The Denim Diaries by Kami Gray

It’s possible to look great, save some greenbacks, and be more green at the same time. VERY possible! Check out this adorable outfit!

JEANS:

Levi Eco Skinny Boot Jeans – Pure Air, Style #15548, $69.50 – Made from 100% organic and recycled cotton, grown without synthetic chemicals or pesticides. Materials are carefully hand-selected to sustain a healthier environment — pure down to the natural, plant-based indigo dye.

TOP(s):

Alternative Stevie Wrap, $25.00 and Alternative Scoopneck T-shirt, $17.00 – Simple, comfortable and designed to be the go-to choice for eco-conscious styles.

SANDALS:

Rocket Dog, “Women’s Planetpup Wedge,” $54.99 – These shoes are made up of a mix of recycled, biodegradable and natural materials.

HANDBAG:

Matt and Nat, “Everest,” $195.00 – Vegan canvas bag with environmental consciousness in mind.

NECKLACE:

Kumvana Gomani Ice Cream Tri Necklace, $40.00 – 3 strands of necklace are handcrafted from recycled ice cream containers from Sweden.

From my segment on San Diego Living last week…I highlight some of the tips I offer in my book, The Denim Diet.

San Diego Living: June 15, 2009

1) FPV–Food Planning and Visualization Most of us eat out a couple of times a week. One of the biggest reasons it’s hard to be successful when you’re trying to lose weight is not knowing how to eat out at restaurants without overeating.  There’s a trick to doing this successfully that I call FPV-which stands for Food Planning and Visualization. You plan in advance what you are going to eat and you visualize yourself doing just that. Successful people visualize their success before it happens, whether it’s perfecting a golf swing, delivering a great presentation, or not succumbing to food temptation. Now that so many restaurants have their menus online, FPV has become even easier.  Go to the restaurant’s website and select exactly what you are going to order when you get there.  Picture yourself saying, “I am going to have the grilled chicken breast salad lightly dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.” See yourself eating it and enjoying it and not going home feeling overly-stuffed and needing to lie down on the couch wondering, “Why did I do that?” Make a plan and you are far more likely to execute it perfectly.

2) Embrace Dieting Failures and Move Forward With Baby Steps. Every woman I know who has tried to lose weight has been unsuccessful at one time or another in her attempt, whether it was a daily setback or less frequent eating mishaps. I know many dieters get this idea in their head that when they’ve blown it, like say they ate a 200 calorie chocolate chip cookie, they figure well, I’ve gone and ruined my diet for today and I may as well really blow it and eat a few more cookies or maybe a half a pint of ice cream. Can you imagine what would happen to the shape of our financial health if we had that same attitude when we’re out shopping for clothes? Just like you really can’t afford a 200 calorie cookie, you splurge on a pair of $200 jeans and then figure you’ve blown it now so you may as well buy a $200 pair of shoes and a $400 handbag? No, we cut our losses, vow to stick to the budget next time, maybe put a few more hours in at the office and get back on track. Same goes with your diet. So you ate a cookie, forgive yourself, let it go, vow to be better the rest of the day, and move on.  Successful weight loss is all about the baby steps…a lot of little baby steps in the right direction adds up to steady and permanent weight loss. But the opposite is also true so don’t beat yourself up over one cookie – that only makes matters worse…just get back on track.

3) Have The Big O: An Organic-ism that is! Put your money where your mouth is.  Organic food costs more and you’re worth it.  A study through The Organic Center (http://organic-center.org/) recently proved that organic food is, on average, 25 percent more nutritious, so you’re definitely getting more for your money and any good chef will tell you it also tastes better. Organic food also takes a lot of the guesswork out of reading labels. The USDA does not allow nasty, fat-making ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and partionally hydrogenated oils (aka, trans fats) in certified organic food. Instead of being a member of the Clean Your Plate Club, drop your membership effective immediately and join the Clean Eaters Club where eating local and seasonal food that has been minimally processed is all the rage and for good reason. Go to eatwellguide.org to locate farmers’ markets, food co-ops, restaurants, and bakeries that provide local, sustainable, and organic food in your zip code.

