Spotlight: SnapTop Market

Now that your Thanksgiving turkey has digested, it is a great time to recommit to your health by eating a locally grown plant-based diet! SnapTop Market is a super-easy and convenient way to do so. SnapTop is a small food market based in Boston's south end, specializing in locally grown produced, baked goods, dairy, and dry ingredients. The best thing about SnapTop is that they have plenty of healthy made-to-order meals, including salads, vegetable pasta, and wraps - this totally takes the effort and angst out of healthy cooking! SnapTop is a BIG time saver, especially during the busy holiday season!

Spotlight: The Juicery

source image courtesy of Handbag

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and many of us are going to eat....A LOT. Luckily, there is a new way to get on track after Thanksgiving and stay feeling good during the holiday season. The Juicery just opened in the North End and offers lots of smoothies, juices and superfoods like chia pudding, quinoa salad, and Harmless Harvest coconut water. We all know that fruits and veggies are good for us, but eating a plant based diet is also better for the planet as the meat industry is behind a lot of methane emissions and water consumption. The Juicery makes it super easy - and delicious - to go vegan or vegetarian after Thanksgiving! I highly recommend the Pine Ango Beet Tango.

Spotlight: Green City Growers

Earlier this month at BostonEco's Sustainable Home event, I had the pleasure of learning about Green City Growers - a business that "transforms unused space into thriving urban farms, providing clients with immediate access to nutritious food, while revitalizing city landscapes and inspiring self-sufficiency." This gives power to schools, churches, restaurants, and homeowners to build a food-producing farm in any space they have available. It is a perfect solution for those that want to become part of the local food movement but don't have enough resources to build a garden themselves because Green City Growers will install and maintain the raised bed garden space. They also provide urban farming courses and workshops for those that are aiming to be a bit more self-sufficient. Green City Growers is an incredible resource for the greater Boston area, and I look forward to seeing new gardens pop up all over the state!

Spotlight: Team J+A Whole Detox

WHO ARE THEY?
Jody and Ashley are certified nutritionists and health coaches that host seasonal detox programs for busy, young professionals. Detoxing helps program participants eliminate chronic headaches, digestive discomfort, and excess weight. It also helps clear up skin and balance moods!

WHAT IS A WHOLE FOOD DETOX?
The Whole Food Detox is a 14 day program guided by Jody and Ashley, that asks participants to only eat whole foods (i.e. no processed foods) and avoid gluten, corn, soy, caffeine, alcohol, red meat, and sugar.

HOW DOES THIS HELP THE ENVIRONMENT?
By eating only whole foods, you are reducing the amount of energy required to make your foods - most "processed foods" are processed by electrical means - using fossil fuels and a high amount of transportation to get from the field, to the factory, to you. By eliminating that middle step, you're not only getting cleaner food, but food with a smaller carbon footprint. Plus, the J+A program is largely plant based and non-meat proteins are encouraged!

Green Tip Tuesday: Purchase In-Season Produce

Nothing beats Fall in New England for fresh, local produce! Some of our favorite fall foods are just coming into season, so get over to your local farmer's market or farmstand and look for the following items that are in the peak of their season in September:

• broccoli 
• radishes
• carrots
• celery
• cranberries
• eggplant
• hot peppers
• raspberries
• tomatoes
• watermelon
• apples
• butternut squash (beginning of season)

Learn more about what crops are in season when over at the Peak-Season Map on Epicurious 

DIY Organic Fair Trade Pops

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A great way to reduce food packaging waste in the summer is to use a popsicle mold instead of buying premade pops. Of course, the question is, once you have a mold, what are you going to put in it? For a green twist on this summer favorite, try using your favorite Honest Tea beverage!

Why?

• All of their flavors are USDA certified organic
• Most of their products are Fair Trade
• You'll have the choice between sweet, fruity flavors and subtle tea flavors. 
• They have delicious, unique flavors that would make great pops like pomegranate ade, berry hibiscus, and mint lemonade. 
• The end product will have less sugar and no artificial ingredients!

