vegetables instead of the largest ones in the bunch.  Plants have limited amounts of nutrients to pass on, so if the produce is smaller the nutrients are more concentrated.
• “Keep it together, people!” – while pre-washed, pre-cut, and pre-prepped fruits and veggies may sound appealing (and convenient!), skip them… this causes them to lose nutrients as well.  And don’t do a lot a prep, cleaning, chopping or cutting at home until you actually need to consumer them either… no need to set those nutrients loose!

My kids have always been great eaters when it comes to a variety of fruits and veggies, but whether for us or our kids we all know every bit matters, so use these tips to make the “most” of every precious bite!

This evening my daughter and I decided to make a quick trip to the garden we’re growing in a planting area we adopted in front of her elementary school.  We’re growing our own organic veggies and knew that some lettuce was perfect to harvest for the evening’s dinner.

Well, we arrived… and … (*wide-eyed pause*) … it was already harvested! Quite neatly I might add (so we knew that it wasn’t “harvested” by animals… besides, the netting overtop prevents it from BEING harvested by animals!) and the netting was neatly put back in place as well.  (Insert my look of *SHOCK* here!)

So, THAT’S how someone is going to be, huh?  Who do they think they’re stealing from?… the garden is in front of an elementary school for pete’s sake!!!

What do I have to say about that?  Well, THIS is what I have to say about that…

Dear Organic Lettuce Thief,

I love organic lettuce, don’t you?  Oh yes.  Apparently you do.  I also love organic gardening.  You should try it sometime.  I admire your strength and bravery for being able to steal from children.  I also hope you enjoyed your organic lettuce salad this evening, however, my family DID NOT!  Oh, and by the way…

xoxo, The Mom Goes Green Family

Any trip to the produce department of a grocery store can give you moments of anxiety when you hover between the organic and non-organic section.  In a perfect world, they would be equally priced and you wouldn’t even have to give it a thought, but alas the world isn’t that perfect, is it?

A few of my most read posts detail Environmental Working Group’s lists of the “Clean 15” and the “Dirty Dozen” – the fruits and vegetables that are very low in pesticides (clean) and those that receive and retain an extraordinary amount of pesticides (dirty).

Now I’ve learned that EWG has actually updated these lists for 2010!  I can’t explain the exact reason for some shifts but there have been changes nonetheless.  So here, without further ado, are the lists that you’ll want to know for that next trip to the store.

“The Clean 15” (BEST – this produce is acceptable to buy non-organic)

–  asparagus       –  grapefruit             –  pineapple
–  avocado         –  honeydew melon    –  sweet corn
–  cabbage         –  kiwi                     –  sweet peas
–  cantaloupe      –  mangos                –  sweet potatoes
–  eggplant         –  onion                   –  watermelon

“The Dirty Dozen” (WORST – this produce should always be purchased organic)

–  apples            –  cherries                 –  peaches
–  bell peppers     –  grapes (imported)   -  potatoes
–  blueberries       –  kale                     –  spinach
–  celery             –  nectarines             –  strawberries

In our other non-existent-perfect-world we would all have a local, organic farmer’s market a short walk from our homes that made every fruit and vegetable we want available at a cheap price, but alas… that’s not likely.  So print it, memorize it and when you need to make choices, know that you can make the wisest choices possible.

The clock is ticking!  Have you grabbed your CSA yet???

CSAs, or community supported agriculture, are the best way to share in the bounty of the freshest, organic, locally-grown produce.  It’s a partnership between a farm operation and community individuals who support the growing and production of food.  Members “purchase” a share of the harvest and are usually on a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of fruits and vegetables (and sometimes even dairy and meat).

It’s the perfect scenario… you get fresh and organic produce, support local growers and farms, AND avoid the CO2 emissions created to bring your produce from other parts of the country… or world, for that matter!

… so what’s with the ticking clock???  Well, many CSAs are getting ready for the season and probably filling up… quickly.  You certainly want to get your spot now, so to find a CSA in your area check out Local Harvest or Biodynamics.

If a CSA isn’t the way to go for you, and you just want to locate a local farmer’s market, you can also check another area of Local Harvest or the Farmer’s Market site.

Luckily, I WON a spot in a local CSA at EarthFest at our Zoo!  (Yes, for a change {instead of me looking for a winner} I was the winner!)  I will be sharing in the bounty of Fresh Fork Market, so if you’re in or around Cleveland check them out… there are a few membership spots left!

Now don’t wait a second longer… grab your CSA!!!

Organic foods are always a hot topic… everything from the controversy over the benefits of organic, to which fruits and veggies are organic ‘necessities’… the list goes on and on.

One thing I have been guilty of is putting organic products on a pedestal when they sometimes don’t deserve it. Now don’t get me wrong, I still recommend organics with my whole heart and soul, and will continue to buy organic produce and products, but my guilt comes from reading the word “organic” and making assumptions about the rest of the ingredients.

