A Conference at The Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC

Five days after returning from the Pacific Northwest, I had an opportunity to present at a conference in the western part of North Carolina. Our state hosted 8 other states that comprise the Southeastern Associate of Area Agencies on Aging (SE4A).  The conference was held at renowned Grove Park Inn in Asheville.  This hotel has a long list of awards and accolades from Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast, and other popular travel magazines.  It is also listed as a Historic Hotel of America.  People gasped and voiced their surprise and envy that I would be presenting at a conference at the prestigious hotel. After all, I work in state government and we are not known to hold conferences in nice hotels.

Sure enough, to lessen the costs, staff were expected to share rooms (2 people per room). I was very lucky to have a room to myself for the first night since I had to be there early for my presentation.  Sharing a room with my coworker for the other 3 nights was not too bad, but I will admit that it is awkward to sleep in the same room with someone you only know from work.

When I arrived at the hotel, or rather "resort," I was impressed with the enormity of it all. Everything just seemed massive! From the golf course, to the buildings, and even fireplaces on either side of the lobby were enormous.  I was most impressed with the brick facade and stonework inside the building, until I experienced the spa. I'll share more on the spa experience later.

One of the two giant fireplaces in the lobby

The courtyard of The Grove Park Inn from one of the hallways

The outdoor portion of the spa in the foreground, golf course in the background

The view of downtown Asheville (to the left) from the courtyard

on one of the beautiful sunny days

My hotel room was unimpressive. It looked like a room inside any hotel and the double beds were actually very small. I didn't mind since I had the bed to myself, but it would have been very cozy for two people.  I assume they had king beds for couples.  I also had a room without a view. It looked out to a driveway and some bushes.  I did appreciate a K-Cup coffee machine with regular coffee, decaf, and tea. Other than that, there were no exciting amenities in the room.

My hotel room

During the conference, North Carolina had a room that was used as the hospitality suite, which was stocked with snacks and beverages.  The first day of the conference ended with a reception that brought most people to the hospitality suite for an "after party."  The room was packed and there were a few people that definitely had too much to drink!  Other than the first evening, the room was used for people to hang out and relax together.  The theme for the room was the 1950's and the decor was fabulous. It made for a perfect place to get together.  That, and the amazing view of the mountains and downtown Asheville!  My favorite part was the Murphy Bed.  Colin and I talk about getting one someday!

The 1950's room at The Grove Park Inn

The conference itself had some high points and low points. The sessions I attended, and the one I co-lead were all very informative and very good.  It was also nice to see people that I work with from all over the state. There were a few good keynote speakers as well, except for the final speaker at breakfast on the last day.  I did not enjoy the storyteller, Bill Thompson, share his "Front Porch Stories" about traditions in North Carolina and The South.

I could go on a rant about how terrible the food was, but I'll only describe the breakfasts, which were the worst I have ever had at a conference or in a continental breakfast.  On the first morning, the only choices were sausage or ham biscuits. And they put out jelly - for what, I'm not sure. Then there was juice and coffee.  That's it! As a dietitian and someone who strives to eat well, I was appalled.  The second day wasn't much better when they put out 2-3 varieties of pastries. I heard that the food vendor at The Grove Park Inn changed after the conference costs were agreed upon, so the menu had to change and that food was all that could be offered at the approved price.  It angers me that pastries are so much less expensive than real food like fruit!  Thankfully, I did enjoy some good dinners by leaving the hotel and eating downtown.  Asheville is a foodie's paradise with lots of options for local farm-to-fork foods, vegetarian, and vegan options.  You would think that a place like The Grove Park Inn would strive to bring some local foods to it's patrons. But I think that everything about the resort was expensive (to keep with the "enormous" theme).

