Care2 Causes � Real Food

Why Chefs Have Social Responsibility, Whether They Like It Or Not

Earth Island Journal — Thu, 31 May 2012 19:00:17 +0000

Written by Ben Corey-Moran In its May 15 �Dining & Wine� section, The New York Times broke the seal on a simmering controversy in the world of fine dining: What responsibility, if any, do chefs have to promote sustainable food systems? In a discussion with celebrated restaurateurs Thomas Keller (of California�s French Laundry and [...]

Is McDonald’s New Oatmeal Wholesome?

Jan Cho — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:30:34 +0000

More than a year ago, McDonald�s introduced an oatmeal that the New York Times�s Mark Bittman roundly criticized. �From a marketing perspective, they can do almost nothing wrong,� he wrote in his column; �from a nutritional perspective, they can do almost nothing right.� The same can be said for this year�s new breakfast offering, the [...]

McDonald’s Shareholders Reject Health Proposal

Cathryn Wellner — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:30:39 +0000

For the second year in a row, McDonald’s shareholders voted down a resolution asking the company to assess its impact on public health. With fast food increasingly linked to diet-related diseases and childhood obesity, Corporate Accountability International partnered with more than 2,500 health professionals and institutions who are urging McDonald’s to stop marketing junk [...]

Helping the Hungry in America’s Military

Jaelithe Judy — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:00:51 +0000

Americans: this week, in honor of the troops and Memorial Day, consider donating to a food pantry. About a quarter of military households in the U.S. rely on food stamps to put food on the table. Despite the fact that officers are now paid more than ever before, rank and file military members often earn�less [...]

Donut Blues: Does Eating High-Fat Foods Make Us Depressed?

Kristina Chew — Sun, 27 May 2012 16:39:33 +0000

A new study from the International Journal of Obesity suggests the opposite: University of Montreal researchers found that a high-fat diet led to depressive and anxiety-like behaviors in mice.

Food Labels Aren’t Accurate (And That’s Dangerous)

Julie M. Rodriguez — Sun, 27 May 2012 05:42:12 +0000

For most people, packaged food is a welcome convenience. Canned, bottled, and prepared foods can be a meal in themselves, or simply help cut out 30 minutes of extra preparation when you don’t have the time to spare. You can trust that the label will more or less reflect what you’re actually getting when you [...]

No Summer Holiday for Hungry Children

Common Dreams — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:30:54 +0000

Written by Marian Wright Edelman Did you know child hunger and food insecurity often peak in the summer? Hunger and poor nutrition are linked to health, mental health, and dental health problems and poor educational outcomes that don�t end when summer starts. As the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) explains, �The federally-funded Summer [...]

California Chefs Want Foie Gras Ban Repealed

Megan Drake — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:00:53 +0000

It was in 2004 that then Governor Arnold Shwarzenegger signed changes to California�s Health and Safety Code Section 25981-25984 banning the force feeding of birds for the purpose of enlarging their liver beyond normal size.� The law also makes it illegal to sell any product made through force feeding a bird to enlarge the [...]

Supersize Portions Are the New (Ab)Normal in the US (Infographic)

Kristina Chew — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:52:52 +0000

The average restaurant meal in the US is now four times larger than it was in the 1950s.

Calgary Digs Out Potato People

Cathryn Wellner — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:00:12 +0000

Calgary’s heavy-handed response to guerrilla gardeners gave a Calgary Herald reporter the best headline quip: “Potato furor makes city hall seem half-baked.” It seems Donna Clarke decided to turn a vacant lot next to her house into a potato patch. She said she planned to donate the harvest to the food bank. She recruited volunteers. [...]