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The Real Deal On Ruby Red

Jessica Belsky — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:30:31 +0000

The truth about red food dye.

Thinking of baking up something scarlet and sweet for your Valentine this week? After all, who doesn’t love a red velvet cupcake or bright crimson frosting hearts? But if you‘re buying grocery store-bought decorations or dyes, you may want to think twice before reaching for these charming embellishments. Some red-colored cake, cookie or ice cream toppings contain Red 3, a synthetic dye and a known carcinogen.

According to Food Safety News, Red 3 has caused cancer in rats and unfortunately, you can find this chemical more commonly than you’d think. During our recent stroll through a grocery store bakery, Red 3 was spotted immediately in five products and that was just the beginning. From cereal to fruit snacks, Red 3 seemed to pop up on the back of products on every aisle.

Thankfully, there are easy ways to avoid the dye. Most importantly, be a savvy shopper. Always check all of the ingredients on packaged treats, and when you buy something red-colored from a bakery, ask the baker what was used to color it.

When you bake, shop at a health food store to find safe dyes like those made from beets or make your own.

For Valentine’s Day, serve up naturally festive dishes by using ruby vegetables and fruits. For a deliciously red meal try this recipe for farro spaghetti, beets, brown butter and poppy seeds. And for dessert? We recommend this easy recipe for Valentine’s Day “Pop Tarts” which uses homemade jam for color.

For more information on Red 3, click here.

Images via Etsy user Donnah Whittaker.

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How To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Emily Goldstone — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:30:58 +0000

The lowdown on your sugar high.

With so many sugary substances on the market, including some oldies masquerading under new names (curious about corn sugar?—it’s just high fructose corn syrup), and a whole lotta “he said – she said,” we’re here to ease the process of selecting your healthy sweetener of choice.

Whether evaluating nutrition labels, selecting toothpaste, baking, cooking or sweetening tea, consider these rejects and recommendations—chosen for being naturally derived and healthier than white table sugar. As always, use the organic variety when possible.

Good Guys

Honey: Not only does honey taste great, it’s also antimicrobial and an antioxidant. Moreover, some of its phytonutrients “have been shown to possess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties.” Raw honey packs an even more healthful punch than its processed cousin.

Stevia: A plant of the sunflower family, stevia is an attractive option, great for those with high blood pressure or on low carb diets (it has a negligible effect on blood glucose). Use for cooking, baking and beverages; you can find it under brand names such as SweetLeaf, Truvia and PureVia.

Xylitol: Naturally found in birch trees, raspberries, plums and corn, this sweetener looks and tastes the same as sugar. Although these white crystals have been shown to have dental health benefits (you can find it in toothpaste) and are being studied as a potential treatment for osteoporosis.

Blackstrap molasses: Molasses flavors beans, baked goods, meats and sweets. Choose blackstrap over other varieties for its high mineral content, including iron and calcium.

Maple syrup: Made from the sap of trees, this pancake favorite is high in manganese and zinc, both of which support the immune system. Pour the real deal—not its artificially flavored impostor.

Not As Good Guys

Agave nectar (a.k.a. agave syrup): A vegan alternative to honey and generally appropriate for raw foodists (it’s processed under 118°), agave is another plant-derived sweetener. Although it’s highly refined and has high concentrations of fructose, it’s still a good sub for white sugar.

Turbinado sugar (a.k.a. cane sugar or raw sugar): Less processed and lower in calories than white sugar, turbinado is a commonly used option for baking and beverages.

Bad Guys

Artificial sweeteners: Saccharin, neotame, acesulfame potassium, aspartme (Equal® and NutriSweet®: newly renamed AminoSweet®) and sucralose (Splenda®) are all potentially dangerous sugar substitutes—if it’s on a label, keep it far from your table. Their byproducts can have toxic effects on the body, and although calorie-free, some studies link consumption to weight gain.

Refined sugar (a.k.a. white, table or processed sugar): Besides the slew of harmful side effects, sugar raises the insulin level, thereby depressing the immune system. Why go processed when a myriad of more healthful options are available?

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS): Under heat for promoting weight gain and appetite, HFCS is now being marketed under a new name: corn sugar, and deceivingly pitched as natural. Big Corn is supposedly paying mommy bloggers to hype the product. But don’t be fooled—this stuff has been linked to obesity and diabetes, even cancer.

With kitchens firing up for holiday treats this month, it’s up to you which foods to choose and which to lose. Here’s to sweet eatin’—in moderation, of course!