5 Reasons to Go Vegetarian

image courtesy of Adventures in Cooking

• Eating a plant-based diet significantly reduces your carbon footprint. Roughly, a vegetarian diet produces half as much greenhouse gases as a typical American omnivore diet. 
• A recent study shows that vegetarians live 20% longer than their meat-eating counterparts.
• Non-meat protein sources are delicious too!
• Its easy to grow your own veggies and/or buy local in-season veggies, which reduces your carbon footprint even further.
• You no longer have to worry about the horrors of factory farming and living conditions for animals. 

Spotlight: Veggie Planet

source image courtesy of Zagat

I don't think I quite understood how easy being a vegetarian is until visiting Veggie Planet in Harvard Square for the first time. New vegetarians often feel like they're "giving something up," - trust me, you won't get that feeling at Veggie Planet. Their vegetarian and vegan pizzas are satisfying, delicious, and unique (Peanut Curry Pizza, anyone?). Plus, Veggie Planet is a member of Cambridge Local First, a network of locally owned, independently run businesses that share a commitment to building a strong local economy and a vibrant, distinct community. Finally, you can truly feel good about chowing down on pizza!!!!

5 Ways to Use Fewer Zip Lock Bags

source image courtesy of  Speak Up for Blue

Like many, I grew up making my own lunches - peanut butter and jelly in a zip lock bag. Since then, I've become much more conscious of the waste my daily meals create. While bringing your own lunch is much more cost-effective (and often more sustainable) than buying lunch, there are ways to streamline the lunch packing process to avoid adding to landfills. 

1. Glass food containers or BPA-free plastic food containers are your best friend. Especially at offices where there is a dishwasher or sink available so you don't have to carry home a dirty container. 
2. Eat less meat. Freezer bags are often used to preserve meats. Kill two birds with one stone by going vegetarian and eating fresh produce that doesn't need to be stored in a bag. 
3. Re-use your bags. If you must use plastic food-storage bags, wash them out and reuse them a couple times before throwing them away. 
4. Simply don't purchase plastic bags. You'd be surprised how creative you can be when you don't have them as an option at your home. 
5. Stock up on food-making supplies at the office. If you have space, keep a loaf of bread and your other lunch-making ingredients at work - that way you don't have to pack a lunch at all! 

March Meeting of BASG will Tackle Food Systems

source image courtesy of Marion Luttenberger

WHEN: Tuesday, March 4, 2014 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM 

WHERE: The Venture Cafe - Cambridge Innovation Center, One Broadway, 5th Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142

WHAT: Our food system is extraordinarily complex with a myriad of stakeholders motivated by varying concerns of climate change, personal health, local economic development, social justice, financial returns, and other factors. What does the local landscape of food look like for us in New England and what does the future hold in terms of innovative partnerships and disruptive supply chain solutions?

Come hear from leaders, who will share a broad perspective of the food system, touching on diverse levers of change and influence including production capacity, regional collaboration, municipal regulation, industry advocacy, institutional procurement strategy, and investment in entrepreneurial food ventures.

Our program this evening will be introduced and moderated by Holly Fowler, drawing on her experience of developing and implementing international, sustainable food procurement standards for more than 6500 institutional clients and her most recent consulting work with diverse regional food system stakeholders. Panelists include:

• Holly Fowler, Co-founder & Managing Director, Northbound Ventures, LLC
• Alex Linkow, Program Director, Fair Food Fund
• Edith Murnane, Director of the Office of Food Initiatives, City of Boston 
• Tim Griffin, Associate Professor and Director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program, Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, Tufts University

Register here!

Cocobeet brings organic juices to Government Center

Yep, I am super into the green smoothie craze. Smoothies packed with kale, spinach, carrots, and beets are a great way to get a full day's nutrition in one sitting. And now there are a bunch of juice shops around Boston that can make smoothies to order and also offer ready-made beverages. One such business is newly-opened Cocobeet in City Hall Plaza. Cocobeet serves "organic, locally sourced, pure food meals and juices of the highest nutritional power." Cocobeet’s juices are raw and fresh. No pesticides or GMOs - and all of their juices are vegan! The only downside to Cocobeet is its prices - juices are $8 - $10, but I have to admit, they are totally worth the occasional splurge!