4) Eat Well With Others Understand where friends, family, and favorite food enablers our coming from. Recognize that your plateful may look slightly different than your children’s or your spouse’s or your roommate’s.  You may even get hassled a bit or questioned by your loved ones. Prepare yourself for comments and concerns from family members and well-meaning food enablers who want to tell you how “you’re missing out” and “limiting yourself”. Some may try to guilt you into eating something that you shouldn’t by saying it’s your favorite and they made it (or bought it) especially for you.  Be gracious, and politely but firmly decline.  Your best defense is not to be defensive – you’ll get hassled more!  Be indifferent.  Indifference is a powerful tool.  Do what dogs do – quietly tilt your head in a semi-puzzled, but trusting look and go back to what you were doing.

5) Jeans vs. Junk Food: Be A Master of Your Denim. Every time you want to eat junk food, ask yourself…what is more important, the momentary pleasure of eating this, or fitting into that dream pair of jeans? I say, Behind every successful dieter is a supportive pair of jeans! Buy the size you are realistically going to fit into when you’ve shed your unwanted pounds and keep them visible in your bathroom, or hanging at the front of your closet and try them on once a week.  This is such an excellent motivator and one that has worked for me for over two decades. And here’s what you do if you’re home and you’re being summoned into the kitchen by a bag of potato chips, go try on that pair of jeans! That’ll stop you dead in your tracks – especially if you notice your jeans are actually feeling a little looser. Such good motivation!

Thanks so much everyone! The winner of the goody bag and signed copy of The Denim Diet will be announced Wednesday morning — I really appreciate you all sharing your meals with me! Since you were so kind as to share, it’s only fitting that I divulge what I ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner last Friday:

BREAKFAST: 

1 cup organic nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries

1 tablespoon chopped organic almonds and walnuts

1/2 teaspoon organic maple syrup

LUNCH:

1/2 eggwhite salad (mixed with dijon mustard)

1 slice Dave’s Killer (Power Seed, whole grain) organic bread, toasted

1/2 small organic avocado, sliced

1 organic banana

SNACK:

1 piece organic light string cheese

1 small square dark organic chocolate (85% cocoa)

1 organic pear

DINNER:

Grilled true cod - about 6 ounces

Dinner salad - mixed veggies with organic balsamic, citrus dressing.

Red wine - approximately two glasses

And…lots and lots of water throughout the day!

Thanks again and look for the contest winner tomorrow!

HAPPY TUESDAY!

It’s Friday. The sun is shining in Portland, Oregon. It’s a three-day weekend. Sounds like the perfect time to give one of my blog readers a goody bag filled with tasty and healthy, organic goodies from my beloved homestate of Oregon. I also throw in a personalized signed copy of The Denim Diet.

This fun little give-a-way contest is EASY. All you have to do is comment below and tell me what you had for breakfast. lunch, or dinner yesterday. No cheating! The first person that sends in a Denim Diet-approved meal gets the goody bag and signed book. It’s my book so I’m the judge!

Your e-mail address will automatically be sent to me (no one else can see it) and I will send you an e-mail reply notifying you that you’re the winner and request a mailing address…it’s that easy!

Here are the actual bag contents (I’m not really sending you carrots): 

Dagoba New Moon, Organic Dark Chocolate (74% Cacao Content)

Between my blogpost, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Blogher, I heard from a lot of people and discovered some restaurants that definitely sound like they meet my criteria for healthy eating. Thanks so much everyone…I’m looking forward to trying some of them!

Here are my top five pics from those who responded…

Photo found on www.thegarlicpress.com

CLARE: The Garlic Press, Normal, Illinois:

“We decided to take the plunge and create a café where we could offer the kind of fresh foods we had been learning about through many years of sampling, our cooking school classes, traveling top specialty food shows, pouring over cookbooks, and constantly talking with other food enthusiasts about good food that’s prepared well.”

