connecticut schools

Connecticut Schools Go Meat-Free to Celebrate VegWeek

smcdonaldEvents, Health, Outreach, Veg Eating 1 Comment

Guilford Schools Chef Timothy Cipriano, Director of Food Services of Guilford Public Schools (GPS) in Guilford, Connecticut, touts an unusual and commendable specialty on his LinkedIn profile: “Working with kids to get them to appreciate good wholesome real food.” And that’s exactly why he was recruited by Guilford’s Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Paul Freeman, to ramp up the nutritional integrity of the GPS lunch program.

Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning: 5 Tips to Clean Up Your Diet this Season

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Spring Cleaning“Spring Cleaning” is a phrase many of us are familiar with, and we often use the first warm days of the year to deep clean our houses, update our wardrobes for spring weather, or even reorganize various aspects of our lives. Why not also take this time to reexamine the foods we eat and swap them out for healthier, more humane, and environmentally-friendly options? It’s easy, and we’ve got five simple steps to help you “spring clean” your diet.

Antibiotics

When Drugs Become Dangerous: Antibiotics in Agriculture

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AntibioticsAlexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin was a breakthrough in modern medicine, and who of us hasn’t relied on the effectiveness of antibiotics to cure an infection at some point in our lives? The overuse of antibiotics, however, is leading to an increase of drug-resistant “superbugs” which cause harder-to-treat and more-likely-to-be-lethal infections. Doctors across the country have recognized this threat, and have stopped the practice of over prescribing. Despite this effort, one industry gets away with unchecked and unregulated use of antibiotics: animal agriculture.

Industrial animal farms add low-level antibiotics (often without veterinary oversight) to animal feed to foster faster growth and mitigate the spread of disease caused by keeping thousands of animals in cramped, filthy factory farms.

beyond eggs

New Company Shells Out Innovation Taking Us Beyond Eggs

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Beyond EggsYou know you can bake at home without using eggs, so why don’t major food manufacturers cut the cruelty and go egg-free?

Enter Hampton Creek Foods, a one year-old company with about 20 staff all working to crack the code on eggs. This dedicated team of scientists, chefs, and food industry experts is developing an innovative egg-free egg product that is 100% plant-based: Beyond Eggs.

The goal is to create a healthier, more sustainable product that major foods companies and everyday consumers can use to ultimately replace eggs in everything – from omelets and mayonnaise to cookies and twinkies.

Ellen Kanner

Q&A: Edgy Veggie Ellen Kanner on Life, Faith, and What to Eat for Dinner

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Ellen KannerEllen Kanner—award-winning food writer, Meatless Monday blogger for The Huffington Post, syndicated columnist Edgy Veggie, and now author of Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner—has invited you to share a meal. You, and the 7 billion other people on this planet (or as she calls it, her “ideal dinner party guest list”), as she wants nothing more than for “everyone to be fed, nourished, and celebrated.”

With that desire, this ardent advocate for organic, sustainable, and accessible food has penned a glorious memoir/cookbook to satiate both our souls and our appetites. Because we so often resemble the hungry ghosts of Taoist lore—eating mindlessly, wandering aimlessly, and wanting more than food itself can provide—Ellen, with warmth, humor, empathy, and insight, offers that recognizing our relationship to food (how it’s grown, a recipe’s cultural and spiritual underpinnings) gives it as much depth and flavor as fresh ingredients or lavish spices, and ultimately provides the real sustenance we’re craving: meaning, emotional fulfillment, community. According to Ellen, “Saffron, tarragon, cardamom, and cumin make food taste better. Culture, connection, and faith do the same thing for our lives.”

Vegetarian

This Valentine’s Day Have a Heart for Animals, Your Health, and the Environment

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Every year on Valentine’s Day, we’re inclined to buy candies, cards, flowers, and stuffed animals to show our loved ones, friends, and family just how much we care. Why not, however, go beyond these small displays of affection and make choices that truly have a positive impact for animals, for your health, and the environment? It’s as simple as choosing to leave animals off our plate this Valentine’s Day.

sofritas

Chipotle Launches Vegan Sofritas Burrito in San Francisco Bay Area

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Starting February 12, seven select San Francisco-area Chipotle restaurants will be dishing out new vegan Sofritas for burritos, tacos, bowls, and salads.

What exactly is Sofritas? It’s shredded tofu (non-GMO from Hodo Soy Beanery) braised with chipotle chiles, roasted poblano peppers, and spices made from tofu. While it was developed specifically to cater the growing number of vegetarian and vegan diners, the company believes it will have a broader appeal to all customers.