A conference room in The Grove Park Inn looks just like one in any other hotel

I did take some time for myself to enjoy the highly acclaimed spa one evening.  We had the option to go on a  tour of The Biltmore Estate, but since I have been there twice already, I decided to go to the spa instead.  I debated between the Spa Access Twilight Pass and the 50 minute Classic Massage.  I mainly wanted to spend time in the spa, enjoying the pools, sauna and steam rooms, but I also really wanted a massage.  The pass to the spa for the evening was only $50, while the massage was $129, which included being able to go to the spa all day.  I decided it would be unlikely that I would ever go back to The Grove Park Inn - unless I could convince some girlfriends for a weekend retreat - so I went all out with the massage.  The massage and a couple of hours in the spa was just what I needed after 2 weeks of travel in the Pacific Northwest and 3 days of the conference! I enjoyed the hot and cold contrast pools, steam room, sauna, waterfalls, and swimming pools for an hour before the massage and then went back for another hour after the massage.  I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the spa, but there are a few on the hotel's website.  

In my experience, the hotel is not worth the $300+/night price tag, but the spa is definitely worth a visit.  I know Colin wouldn't enjoy it, and we wouldn't be able to enjoy the steam room or saunas together since they are in female and male-only areas. The spa would be a great experience for a girls getaway.  Maybe I'll convince some ladies to go to Asheville with me some time. We can stay in a less expensive hotel, go to the spa, and eat delicious local food in downtown Asheville!  Any takers??

Have you ever been to a conference where the conference rooms were amazing and the food was delicious? If so, where was it?

In my opinion, conference rooms look the same everywhere I go. They usually have hideous carpets, fluorescent lighting, and dark walls and chairs.

A fair amount of exercise in NYC

I realize I've already been back from NYC for two weeks, but I wanted to share information about my efforts to feel good through eating well and exercising.  As I've posted previously, it's challenging to stay on track with healthy habits while away from home.  If you read my post that detailed my accommodations in NYC, you know that I picked a studio apartment rental and had a tiny kitchen with a microwave, single cooktop burner, and refrigerator.

I started the week off well with a trip to Whole Foods - where I picked up hummus, carrots, yogurt, and granola for breakfast and snacks.  I knew the training would provide lunch, but wasn't sure about breakfast.  Because I planned to meet up with friends for dinners, I didn't get any food for dinner.

Turns out the training offered a dietitian's nightmare of a breakfast and the same lunch every day.  The options for breakfast included muffins (only 1-2 bran choices), croissants, or white bread bagels.  I tried to vary my choices each day, and finally just decided to eat my yogurt and granola for breakfast towards the end of the week.  Because the food was sitting out each day when I arrived, and was still available during the morning break, I did eat more than I wanted.

Lunch was a little bit better.  There were the same sandwiches offered each day and I varied my selection between the vegetarian sandwich (bean based), tuna, and turkey.  The sides were pretty awful, but I didn't indulge.  Instead, I opted for fruit with my sandwich and fruit for an afternoon snack.

At home, I prefer to have a bigger meal at lunch and a smaller meal in the evening.  Having only sandwiches at lunch during the training meant I was hungry for dinner and ended up eating my larger meals then.

• Monday I ate a dish called "Ropa Vieja" at The Coffee Shop in Union Square.  The restaurant offered Latin and Brazilian dishes and boasted a diner atmosphere.  Ropa Vieja means old clothes in Spanish and the dish included shredded steak, rice, beans, and plantains.  It was definitely a filling meal!
• Tuesday I took it easy with some vegetables, hummus, and yogurt for dinner.
• Wednesday I enjoyed my vegetarian meal, called Garden Delight, at Zen Palate in Hell's Kitchen. I suspect I have a minor-moderate allergy to soy and several types of nuts, so I try to limit my portions of these foods.  Thankfully, there aren't any foods that make me go into anaphylactic shock, but soy and nuts cause my breathing passages to not be as clear as I'd like.  My dish included lots of different vegetables and had a small amount of soy pate with it.  I split a delicious seaweed salad with my friend as an appetizer, so I ended up bringing some of my food back "home" with me.
• Wednesday's leftovers turned into Thursday's dinner (along with more hummus and veggies).
• Friday I met up with former coworkers near my old office and enjoyed some lamb sliders and a cocktail at Rattle & Hum Bar & Restaurant during happy hour.  My former colleague was celebrating a promotion, another was recently married and I hadn't seen anyone in awhile, so we had a ball.  But the evening did not end there. Colin flew in to the city Friday evening, so I met up with him at our friend's apartment in Long Island City, where we enjoyed pizza at Bella Via Restaurant.  I'm sure my fat and sodium intake were through the roof on Friday.