Images via Etsy user maiziejane and Flickr user Shani’s Stuff.

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Healthy Holiday Cookware

Danielle Davis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:01:26 +0000

As weather gets cooler, kitchens heat up. And with holiday gatherings approaching, even those of us who normally only use that room in the house for displaying bowls of fruit get in on the action.

As you prepare to fire up the oven, we rounded up an old favorite ydt article that lists of three of our favorite cooking tools. Here goes:

Safety: Lodge Cast Iron pots and pans have been around for over a hundred years. And not just the company–its products easily last that long as well. Though they take a little extra care, its skillets are free of any dangerous metals and contribute only good things, like the nutrient iron—especially beneficial for women—to meals. Lodge is even doing plenty for the planet at its headquarters. This ydt staffer has one and loves it.

Efficiency: The Fagor Pressure Cooker is the real

deal in efficient cooking. This stainless steel contraption is nothing like the one my mother remembers for blowing up all over her stove. The new generation is sleek and easy to use and cuts down on cooking time by up to 70%. You can simmer almost anything in it, but it’s especially suited for beans and whole grains which can take two hours to cook in a regular pot. (And not only are those whole foods nonperishable and super-healthy, they’re also some of the most economical foods around, especially when bought at your local bulk bin. You can get a Fagor at Amazon here.

Healthy Storage: We all know plastic is so over. Storing lunches and leftovers in certain plastic containers leaches chemicals that could cause hormone disruption or cancer into your food and into you. Plus, plastic is a petroleum product. To avoid such red flags, glass is one safe way to go. These storage containers just say no to plastic in favor of healthy, recyclable, microwavable, dishwasher-safe glass.

You can read up on what kinds of cookware to avoid at eartheasy . To green cooking and good spirits this holiday season!

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Community Gardens: Grow My Own Food?

Tracy Hepler — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:45:17 +0000

As I learn more about sustainability and minimizing my personal impact on the planet, I’m discovering there are alot of things I can do that I never even realized. Living in an apartment in the middle of Los Angeles, it’s hard to imagine growing your own food, but why not try? Our LA weather is perfect for growing a variety of fruits and veggies year round. Growing your own food 100% ensures the quality of the food, because you know that you don’t use harmful pesticides and chemicals. How cool would it feel to not only serve a delicious dinner to your friends and fam, but to also know you are responsible for growing it? All this sounds great but for the apartment dweller space can be an issue, and we often don’t have our own plot of land.

Simple problem, simple solution as I have recently learned…sign up for a community garden.

A community garden is a plot of land that you lease for a small fee (e.g. in Santa Monica it is $60 per year). Plot size can range, but usually you can find one that’s 10’ X 10’, ample room to watch your food grow.

Community Gardens are spread around most of the Los Angeles area in 70 different communities. I have only recently become hip to them, but you can find them in Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Echo Park, Long Beach, West Hills, Boyle Heights, Culver City. Not only is joining a garden a great way to grow your own organic food, you’ll meet your neighbors and get a satisfying, full body workout with the sun on your shoulders (don’t forget the SPF!).

For more information check out these links:

www.lagardencouncil.org
www.laparks.org/dos/horticulture/horticulture.htm
Los Angeles Times Article (link)

Any one out there a member of a community garden? Share you experiences with us under Thread With US!

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SKRATCH: Gourmet Sandwiches & Salads

Connie Wu — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:00:02 +0000

Everyone is in a hurry these days – lunch hours are often more like 30-minute sprints, and it’s often difficult to eat healthy and eat fast. Fast food restaurants seem like a convenient choice, but are calorie-laden and lack nutritious value. With SKRATCH restaurant, you get the best of both worlds: wholesome food that is delicious, and perfect for when you need to stop in and grab a quick meal.

SKRATCH owner Jeffrey Price uses top-quality, locally-sourced ingredients for its menu, which offers delicious, locally-sourced food in gourmet flavor combinations, such as the Hot Braised Pulled Pork sandwich with fig & white grape compote and truffle oil vinaigrette and the Wild Mushroom Brie soup, made incredibly rich with the brie cheese, yet earthy with the taste of fresh mushrooms. Vegetarian options such as the Caprese with basil pistou and the Ripe and Raw with cannellini bean hummus and fresh avocado are also available. The sandwiches are made with fresh-baked La Brea bakery bread, and each menu entrée can be made as a wrap, sandwich, or salad ($6.95). View full menu here.

In addition, SKRATCH is a “green” restaurant and uses all biodegradable, organic packaging. All products are recycled or composted to create virtually no waste.