Photo found on www.bbfood.com

JENNIFER: Buddha’s Belly, two locations in Los Angeles:

“Buddha’s Belly takes great pride in giving back to the community and serving as a good corporate citizen to help reduce the strain on the environment. Currently Buddha’s Belly recycles all plastics, glass, raw food, paper and cardboard waste. Energy-saving switches have been installed in the restrooms, storage rooms and office, turning on only when people occupy those rooms. The restaurant supports local farmers and producers, using organic produce when possible. Additionally, Buddha’s Belly provides used cooking oil for bio-diesel vehicles and inquires which to-go utensils are needed, if necessary. Buddha’s Belly is always looking for more ways to be enlightened and welcomes green recommendations.”

Photo found on www.cafeimperial.cz

ALENA: Imperial Cafe, Prague, Czech Republic:

“We at the Café Imperial truly believe that our guests deserve the best. All food will be homemade without any feeling of fast food or mass-produced convenience. You can experience it yourself. Our guests will always be welcome to meet the chef in his state-of-the-art kitchen and have a chat about the dishes served.”

Photo found on www.americanflatbread.com

CLAUDIA: American Flatbread, four locations in Vermont:

“To make truly good food, food that not only fills our hunger and tastes good to our mouths but also nourishes, nurtures, and heals, we must start with good ingredients. American Flatbread is made with organic flour, organic tomatoes, and many organic & locally-farmed meats, veggies, and cheeses. American Flatbread restaurants source ingredients from their unique, local network of farmers and producers.”

Photo found on www.hellskitcheninc.com

MICHAEL: Hell’s Kitchen, Minneapolis, Minnesota:

I live in Portland, Oregon and we have many great restaurants that serve food that meets my criteria for healthy eating. I could eat out every day of the month (I don’t because I can’t afford to!) at a different restaurant and still not patronize them all. My favorite, which has been around forever is Higgins. I prefer the bar to the restaurant because it’s less formal and way less expensive. For special occasions, I put on my best bootcut jeans and dine in the fancy restaurant.

The philosophy at Higgins is simple and best put by chef/owner, Greg Higgins:

Photo from: http://egofoodreviews.blogspot.com/

“We believe strongly in supporting farming techniques that are sustainable, organic and regenerative. It is imperative that we re-establish the balance between nature and man in all of our food- producing endeavors. Current large farming methods rely on a system of agriculture dependent upon the use of herbicides, pesticides, petrochemicals and intensive irrigation. This system is non-renewable, non-sustainable and generally non-local.

The cuisine here at Higgins is truly rooted in our Northwest soil. We hope that our commitment to these principles and to the use of ingredients that are local, seasonal, organic and sustainable will nourish your mind and body. Please help by supporting our local organic farmers when you shop for your kitchen. Their fruits and vegetables represent so much more than just good flavor — they are the seeds of our future.”

How awesome is that? The best part though is that the food at Higgins is AMAZING!

What does your hometown have to offer? What makes it so special? I’m traveling more and more for book promotion stuff and I’d love to get the inside, local scoop!

I blog often about how lazy I am in the kitchen. I’m ridiculously impatient when it comes to cooking and have fairly low standards when it comes to taste. I just want food to meet my criteria for healthy eating. That’s all fine and great when I’m only cooking for myself, but when I host a dinner party, game night, or book club, I don’t want to force my low standards on other people.

Last weekend I hosted game night for some friends from high school, some of whom I hadn’t spent time with in years. I wanted to at least try and make a good impression. It’s hard to go wrong with pasta unless you overcook the noodles. Lasagna is great because you can sneak healthy ingredients into it, make it ahead of time, and most people like it.

EVERYONE at my dinner table asked for the recipe so I’m guessing I did the lasagna justice. Here’s my easy recipe:

Yield: Makes one lasagna in 10x 13 metal cake pan or glass baking dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Spelt Organic Lasagna Noodles (whole grain, super high in protein and fiber, and trust me, they’re delicious!)

1 jar organic marinara sauce

1 jar organic vodka sauce

1 cup part-skim shredded organic mozzarella cheese

One fourth cup shredded Italian parmesan cheese

1 pound buffalo sausage (I found mine at the Portland Farmer’s market and it had a little kick to it. You may need to do some looking to find buffalo, but it’s well worth it as it contains 76% less saturated that ground beef and contains tons of antioxidants….try northforkbison.com or healthybuffalo.com to order it online. Use Italian chicken sausage if you can’t find buffalo.)