To balance out all this eating, I made a strong effort to be physically active.  Each day I walked the 1.5 miles to and from the training and I walked around lower Manhattan for at least 20 minutes 3 days of the week.  

Walking from Union Square to downtown for the training

Walking "home" through Washington Square Park

For dinner on Wednesday, I walked 2 miles each way to dinner. 

My "neighborhood" for a week.

I also managed to get some planned exercise into my schedule.  On Sunday I went to New York Health & Raquet Club where they gave me a 3 day trial pass.  So I worked out Sunday and Monday, and took a pilates class and swam on Wednesday before dinner.  The weather was also fantastic, so I managed to get a 5 mile run in on the bike path (West Side Highway) on Tuesday.  

A beautiful sunset on a 50 degree day in NYC

Makes for a great place to run.

I had great plans to exercise on Friday, but ultimately didn't do anything too physical on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. On Superbowl Sunday, knowing we'd be eating poorly, Colin and I enjoyed a 4 mile run with our friends in Bay Ridge.  It was quite a sight to see our group of 5, with the 2 soccer ladies leading the 3 "fighting" men.  The run seemed effortless despite our decent pace and made me feel less bad about my indulgence in of pigs in a blanket, Doritos, pizza, and cupcakes while watching the game. 

After 10 days in NYC, it was definitely time to get back to a healthy routine in Raleigh.  I'm a sucker for free food, which is unfortunately almost always unhealthy and I frequently look for the best value in a restaurant (which is not usually a salad).  The exercise kept me feeling better than I would have without it, but meals prepared by restaurants and catering companies always have so much added fat and sodium.  I didn't weigh myself before I left or when I came back, but I doubt I balanced my calories burned with so many that were eaten (even with 2 days of small dinners).

Do you ever try to exercise in anticipation of eating a large and/or unhealthy meal?

Visiting Friends and Family in the Northeast

After a wonderful day in New York City and a very enjoyable time with our hosts in Bayside, Queens, we drove the hour and a half east to the North Fork of Long Island.  Colin's law school friend, Keith, rented a house near the vineyards for his wife's surprise 30th birthday party and to show off their 2 month old daughter Mackenzie.

As we all contemplated how Keith was able to keep the party a surprise, their caterer served delicious appetizers and we mingled with family and friends.  Unfortunately, none of the other friends in the group from law school were in attendance, but we had fun getting to meet new people and trying to socialize Darwin. I should emphasize the word "trying" because Darwin literally laid down behind Colin's legs for a majority of the day.  We did make some progress when he finally opened up to Keith's mom when she fed him his food from her hand.

The women of the hour appeared shortly after we arrived and their arrival brought with it a heightened sense of excitement to an already boisterous crowd.  Elicia and Keith were both beaming with pride, and Mackenzie looked absolutely precious in her little dress.

Mackenzie looking like a doll

It was wonderful to celebrate such joy with Keith, Elicia and their friends and family.  The weather could have cooperated a little better so that we could have enjoyed the beautiful and spacious yard and gazebo, but you can never control Mother Nature when she wants the rain to fall.