Case in point: While we were out-and-about, my kids asked for “a milk”.  I knew they were asking for a Horizon Organic Milk Box, so immediately my answer was, “Sure!”  I mean, why not?  It’s organic milk after all.  But then this caught my eye:

• Horizon Vanilla Reduced-Fat Organic Milk – Sugars: 29g (29 grams of sugar in an 8 oz. milk?!?!  Friends, that’s over 7 teaspoons* of sugar!!!)

So, I looked closer at some of my other purchases and here is what I found:

• Stonyfield Organic 6 oz. Fat-Free Peach Yogurt – Sugars:  25g (over 6 teaspoons* of sugar!)

• Cascadian Farm Organic Apricot Fruit Spread – Sugars: 10g (this is for “one tablespoon serving size”, so essentially… there are over 3 teaspoons* of sugar in a 1 tablespoon serving!)

This extra sugar is something NONE of us needs, so my point is this… always look beyond the “organic” label.  It’s not necessarily the perfect product just because it has the “magical ‘o’-word!”  Sometimes it has what you want, but sometimes there is an “extra” that you don’t.

Be a label reader and read beyond “organic”…

(* To compute the number of teaspoons of sugar in any food product simply divide the number of sugar grams by 4!)

One of my most recent “switches” was when I started to buy only organic coffee a few months ago.  I don’t really have a reason for not buying organic coffee sooner, except that (while I was worried about my to-go cup) I really hadn’t given the content of the cup much thought… no, not a good excuse, but an honest one…

There are a multitude of reasons I’m happy that I finally made this change… and they’re big reasons, so consider these facts:

• Organic coffee is grown without herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic growth chemicals, therefore these chemicals will NOT be part of your morning java.  Avoiding these chemicals is also much safer for farmers and workers, and will prevent contamination of the soil, water sources and surrounding environment.

• Organic coffee prohibits the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer.  Yes, you heard that right… sewage sludge.  Every disgusting thing you can imagine that ends up in sewage can end up in the sludge that is added to coffee crops for fertilizer.

• Organic coffee cannot contain genetically modified organisms or use ionizing radiation (both common in non-organic coffee production!).

• Organic coffee can be shade grown, so large areas of trees do not need to be cleared for this crop, and wildlife and their habitat will also be spared.

If you think it might be easier to just give-up coffee (no, never!), remember that there are also health benefits of coffee… it actually contains powerful antioxidants and is believed to help protect a body against diabetes, liver disease, gallstones, and even the onset of dementia and/or Alzheimer’s…

I know there are times when we all think we might go a little crazy without our coffee(!), but the important thing is:  you want the benefit without the harmful “extras” and practices.

Organic coffee is the healthier, greener way to serve up a much better cup of joe.

Every time I visit the organic dairy case, I get more and more overwhelmed by the classifications and categorizations of eggs.  Too many terms… too many confusing terms!

They can also be misleading and aren’t always as “dreamy” as they might seem, so take a look at the real deal on these most common terms in the   “egg world”:

• Organic – these eggs come from hens that are free of hormones, steroids and antibiotics.  They are fed an organic, vegetarian, pesticide-free diet.  Organic eggs are said to include three times more omega-3 fatty acids, twice as much vitamin E and 40% more vitamin A than non-organic eggs.  This label is regulated by the USDA.

• Cage-free – while cage-free sounds more humane, the reality isn’t always as great as it sounds.  While the hens aren’t confined to tiny individual cages, they are often placed in much larger common areas with other hens, but have no more individual space than a single cage… so no, cage-free does not mean they have ample space to spread their wings either.  Also keep in mind that this “label” is not regulated and cage-free does not mean organic unless it says so.

• Free-range – these hens are raised with “access” to the outdoors, but sadly it doesn’t mean they spend their life prancing around the grassy hillside.  The reality is that they still spend much of their life in a cage-free environment, but are supposed get some time outdoors.  Since this term isn’t regulated either, some reports say that free-range hens may actually spend little to NO time outdoors despite the claim.  Again, free-range does not mean organic unless it says so.

There are plenty of other terms –- “natural” which essentially means nothing (all eggs are natural!), “pasture-raised” which means they do peck around outdoors or “grass-fed” meaning they do get outdoors and eat grass, insects and all that nature intended (so these eggs contain the most nutrients, but you will pay for them… dearly!), “certified humane” meaning they live indoors, but are confined much less densely –- so all you can do is know what the terms mean and choose what matters to you.

I haven’t even touched on conventionally-raised hens but believe me, they are often fed cheap, disgusting grains and foods (including the by-products of other animals), kept in the smallest of cages with deplorable conditions, and have the tips of their beaks burned off so they don’t peck one another… sure, the dozen eggs you purchase may be 99 cents, but I cannot condone or support those practices.

We’re an “organic, free-range” family because, aside from raising my own chickens (no, not likely!) or knowing someone who does (unfortunately, I don’t!), I’m hoping that the eggs come from somewhat happy chickens that maintained a healthy diet and drug-free life!

(There you have it…  and I didn’t say “egg-cellent”, even once!…)

The chores are done, the day’s “to do list” is complete, the kids are asleep and you need to relax… drinks anyone?

