Organic Food Blog

I’ve been MIA from this blog from about a week and a half because I just had a beautiful baby girl. She was a little early, so I had to spend more time in the hospital than usual. One of the things that I am now looking ahead to is how to keep her as healthy as possible. Because of that, I am beginning my research into the world of organic baby food. As of right now, she is on formula and will be for some time. However, I don’t think it is too soon to begin planning for the future and figuring out what kind of diet I will have her on when I can finally begin giving her baby food.

One of the things I have found in my research so far is that the organic baby food industry is booming!!! From the local grocery store (Publix devotes an entire section of their store to organic foods) to online companies that specialize in organic baby food, there are a lot of options for people looking to feed their baby the best in organics. One brand I am eager to check out is Earth’s Best Baby Food. They have the array of products I am looking for and the attractive branding that would trick any kid into thinking this is regular old junk food!

For those of you who have experimented with organic baby foods, what brands have you found to work best for you?

A small and very funny animation of a parody of star wars, made to alert people about some of the serious problems of producing and eating food using dangerous synthetic chemicals, Genetically Modified Organisms, allowing big corporation interests control the food chain, and other problems that helps to destroy nature and the health of people.

Relevant pics from Flickr

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Yahoo Answers
what is the strategy to succeed a new organic pet food store?
i have a job interview with a organic food store, how should i be prepared?
Where can I find an online organic/natural food store that offers foods at a relatively low price?
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Product Details from Amazon
Organic frozen prepared food in USA: still growing by leaps and bounds: some small entrepreneurs that created the category give way to big business as … from: Quick Frozen Foods International
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ASIN #: B000NPWGZ4
Price: $9.95

I used to be one of those people that resisted the pull of living an online life. You know the type — won’t buy clothing online when I could just got to the mall for instant gratification; won’t buy books online when Borders is right down the street. So, it’s not surprising that I’ve never, ever considered buying online for organic food and items when I could just visit my local farmer’s market.

But then last weekend, an interesting dilemma presented itself to me: what happens when my organic tomatoes are nowhere in sight? What happens when the farmer’s market isn’t yielding a great deal of organic goods when I need them?

Well, I did, in fact, find my answer online in the form of the Organic Mall. OMG!!! They have everything —from organic food that you can handily purchase online and have delivered right to your door sans grocery bags and long, long searches to organic clothing and various other personal products. It’s an organic-lovers dream, all presented in a nice and neat Web site. So, I have officially yielded to the Internet and have used it to provide me with yet another convenient way of living a much simpler, stress-free and now, organic, lifestyle.

For those who have tried it, eating organically is not a simple task. Shopping can take much longer than usual because you spend so much time searching for organic products in a sea of mass-produced, mainstream food. For this reason, I am really loving Jeff Cox’s “The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide.”

This book is great for anyone just entering the organic food realm or for those of us who have been there for quite some time now. This book is divided into easy-to-use chapters on the different types of organic food available, how and when to purchase them and quick tidbits, such as nutritional content, storage tips and recipes. There is so much covered in this book, yet it doesn’t feel at all overwhelming. He kicks off the book with a great chapter on the benefits of eating organic and a commentary on the principles of this culture.

Cox has written 17 books on the subject, including the ever-popular Organic Cook’s Bible. This should be gracing the bookshelf of anyone who is aspiring to eat just a little healthier and is considering trying the organic route.

I love finding new recipes to try and this week, I found a fabulous one for chicken on the Food Network Web site. I tried it and all I can say is Wow!!! You will love it. Before I give you the recipe, let me just say that I did make a few modifications that worked really well. Instead of spraying the pan with cooking spray, I used butter for added flavor. I also added an extra dash of garlic and some finely chopped onions, since I am a firm believer that, if it isn’t sweet, it requires onions. I also added organic corn for an additional veggie. Here is goes…I hope you enjoy!

Saffron Chicken, Boiled Lemon and Green Bean Salad (courtesy of http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_37193,00.html)

1 lemon, preferably unwaxed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste, divided
Pinch saffron
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 1/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper

Prick the lemon in 3 or 4 places with a fork and place in a small pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes or until the lemon is very tender. Drain and set aside to cool. In the meantime, mix the saffron, mint, garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Pour the marinade into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.

Steam the green beans for 4 minutes and set aside to cool. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat a large skillet or grill pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Slice the ends off of the lemon and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp. Slice the peel thinly and then again into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, lemon, green beans and thyme. In a small bowl combine the rest of the lemon juice and the honey, whisk in the remainder of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

One of the largest studies ever done on the effects of eating organic food was conducted last year and released in November told many of us what we already knew about eating organic: it is good for you!

Conducted by Newcastle University in England and funded, to the tune of $30 million, by the European Union, found that:

• Produce cultivated organically had higher levels of compounds and minerals that have been proven to help the body fight off health disease and improve overall health.
• Vegetables grown organically had up to 40% more nutrients than non-organic vegetables. 
• Organic milk contains more than 90% more nutrients than regular cow’s milk.

The fact that a reputable university reported these findings and the fact that so much money was invested in organic food research and the benefits of eating organic really shows that, despite critics, there are certain benefits to eating organically. It’s not an easy process to begin, but as this study shows, is well worth the investment in your health.

The objective of sustainability lies at the heart of organic farming and is one of the major factors determining the acceptability or otherwise of specific production practices.

The term ’sustainable’ is used in its widest sense, to encompass not just conservation of non-renewable resources (soil, energy, minerals) but also issues of environmental, economic and social sustainability.

This is a highly recommended video for anyone who is interested in the feasibility of running an organic farm.

Yahoo Answers
Organic foods help?
organic restaurants?
Organic baby food vs. variety?

Product Details from Amazon
How to Grow More Vegetables and Fruits: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) (How to Grow More Vegetables: (And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains,)
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ASIN #: 1580087965
Price: $19.95