So the next time you’re about to head towards the drive-thru for a burger, scratch that idea and try a healthier, gourmet Chipotle Chicken sandwich or Mediterranean Tuna salad at SKRATCH instead – trust us, you won’t regret it.

SKRATCH is located at 3867 Hughes Avenue, Culver City, 90232 (at Washington and Hughes). Web: www.skratchbasics.com

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A Greener Make and Model of Meals on the Go

Danielle Davis — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:00:41 +0000

ydt UPDATE: Find out if there’s a Green Truck near you at any moment with its GPS Tracker here.

Green Truck is a dream come true for health and planet nuts whodon’t have the time to prepare their own sustainable, gourmet brown bags. It orders up the best qualities of lunch trucks – their convenience and mobility for working people who want to eat – and adds pounds of green principles, hold the carbon.

Green Truck run on used vegetable oil (yes, your conscience can always use this as a good excuse to eat French fries), cook with organic, locally sourced ingredients, serve on compostable plates and have a home base kitchen whose fridge and other appliances are powered by solar panels.

This food truck has both staples taken to a new level along with unusual offerings that will please every palate. You can order a breakfast burrito wrapped in a flourless sprouted tortilla. (Don’t worry, all the regular fixins-bacon, cheese, egg-are inside.) You can chow down on a grass-fed beef hamburger or dog with herbed sweet potato fries. For the meat-free folks, the sesame tofu wrap. For light-lunchers, yes, this truck even has seasonal salads.

With two trucks (and more on the way), Green Truck is available for regular stops at offices, construction sites, and commercial shoots, for local delivering or for catering fancy parties. You may also cruise by one on a busy street somewhere and get a bite.

So, ask them to park a Green Truck outside your window so you won’t have to sacrifice mouth-watering meals or your environmental Jiminy Cricket at lunchtime.

Green Truck is located at 35151B Helms Avenue, Culver City, CA 90232. Phone: (310) 204 – 0477. Email: info@greentruckonthego.com. Web: www.greentruckonthego.com/index.html.

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Red Carpet Cleanses: Vegan Goes Gourmet

Connie Wu — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:00:26 +0000

ydt UPDATE: The ydt + Raw Bags giveaway ends today, July 18th! Fill out our online survey here to enter the sweepstakes and win your own adorable bamboo clutch!

When I found out I’d have the opportunity to try a Red Carpet Cleanse from raw foods chef September Death, I was both excited and a little apprehensive. Sure, I love broccoli and all, but no French fries or meat or even sushi for three whole days? Wouldn’t I be…I don’t know…hungry?

The Red Carpet Cleanse is designed to flush out the toxic chemicals ingested from processed foods, which helps speed up metabolism and lessen the stress on our digestive system. Ingredients include fresh, raw and organic leafy green vegetables, seaweeds, sprouts, nuts and seeded fruits, all designed to pack a nutritional punch. There is no wheat, dairy, animal products, gluten, or processed foods, and everything is prepared under 118 degrees. Even the water used in the juices, smoothies and soups is distilled and hexagonally structured because it hydrates cells faster and more thoroughly than regular water.

I waited anxiously for my first food delivery to arrive. It came in a cooler filled to the brim with all my nourishment for the day in various boxes and glass jars and bottles. Each cooler included two meals, two super food smoothies, one elixir, one soup and two whole food supplements with an instructional menu detailing when and what to eat throughout the day.

So you might be wondering – how’d it go? Honestly, given the chance, I’d definitely do it all over again. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of the menu – after all, how many ways could you prepare spinach raw? A lot, apparently, and each one was delicious.

A typical day’s menu included Sprouted Spirulina Buckwheat Cereal with Cinnamon Almond Milk for breakfast, flavorful Spinach Dill “Perogies” and chilled Creamy Cucumber Soup for lunch, and a tasty Zucchini Pesto “Pasta” for dinner. Every entrée was a gourmet dish, and most importantly, I never went hungry. If I felt like I was in need of a snack, I could indulge in Electrolyte Green Lemonade or refreshing Chlorophyll Sippers during the day. At the end of the day three, I was a couple of pounds lighter with a lot more energy than usual.

The Red Carpet Cleanse is perfect for a summer detox or slimming down for a special event – plus, it’s completely painless when the food tastes so good. After the third day of the cleanse, I didn’t even miss French fries anymore!

You can purchase your own Red Carpet Cleanse at www.redcarpetcleanses.com.

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