Sustainable Dish

How is the recession affecting our eating habits? Does it make us fat or skinny, starved or stuffed? Where do most people spend their money, at the farmers market or at the fast food counter? Julie Flaherty, editor at Tufts Nutrition, gives some fascinating insight.

Soda with vitamins, McDonald’s salad, and anti-oxidant spiked cheese doodles. Do these foods have any health benefits, or is more “nutritionism”?  Dr. Mark Hyman says “heck no” on HuffPo.

How has the organic certification changed since its birth in 2002? Does it still hold the same value and integrity? Kimberly Kindy and Lyndsey Layton share their thoughts in a much talked about Washington Post article. You can read my thoughts on it here as well.

Is your kid’s favorite school meal the cheese-filled bread stick with marinara dipping sauce? Apparently that’s one of the top-sellers. Read more in this school lunch breakdown by Jennifer Smith Richards from the Columbus Dispatch.

President Obama’s Food Safety Working Group just announced some comprehensive new plans to deal with the dire state of food safety in our country. Maybe the FDA will finally be allowed to recall E. coli contaminated food! (It’s optional now.) Read Obama Foodorama’s analysis here and NPR’s here.

Here at Sustainable Table, we’re not such big fans of genetically modified crops. We think they’re creepy, along with other issues, and they don’t solve the world’s hunger problems. A new interview from the Ethicurian with genetic engineering expert Doug Gurian-Sherman gives us even more reason to dislike GM products.

Tom Philpott at Grist reports that Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto employee, was appointed special assistant to the FDA Commissioner for food safety by the current administration. Food politics expert Marion Nestle thinks it’s a good choice. Other food activists such as Jill Richardson are not so happy that the revolving door continues to turn.

We just can’t get enough of Food, Inc! So far, the movie is going strong and we urge everyone to go out and see it. Here’s a fun interview from the Young and Hungry with director Robert Kenner.

Check out this amazing video from The Onion about Taco Bell’s new “natural” line. It hits very close to home.