I’m sure many of you are waving frantically enough that I’ll feel my monitor shaking!  I, for one, am always up for a nice, new, green adventure that goes beyond the daily routine of regulating water and energy usage, keeping harsh chemicals at bay, reusable bags and recycling!

Thanks to Paul Abercrombie, I can look forward to an adult beverage adventure in his new book Organic, Shaken and Stirred.  It’s the first book of its kind, full of unique creations and, the photos are so deliciously tempting, I want to lick the pages… and then grab my car keys and head to the store!  (Okay, so a bike would be greener transportation, but balancing the bottles can be tricky!)

In all seriousness, just like all of the foods and beverages we consume, cocktails made with organic alcohol and ingredients also mean organic growing methods that are less harmful for growers, better for our environment and more sustainable. (See, when you host an “Organic Mojito Night” you’re actually being environmental!)

Speaking of… I love, love, love Mojitos… so this speaks to me…

Prickly Pear Mojito

• 2 ounces organic rum
• 3 organic mint leaves
• ½ ounce freshly squeezed organic lime juice
• ¼ ounce organic prickly pear juice (canned or fresh)
• splash of club soda

Combine the first four ingredients in an ice cube-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice cube-filled glass. Top with the club soda and give a quick stir.

Mmmm… can you already taste yourself relaxing?

Now, the next time you host a party, whip up a tasty concoction for a few friends, or simply settle in for the night with your beloved, skip all of those commercial, syrupy mixers and eco-unfriendly ingredients, and instead… get Organic, Shaken and Stirred.

This past weekend I actually recognized how far I’ve come in my pursuit of greening my daily life.  Without even realizing it, I made decisions that I recognized have become automatic rather than a conscious decision.  I’m not sure what made me take special notice of how far I’ve come in the past few years, but I realized “you’ve come a long way, baby!”…

• I shopped organic, big time.  I avoided high fructose corn syrup, excess sugar and hydrogenated oils, and skipped the frozen food aisle entirely.  I used reusable shopping bags and reusable mesh produce bags too!
• I had to buy cups for an event at our daughter’s school.  I bought paper cups.  I would have preferred something reusable, but I needed about 75 and couldn’t round up that much… but plastic or styrofoam were never a consideration!
• I bought a new shower gel, skipped the regular soap aisle and went straight for organics.  Ended up with “Yes To Carrots”… good stuff!
• After my husband accidentally sent a big bowl of uncooked (organic!) scrambled eggs plummeting into the cabinets and floor, I did a clean-up with a dishtowel and Skoy cloths.  I made everything sparkly clean with a spray of vinegar and water… not one paper towel used!
• I did a leaf clean-up – no leaf-blower, no lawn mower… just a rake, a tarp (to drag the leaves down the ravine instead of bagging), ME and some great exercise… and the kids playing for hours outdoors!
• I prepared a meal that included an organic roast, organic carrots (it was a carrot-kind-of-weekend, apparently!) and organic potatoes.  No steroids, hormones or pesticides for us!
• I did some laundry with all of my beloved, eco-friendly Method products.
• I had to grin… my son actually noticed that my husband left the light on in the shower and reminded him “don’t forget to turn off the lights, Dad!” (The “green” apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!)

I realize that I am truly practicing what I preach and it wasn’t because I knew I should; it was because that’s what I “do”.  It’s what I know, and I can “live” with that!

The other day I wrote a post about pesticides and using sea salt and water to wash fruits and vegetables before we consume them to remove those dangerous pesticides.

Well, a close, personal friend, Will, was bold enough to call a foul.  He is very passionate about the topic and went so far as to call the post “lame”… (ouch!).

I’ll first say that the post was written in response to a few readers’ prior comments that they didn’t feel the added expense of organics was in their budget and had limited access to affordable and available organics because of where they lived geographically.  While I wasn’t attempting to mislead anyone or act irresponsibly, and this sea salt and water wash can remove the pesticides from the surface of produce, this is (admittedly) only part of the story.

The reality is that you absolutely cannot prevent consuming pesticides unless you are willing to invest in organics… period.

The fact of the matter is also that pesticides aren’t sprayed on the produce just prior to harvesting; they are applied constantly, being spraying and absorbed all throughout the growing process.  No amount of soaking and scrubbing can eliminate that.  This “solution” isn’t the solution!

And while we continue to buy conventionally-grown produce, we are actually (financially) supporting this farming practice, therefore lessening the demand for organics, slowing widespread distribution AND keeping their cost high.  All the while these pesticides are harmful to us as consumers, extremely dangerous to farm workers and contaminate our ground and surface water, as well as wildlife and the environment… a cycle that goes on and on unless practices change… dramatically. Pesticides (and herbicides) are simply bad news all around.

So, I’ve said all along that this “greening my life” would be a journey, mistakes included.  But now you know the FULL story… supporting organic farming is the only true option for an abundance of reasons.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program… hopefully with any further lame posts excluded!