Meatless Memorial Day

I can hear the gasps already at just the mere thought of a meatless Memorial Day. It’s almost an American tradition to celebrate holidays with meat it seems. But, I don’t think there is anything wrong with going out and grilling a nice big, juicy, black bean burger with some healthy veggie sides! They are way delicious.

I actually made black bean burgers a couple of days ago to make sure they were good, with this recipe from Sarah at Gazing In. I’m absolutely amazed at how delicious these are. They of course, taste nothing like meat, but are packed with so much flavor and are so juicy that you should forget about whatever you think black beans are supposed to taste like and just try this recipe.

I followed the modification to add the flour in slowly to make sure the consistency was good. I also added about 1/2 teaspoon of cumin for some kick, and a little extra chili powder for a bit more heat.

If you’re thinking about what to top these with, really, any of your favorite burger toppings will be good. I used hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, a dab of ketchup, and some fresh sliced baby bok choy.

Looking for some sides to this yummy burger? Try some of these healthy veggie ones!

Have a safe and delicious Memorial Day everyone!

Friday Food News

Short and sweet this week! I’m going to be digging more into this Girl Scout cookie issue, that’s for sure…

• Pediatrician Nadine Burke discusses her journey to eating healthier, and reinforces the idea that you don’t have to change your eating habits overnight.
• One of my favorite authors and activists, Michael Pollan, has a video on Nourish: Food + Community that poses an interesting theory on how supermarkets are laid out, and one simple way you can shop healthier at the supermarket.
• A real-life version of FarmVille is coming to the UK!
• Some fats are not all that bad for you, in moderation, of course.
• I don’t know about you, but I’m probably never buying Girl Scout cookies ever again.

What stories have you been reading this week?

Friday Food News

I’ve been trying to catch up on all the interesting food news this week—there’s certainly been a lot this week on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  Here are some interesting stories for your Friday’s Food News:

• Monsanto, producers of the patent-protected genetically modified soybean seed (yes, I said patent-protected), is being allowed by the USDA to conduct its own safety research on the genetically-engineered seeds they make. Conflict of interest, anyone?

• Although there is no federal regulation that requires GMOs to be labeled, there is a way to know which produce items are genetically-engineered.

• Speaking of genetically-engineered ingredients, do your Boca Burgers contain GMOs?

• Bon Jovi is taking on the restaurant business, except at his restaurant, you don’t have to pay full price if you can’t afford it.

• If you haven’t already heard, the Corn Refiners Association is being sued by a group of sugar farmers and refiners over the potential name change from high fructose corn syrup to corn sugar.

• Consider yourself a foodie? Eric Schlosser explains why foodies don’t deserve to be called “elitist”.

• TakePart has some easy ways to get more whole grains on your plate.

• Bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical found in plastics, has been linked to neurological defects, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A review of the studies done on BPA that showed the chemical was safe has now discovered that those studies were actually funded by the chemical and plastics industries, or conducted by those who benefited from these companies.

• Think you know everything there is to know about oats? Think again.
  

• Pesto may just be the greatest sauce ever.

What food/nutrition stories have you been reading this week?

Twinkie vs. Carrot: How Much is Your Food Worth?

If you want to learn more about nutrition, you have to not only start thinking about what you’re eating, but also where you food comes from, how much you are paying for it vs. how much it’s actually worth (not just in terms of the money you spend, but the health costs as well), and what you can do to make it easier to get more nutritious, whole foods for yourself, your family, and your community.

Here is a short video from Nourish: Food + Community, by food author and journalist, Michael Pollan. This is a great little introduction how our country subsidizes cheap food that makes us fat and at the same time condemns the obesity epidemic, more of which you’ll hear from me in later posts.

Also one of my favorites is this short video on the amount money we spend on quality food vs. how much we now spend on our health care, compared to the rest of the world and how much we used to spend:

I spend about 14-15% of my monthly income on groceries, and most of that is food just for myself. This is likely how much a family of 4 now spends on food for their entire family.

See if you can calculate how much you spend on groceries every month. Could you spend more on more nutritious and sustainable foods, like organic fruits and vegetables instead of prepackaged snacks? What is food worth to you?