Hungry for Change

As many of you who have shared a meal with me know, my diet decisions are mostly environmental and political and my love cuddly farm animals plays only a small role. I prefer the term ecotarian to vegetarian (although the two tend to go hand in hand). It's really about connectivity. If everyone understood what they were endorsing with each food purchase I imagine they'd think twice before a lot of those choices. So I have some great news: The Nation publishes their special issue on food this month and JustSaying will undoubtedly be highlighting articles and insight from the likes of Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, Dan Barber, Dave Murphy... the list goes on.

For now, I'd like to bring you ten simple ways to vote with your fork, from Peter Rothberg's recent Nation post (drawn largely from the Hungry for Change campaign).

1. Stop drinking soda. (Great way to lose weight.)

2. Eat at home more than you eat out. (Save money; eat healthier.)

3. Support the passage of laws requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards. (Knowledge is power.)

4. Help get schools to stop selling junk food. (Our tastes start young.)

5. Go without meat at least one day each week -- Meatless Mondays? (Single best way to help the environment is to become a vegetarian.)

6. Buy organic and/or sustainable foods without pesticides. (Chemicals kill.)

7. Support family farms by shopping at farmer's markets and CSAs. (Take market share away from the corporate sector.)

8. Know where your food comes from. Read labels! (Knowledge is power #2.)

9. Tell Congress that food safety is critical. (Regulations need to be expanded.)

10. Demand job protections for workers along each point of the food processing chain. (Labor rights are a critical part of food safety.)