1 white or yellow diced organic onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

Half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One fourth teaspoon chili flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven on bake at 425 degrees. Sauté onion in olive oil over medium low heat in large sauté pan until onions are translucent. Add sausage until browned and fully cooked. Add jars of pasta sauce. Add pepper and chili flakes and stir. Turn up heat to boiling and then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Bring large pot of water to boiling and add a splash of olive oil to water. Add noodles to water and be careful to remove when almost fully cooked. They should be al dente.  Pour noodles into strainer over the kitchen sink. Allow to cool. Layer cake pan in the following order: sauce mixture, noodles (lay flat, covering entire pan in single layer), mozzarella and repeat until all ingredients are used up or you have reached the top edge of the pan, making sure that the top layer is sauce and not noodles. Dust top with leftover mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes or until sauce bubbles and cheese has browned slightly. Cool for five to ten minutes and serve.

A fresh garden salad and whole wheat baguette make the perfect accompaniment to lasagna. Serve with sparking water (like San Pelligrino), pinot noir, or sauvignon blanc.

Let me know how it turns out or if you have any alternate suggestions for ingredients. Good luck!

My Grandma turns 90 a week from Friday and with the help of her family, is planning a huge celebration. Trouble is…she’s fighting a nasty cold and cough and worried she won’t be well by the party. She lives by herself in a cozy apartment in a retirement home. She’s completely self-sufficient and sharp as they come, but her cooking skills have never been something we grandkids brag about. She says that’s fine with her because she’d rather be playing cards or doing sittercise anyway. So today, I’m making chicken soup for my Grandma’s cold.

If anyone in your family or group of friends is falling prey to what’s going around, make a big pot of soup for them and they can spend the weekend resting and getting better and not worrying about what to eat.

Spinach adds a wallop of healthy goodness to this hearty soup. Rosemary, the secret ingredient, contributes its own special fragrance. Serve with crusty whole wheat bread to soak up every last drop. Be sure to buy wholesome, organic ingredients so your pot of soup delivers the maximum dose of good health. Check out Eat Well Guide’s to Finding Good Food in your area.

Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups chopped carrots

8 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon sea salt

One half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (15-ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups diced cooked chicken breast

1 cup cooked brown rice, quinoa, or barley

1 bunch spinach, stemmed and rinsed, or 1 (10-ounce) package thawed frozen chopped spinach

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and carrots until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper, beans, rice (or other grain) and diced chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted.

I spent an hour yesterday at Costco hoping to find that the number of organic, healthy foods they’re selling would have increased dramatically in the year or so since I’ve been there. It hadn’t. I found a few things, but not much I can’t already buy for pretty cheap at Trader Joes and at least I don’t have to purchase six packages of whole wheat organic spaghetti to get a good deal when I shop there…great for large families though. Here are my top (all certified organic) picks from my Costco trip…

Dave’s Killer Bread (Power Seed)…$3.50/loaf. The best part is Dave’s is sold by the loaf and not in multi-packages. I pay almost six bucks a loaf at Whole Foods, New Seasons, and most other places.

San Francisco Bay Coffee…$13.99 for 3 pounds. Organic coffee typically costs me $13.99 for 1 pound. This is a steal.

Free-range, boneless, skinless chicken breasts….$5.89/pound. Last time I shopped at Trader Joes, New Seasons, or Whole Foods (which was about six weeks ago by the way, which is why I’m so excited to talk grocery shopping…I’m starving!)…I paid $7.00/pound.

Wild Copper River Salmon…$29.99 for 3 pounds. Okay, it’s frozen, but it would take me a loooooong time to eat three pounds of fresh salmon.

King’s Estate Pinot Gris…$11.99…I have no idea if this is a good deal, but it’s organic and super tasty and I’m a women over forty…we like wine…J

The LA Times ran an article a few days ago titled, Economic crisis, meet obesity crisis - yet another reminder that when times are tight, it’s tougher to eat healthfully because healthy food is more expensive.  Shop Smart Magazine (from the Consumer Reports Folks) online magazine has some helpful tips on how to eat organic food without breaking the bank.  The list has been modified for brevity.