The adorable family

As the party came to an end, we said our goodbyes, knowing that the next time we would see them, Mackenzie would look very different.  In a bit of a rush to catch the ferry (goodbyes always take longer than you expect), we made it to the farthest point in northeastern Long Island, Orient Point, with just moments before the ferry departed.  With a sigh of relief, we (minus Darwin) enjoyed the 1.5 hour ferry across Long Island Sound to New London, CT before driving another 45 minutes to my parent's house in RI.

I do believe we have to experience bad weather so that we can appreciate the good weather, and Mother Nature decided we needed 3 days of rain.  Our time in RI wasn't plagued with as much rain as we received in Long Island, but it definitely put a damper on the two days we were there.  We managed to take Darwin on a wonderful 5 mile walk along the bike path near my parent's house during a break in the rain and spent most of the trip indoors hosting lots of family members.  Colin's sister Karen, sister-in-law Carla, and our niece and nephew visited with us on Monday and Colin's parents visited on Tuesday.  It certainly made spending quality time with family easier to have everyone come to us.

Sisters-in-law and cousins (Darwin counts as our child)!

The Clemente's enjoyed having a house full of guests!

Darwin got to meet both sets of grandparents

We hadn't seen our niece, Isabella, and nephew, Brian, since they visited North Carolina last spring and seeing how quickly they change is always amazing.  Isabella, at 9 months, is now crawling everywhere, and trying to stand up and walk.  She is a precious little girl!

And Brian, at almost 7 years, is such a fan of his Uncle Colin.  They have the greatest time hanging out together!

There was lots to catch up on over the course of two days since we had gone all summer without seeing almost everyone.  And in my mom's kitchen, there is usually lots of food to be eaten!  My mom always has a stocked fridge and makes the most delicious meals!!  On Monday we had a salmon dinner with seafood rice and a salad, and Tuesday we had an assortment of entrees.  For many of our visits, my mom makes traditional Portuguese dishes, but my parents love to grill during the summer (even if it's raining).

Overall, we had a great few days catching up with friends and family.  I would have loved to take the whole week off and meet up with my friends and see the all the little girls I haven't met in Massachusetts, Vermont, and Delaware and celebrate weddings and engagements, but we had to get back for work.  The problem with having friends in all parts of the country is that it is difficult to see them for all the exciting life-changing events.  We made it to most of the weddings, but it has been extremely difficult to meet the babies.

How do you make the best of a rainy day when traveling?

Work Travels in May

In addition to getting a puppy and buying our home, the month of May also had me taking a few work trips.  In just over four weeks, I made trips to four of North Carolina's counties to observe "my program."  As a dietitian doing community work for the university, I manage an older adult nutrition education program administered in 19 counties throughout the state.  One of the best parts of my job is getting out into the counties to meet the people that receive the lessons I have created for them.  It's also interesting to watch the county extension agents teach the program and put their own spin on each of the lesson.

As part of the program, older adults participate in activities about food, nutrition, and budgeting.  They receive items, called "extenders," which help them remember and practice what they've learned.  And they get to try foods and recipes that are tasty and inexpensive!

A sample sales flier from the grocery store for the week's activity and vegetable scrub brushes to help older adult clean veggies, but keep the skin on for added nutrients

This week's taste test used varieties of hummus as a dip for raw vegetables

 Another session provides older adults with a sample of roasted vegetables

The nutrition program is usually conducted at a congregate nutrition site, a place where older adults gather for a lunch-time meal.  This year's curriculum focuses on eating fruits and vegetables, so all the food samples include tasty fruits and veggies.  One of the most common things I have heard at each of the sites is rich flavor of the vegetables.  It's great to hear that older adults love the easy and inexpensive vegetables that are a part of the program.  I also credit the county extension agents who prepare these taste tests.

During May, I was able to visit Johnston County, Greene County, Duplin County and Pasquotank County.  Johnston was the closest visit, being less than 30 minutes away and Pasquotank was my overnight trip to the northeast corner of the state (3 hours away).  Both Greene and Duplin were day trips about 1.5 hours from the Raleigh area.