How to Make the Healthiest Food Choices

image source

In the last decade, countless buzzwords have emerged to describe the food. With numerous labels and signs promoting “organically grown”, “locally sourced”, “grass fed”, “artisan”, “fresh”, “all natural”, and others, it’s hard to keep track of what they all mean. While many of us strive to make the best decisions we can when it comes to what we put in our cart and on our dinner plates, what exactly does this entail? Let’s discuss some of those words and find out what they really mean.

Natural is used to describe many types of food - from meat to vegetables to packaged potato chips. For many people, the term "natural" conjures images of wide, open fields, a single farmer working fifteen hours a day, and everything done by hand, and of course with no chemicals. Packaging certainly plays a large role in this, with green being widely used, and smiling cows, chickens and other farm animals showing just how happy the organic life is. But is it, really? Technically, the term natural simply means derived from natural matter. Therefore, if you trace anything far enough back, it is certainly natural. Instead, look for organic products that have the USDA organic label.

While it is good to choose organic where possible, organic isn’t the be all and end all of ethical eating. For example, if you are concerned about the companies behind your food, organic isn’t necessarily the way to go. Many large corporations now have an organic line, so it is important not to be fooled into thinking that you are supporting a small family when you buy organic.

Additionally, you are not necessarily supporting local farmers. Organic food can, and does, come from anywhere in the world. Depending on where you shop, it can often travel thousands of miles to get to your supermarket. Many people are aware that “food miles” matter when it comes to making ethical and environmentally friendly decisions. Choosing food that is grown overseas and imported doesn’t make much sense, and is often less fresh, but can still most certainly be organic.

Although organic produce is a step in the right direction, and it is important to be aware of the benefits that eating organic can deliver, it is equally important to realize that there are other factors to consider when making ethical choices regarding the food that you and your family eat.


Author: Kurt Jacobson is a surfing enthusiast with a background in real estate. Having moved 10 times in the past 7 years, he thrives on helping others learn from his experiences. When he's not out shredding waves he writes about rental homes for www.rentfinder.co.

Right Now! rocked the house and encouraged action

For those who were unable to make it to the Right Now! event by We Are Music, here is a brief breakdown:

• The exhibit hall featured some great local business, such as Greentown Labs, City Soil, Social Boston Sports, and more (there were free samples galore, Pop Chips, anyone?).
• The impressive speakers included:
• Dan Schrag, Professor of Geology at Harvard University. Dan also serves on President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
• Jack Healy, Head of the Human Rights Action Center. Jack was also a key organizational figure in the "Human Rights Concerts" series, when he served as Executive Director of Amnesty International USA between 1981-1993.
• Michael Mann, Director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University. Michael is a well-renowned climate activist and co-founder of Real Climate.
• Cameron Wake, Director of Carbon Solutions New England, Cameron helps lead the New Hampshire Energy and Climate Collaborative, established to track and facilitate the implementation of New Hampshire's 2009 Climate Action Plan. (And, he has the best first name ever!!! 
• The event included an open oyster bar courtesy of Island Creek Oysters! A delicious treat, oysters are also one of the most sustainable seafood choices.
• There was also a special message from Bill McKibbon! Though it was kind of hard to hear, the video was inspiring and set a tone of urgency and action.
• Oh yeah, the live entertainment was excellent! DJ Ryan Brown, Bearstronaut, DJ Juan Maclean, and   Escort  got everyone dancing!

I had a great time. In fact, I was one of the last ones to leave! (proof below). I can't wait to see more events by We Are Music!

Delicious Vegetarian Superbowl Snacks!

The superbowl is the ultimate binge-eating holiday, besides Thanksgiving of course! But that doesn't mean you have to eat un-sustainable foods. Try these delicious recipes for a more eco-friendly, snack fest!