Just a quick reminder first! Keep in mind that just because a food is certified organic doesn’t mean that it’s healthy. There are tons of organic products that don’t meet my criteria for healthy eating – organic chocolate ice cream, white bread/pasta, butter, whole milk, and scads of others. For optimum health; focus on whole grains, lean meats, lowfat dairy, and ditching the sweets altogether…with the exception of dark chocolate which is full of antioxidants and makes you smile.

1.  Search the web for coupons.

      Stonyfield Farm, Organic Valley, Earthbound Farm, and Health Valley offer coupons on their websites.

2.  Shop at discount stores or buy in bulk.

      Big chain stores such as Target and Costco are carrying more and more organic items. Compare their prices with your regular grocery store. Many regular grocery stores offer items like nuts and grains in bulk bins.

3.  Look for store-brand organics.

      Examples of private label products are 365 Organic Everyday from Whole Foods, Archer Farms Organics at Target, and Safeway’s O Organics.

4.  Join a food co-op.

      These are run independently and often have a small membership fee, but then members get a discount when they shop there. Go to http://www.localharvest.org/food-coops/.

5.  Buy produce in season.

      Prices are lowest when they are in season. To have items year-round, freeze or preserve for later. To see what produce is in season near you, go to www.sustainabletable.org/shop/eatseasonal/.

This Friday, February sixth, is WEAR RED DAY. Show your support for the American Heart Association’s GO RED FOR WOMEN campaign and the very important cause of heart disease prevention by wearing red. Another way to show your support is by buying Organic Chiquita bananas from February 1 through February 28, 2009. 10 cents of specially-marked bananas sold will be donated to the American Heart Association, for a minimum of $150,000. Did you know that bananas are heart healthy? They contain oodles of potassium which can lower your blood pressure.  So wear red and eat a banana…a simple way to help prevent the number one killer of women in America.

This cold and windy winter weather has made my skin dry and old-looking, like I have ten layers of dead skin on my face. So I decided today would be an at-home, pamper myself, spa day. My plan was to exfoliate, layer gobs of organic moisturizer on my face (rich black perlette grape is my fave), and gently massage my eye area with my favorite eye cream from Aveda. After digging through every drawer in my bathroom, I realized I was out of exfoliant. Thanks to Google and organic ingredients found in my refrigerator and pantry, I was able to make own. I may never buy store-bought exfoliant again!

The stuff I created myself made my skin ridiculously soft and positively glowing. Without measuring a thing, I mixed up used coffee grounds, chopped cucumber, lemon juice, plain yogurt, and raw honey in my food processor until it formed a thick paste. According to Natural Living for Women:

 coffee grounds are antibacterial, exfoliating and stimulating to the skin.

 lemon juice provides an astringent quality plus the vitamin C provides a boost.

 honey is healing and soothing along with an ability to help skin retain moisture.

 yogurt contains lactic acid which help skin slough off dead skin cells.

 cucumber provides cooling and astringent qualities.

I slathered the concoction on my clean face and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then using a circular motion with my fingers, I lightly massaged my face and neck for about two minutes and rinsed with warm water. Now I don’t have a cucumber for a salad tonight, but my face feels great and looks a million times better…and I saved a little money! Anyone else have a homemade beauty or health secret they’d like to share?

Need to take the chill off? I made a pot of my sister’s turkey soup recipe and ate it for a week. Spinach adds a wallop of healthy goodness to this hale and hearty, but easy to make soup. Rosemary, the secret ingredient, contributes its own special fragrance. Serve with a crusty whole wheat baguette and a garden salad. As always, don’t forget to use wholesome, organic ingredients, locally grown if possible. This recipe is in my book, The Denim Diet, along with thirty other great recipes that are healthy, filling, and perfect for your weight-reducing efforts.

Makes 8 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups chopped carrots

8 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 (15-ounce cans) white beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked barley (optional)

3 cups diced cooked turkey breast

1 bunch spinach, stemmed and rinsed, or

1 (10-ounce) package thawed frozen chopped spinach

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, and carrots until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, herbs, salt, pepper, beans, cooked barley (optional) and turkey. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach until wilted.

On special occasions like the party I went to yesterday celebrating my 4 year-old and 10 year-old niece’s birthdays, it might be considered rude to not partake in dessert. I’m lucky because my Mom makes it so guilt free. She made turkey chili and whole wheat cornbread with a garden salad. Yum! She also made whole wheat cupcakes made with lowfat yogurt for dessert. They were amazing! Not, you’ll get used to eating this type of weird healthy stuff amazing – seriously delicious! Here’s the recipe, but don’t forget to find great local, organic baking ingredients made as closely as possible to where you live!

WHOLE WHEAT CUPCAKES

2 cups organic whole wheat flour (like Bob’s Red Mill)

1 1/2 cups organic brown sugar (like Woodstock Farms)

4 teaspoons baking powder (like Bob’s Red Mill)

1 teaspoon sea salt (like Pacific Salt)

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons salted organic butter (like Horizon)

2 eggs (like Organic Valley)

1 cup organic lowfat plain organic yogurt (Like Nancy’s)

1 teaspoon vanilla (like Simply Organic)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. For (1) 9×13, bake 40 to 50 minutes, or 25 to 30 minutes for 2) 8-inch pans.  If making cupcakes, grease top rim of muffin pan (if not using a nonstick pan) since you will want to fill cupcake tins/paper cups to top as whole wheat flour doesn’t rise much and you will want batter to spill over a bit making a “mushroom” shape at the top. Bake cupcakes for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Test with a toothpick to confirm cake is done.

Mix all the dry ingredients.  Cut butter into 4 or chunks and add one by one to dry mixture with low speed mixer or food processor until completely incorporated. Should be crumbly textured.  Add eggs, yogurt and vanilla and beat with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Pour batter into prepared baking pans.

Makes (1) 9×13 cake, 2) 8-inch cake layers or about 12 cupcakes.

NOTE FROM MOM: This recipe was reworked by Kelly (Kami’s sister). I started with Whole Foods recipe found online for Natural Yellow Cake Mix.

I found this post on one of my absolute favorite blogs called, Green and Clean Mom. The following post is written by Derek, one of their contributing writers. Derek has some seriously awesome and easy to implement ideas…Read on…

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Family’s Food Budget in a Tight Economy

There’s a lot of talk these days about a recession, even a depression, being on the way, and for families trying to eat clean and green, it can be difficult to make our food budgets stretch any further.

As a father, I believe that feeding my family the best foods that I can buy is good health insurance. We’ve found that eating a nutritious diet pays huge health dividends and ends up being way cheaper than doctor’s visits and lost time at work.

Here’s my family’s food budget strategy for continuing to eat organic in tough times:

Buy in season -Trying to eat organic summer vegetables in the winter will quickly put a dent in your food budget. Right now, root vegetables, potatoes, and winter squash are at their cheapest and their tastiest. Apples are also fresh and reasonably priced, and citrus comes into season around the holidays. Use in-season vegetables and fruits to fill your family’s table with affordable nutritious goodness.

Think ahead - Shop once a week, and don’t shop for food while hungry. Buying all of your food on one trip avoids the trap of running to the store several times, which burns extra gas and can add extra impulse buys to your basket.

Make a plan - Planning your weekly meals and sticking to it keeps you from buying whatever sounds good when you’re shopping. Always shop from a list.

Buy in bulk - We try to have the staple foods on hand at all times, buying a month’s worth or more and storing it in the pantry. Many co-ops and health food stores offer discounts for case quantities and bulk bags of grains. Most grains, beans, and flour is sold in 25 or 50 pound bags. 25 pounds of grains fits perfectly in a 5 gallon bucket, keeping it fresh and safe from bugs or rodents. Check at hospitals or school cafeterias for free food-grade buckets.