Snacks:

Buffalo Chickpea Nachos

Caramelized Pecans with Blue Cheese Filling 

Fried Mushroom Bites

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Dinner:

Slow Cooker Lentil Chili

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Maple Sour Cream

Dessert:

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Footballs

Sour Patch Grapes

Fried Honey Bananas

Spotlight: Bootstrap Compost

Last week we discussed Harvest Power, and its mission to turn food waste into the next generation of renewable energy. But what about small scale composting and residential compost collection? This is where another great local company, Bootstrap Compost, comes into play. Bootstrap Compost provides participants with a 5 gallon bin and comes by to collect the compost on either a weekly or biweekly basis. The cost of residential collection is about $8/week. Participants also have the option of getting back their compost in the form of 5 lbs rich gardening soil every 15 weeks. If participants don't want their compost back, it is donated to a local gardening project!

Spotlight: Harvest Power

Continuing with Boston's composting momentum, Boston Green Blog is featuring Harvest Power as the green biz of the week. Waltham-based Harvest Power helps communities better manage and beneficially re-use their organic waste. Their vision is to find the highest and best use for the 500 million tons of organic materials produced in North America each year. Harvest Power is particularly focused on building powerplants and infrastructure for using our organic waste to create biomass energy. To learn more about this, I highly recommend the TEDtalk by the Harvest Power founder, Paul Sellew:

Get to Know Your Meat-Free Protein Sources

Lentils - Not only are lentils a great source of protein, they are vegan. Lentil soup is the perfect winter-weather protein-packed meal.

Greek Yogurt - greek yogurt is delicious and versatile. It can be used to replace mayo, sour cream, heavy cream, and even oil in some recipes. This makes it super-easy to add a few extra grams of protein to every meal.

Eggs - The classic breakfast protein is regaining popularity as people are reducing the amount of meat in their diets. Breakfast-for-dinner is a great post-workout meal.

Beans - Beans are another versatile protein source. They make a great side dish for almost any meal and are also a great salad topper. Black beans are also becoming a secret weapon for gluten-free bakers.

Almonds  - Almonds have always been a dieter's best friend because they pack just enough protein and crunch to keep you full until your next meal.

Tofu - Tofu gets a bad reputation from many meat-eaters, but if cooked properly, tofu is delicious and the perfect solution to the protein problem.

For more ideas and recipes, check out these 21 Meals with Tons of Protein and No Meat.

Spotlight: City Soil

As many of you know, the Massachusetts Food Waste Ban goes into effect this year, which makes composting increasingly important in Boston and beyond. This week's spotlight company, City Soil, has played a pivotal role in developing Boston gardens and farms, including at Revision Farm in Dorchester. Responding to the need for responsible compost management, City Soil employs Boston residents to operate the City of Boston’s leaf compost site in partnership with Casella Resource Solutions. City Soil is a leader in compost heat capture. Moving forward, City Soil will continue to responsibly manage Boston’s organic resources and develop opportunities to expand the urban food system.

Keep an eye out for their work! And read learn more here.

Ways to Reduce Your Waste

image courtesy of Wired

Its a new year, and time to clean up our acts, so to speak. One of my goals for a better lifestyle is to reduce the amount of trash I make. The North End has trash collection for residents 3x/week - which is ridiculous considering how tiny all of our apartments are. How can we possibly be creating this much trash?! In solving this problem, here are a few things to consider:

• Watch your consumption. This one is obvious, but we constantly have to remind ourselves to bring resuable shopping bags, coffee mugs, and other waste-savers.

• Start composting. 2014 marks the beginning of Boston's food waste ban for businesses, which means composting will become the norm over the next year or so. Join the trend and start your own composting bin and look for collection opportunities with Bootstrap Compost.

• Take care of your stuff. Learn to sew, be tidy, and use your belongings properly. Even though not everything is meant to last forever, give your belongings the longest life possible.

• Give up soda, bottled water, and other single-serving beverages.
  
• Have a Keurig? Get a reusable filter.

• Use cloths and rags instead of paper towels and paper napkins.

Any more ideas? Please share!

Green Goals for 2014

While I've conquered some of my 2013 resolutions, some have made it onto my list of green 2014 goals, and some new ideas fill out the list:

1. Avoid fast fashion.
2. Don't accept plastic shopping bags at any store.
3. Eat less meat and dairy.
4. Weatherize my apartment.
5. Use only aluminum-free deodorant.
6. Listen to every week's Living on Earth.
7. Compost food waste.