Cook at home - Eating out will burn up your cash, and many restaurants serve food with dubious origins, so cooking from scratch makes the most sense to us. If you do eat out,

Eat simple - For families that eat meat, cutting back meat-based dishes to once or twice a week means being able to afford organic or grass-fed choices. Fill out a dish with grains or beans. Making a casserole or soup can keep the menu simple and affordable.

Make extra - A large meal cooked once a week and served as leftovers or sent for lunches helps to save energy and water. It’s less stressful for the cook as well.

Raid the fridge - I’m the king of the end of the week random ingredient meal. I make a pot of rice (or beans, millet, etc.), sauté onions and garlic with other random veggies, mix together, and serve wrapped in a tortilla.

Stay green and clean, and stay under budget…

Visit http://www.greenandcleanmom.org/ for more great posts.

Now that summer is officially over and farmer’s markets may be wrapping up business in your area soon; less expensive, organic fruits and vegetables may be harder to come by. If buying organic produce this time of year at your local grocery store is tough on the family budget, the Environmental Working Group has made a list of the 12 most and least contaminated fruits and vegetables. To keep you and your family healthy and safe, make an effort to, at a minimum, purchase organic items that appear on the most contaminated list. A pocket guide, to take with you to the grocery store, is also available at www.foodnews.org.

12 MOST CONTAMINATED:

Peaches

Apples

Sweet Bell Peppers

Celery

Nectarines

Strawberries

Cherries

Pears

Grapes (Imported)

Spinach

Lettuce

Potatoes

12 LEAST CONTAMINATED:

Onions

Avocado

Sweet Corn (Frozen)

Pineapples

Mango

Asparagus

Sweet Peas (Frozen)

Kiwi Fruit

Bananas

Cabbage

Broccoli

Papaya

Guest Blogger: Kelly Gray

I eat mostly organic food and drink filtered water for both environmental and health reasons.  Now I have one more reason. The Harvard School of Public Health Newsletter linked me to an article published on the Independent.co.uk website about a new study from Spain demonstrating that pollution increases the risk of obesity. Exposure to the pesticide hexachlorobenzene (HCB) doubled the incidence of obesity in the children who had the highest levels of this pesticide in their umbilical cords at birth.

Others animal studies have shown a correlation between exposure to bisphenol (BPA) found in water bottles, baby bottles, and lining of some canned goods and phthalates found in cosmetics, shampoos and plastic food wraps and an increased incidence of obesity.

The one problem that I have with the article is it said that people were not responsible for the fact that they are fat because it’s due to chemical exposure rather than poor diet and lack of exercise. True, it’s impossible to avoid all chemical exposure, but some degree of control can be exercised. 

By choosing to eat organic food, you are avoiding undue exposure to pesticides and by carefully selecting containers to put your food and drink in, such as food grade stainless steel, or glass instead of plastic, you can limit your exposure to the BPA. It still comes down to being aware of and conscientious about what you are putting into your body and how it might affect your health, including your weight.

The full article is titled “Pollution Can Make You Fat, Study Claims” published by the Independent at www.independent.co.uk.

An article in the online Wall Street Journal titled, Food Costs Feed Health Woes, discusses how a “Better Diet Is Getting Too Expensive”

Shop Smart Magazine (from the Consumer Reports Folks) online magazine has some helpful tips on how to eat organic food without breaking the bank.  The list has been modified to conserve space.

1.  Search the web for coupons.

      Stonyfield Farm, Annie’s Homegrown, Organic Valley, Earthbound Farm, and Health Valley offer coupons on their websites.

2.  Shop at discount stores or buy in bulk.

      Big chain stores such as Target and Costco are carrying more and more organic items. Compare their prices with your regular grocery store. Many regular grocery stores offer items like nuts and grains in bulk bins.

3.  Look for store-brand organics.

      Examples of private label products are 365 Organic Everyday from Whole Foods and Safeway’s O Organics.

4.  Join a food co-op.

      These are run independently and often have a small membership fee, but then members get a discount when they shop there. Go to http://www.localharvest.org/food-coops/.

5.  Buy produce in season.

      Prices are lowest when they are in season. To have items year-round, freeze or preserve for later. To see what produce is in season near you, go to www.sustainabletable.org/shop/eatseasonal/.