A few notable things occurred during these trips:

1. Upon meeting the county extension agent in Duplin County, I was greeted by a newspaper photographer.  Apparently my visit coincided with the mayor's visit to the site.  The newspaper was there to document the big event in this small town.  So, we all had our photos taken with the mayor and an article should be written in the local newspaper soon. If I hear anything about being famous in southeastern North Carolina, I will certainly share it with you all!

 

The county extension agent with the mayor and site director

2. The following week, in Greene County, I was shaken by the destruction that tornadoes left in this area of North Carolina.  You may recall that in mid-April (2011) much of North Carolina was in a state of emergency due to severe tornadoes.  Well, almost a month later, this was still the scene off the main road leading into the town I visited.

If you look closely, you can see an SUV sitting sideways inside the building closest to my car.  The entire stretch of road showed many homes with a tarp serving as a temporary roof.  You could clearly see the tornadoes destructive path through the area.

While some people in the Raleigh area experienced serious damage, I was lucky to have only lost power for a few hours.  But many of the counties east of Raleigh were not so fortunate.  Much of eastern North Carolina is flat and many people live in mobile homes, a doubly whammy for tornadoes.


I am grateful for the opportunity to travel with my job because I meet so many wonderful people and get to learn about the different areas of the state.  In addition, it is extremely helpful to see how I can improve how we provide nutrition education to low-income residents of North Carolina.  Every positive or negative experience provides me with an opportunity to learn something when I take the time to reflect on it.

Visiting Jacksonville, Florida April 22-23

On the way to Jacksonville, FL, we decided to enjoy the beautiful afternoon at the beach on Amelia Island just north of the city.  Few things make me happier than relaxing on the beach while the sounds of the ocean lull me into an afternoon nap.

The main beach area boasted a park with picnic tables, bathrooms, showers, and a wide stretch of sandy beach.  After a dip in the water, afternoon snacks, and a power nap, we continued on to Jacksonville.

Situated on the waterfront, our hotel overlooked the St. Johns River to the moderately sized downtown area. We respectfully declined the $10 parking - similar to our experience in Savannah - and instead chose free parking only a brief walk away.  We also tried our hand power negotiating by asking if we could upgrade our room to an upper-level room that overlooked the river  Sure enough, it worked! We found our room on the 9th floor, complete with an amazing water view.  You know, it didn't hurt to ask.

I would never have thought of Jacksonville as a sustainable city, but they did offer several restaurants sourcing local ingredients and a few Whole Foods stores to boot.  The front desk staff at the hotel advised against walking to the restaurant a short two miles away.  They did, however, encourage us to walk over the bridge to an area of downtown called "The Landing."  (Think South Street Seaport.)  We normally take advisories against walking with a grain of salt.  When we realized the area was under construction, we gladly drove to the sustainable restaurant - Bistro Aix.

The cool nighttime breeze and outdoor patio only added to the enjoyment our meal.  We noticed other seating under the climbing vines, but we couldn't complain: our seats in the garden patio impressed us nonetheless.

 

My vegetable pasta dish was tasty, but Colin's prosciutto pizza was to die for!

 

Exploring Jacksonville was a priority, so we denied ourselves dessert at the restaurant with hopes of  finding a bakery within walking distance of the hotel.   Yelp unfortunately realized our worst fears: no amazing shop in the area could satisfy our sweet tooth.  We opted instead for banana cream pie from Ruth's Steakhouse, located inside our hotel.  The pie -meh- was forgettable.  The best part was not actually the dessert itself, but eating it on the waterfront while listening to music being played across the river.  Sweet tooth be damned.

Our adventure to get across the river started with a slight detour.  But soon after, we managed to find the boardwalk's entrance to the bridge and walked the mile to the very lively Landing.  The band's metal sounds blasting off the amphitheater-type shopping plaza, were a bit much for us, so we decided to promenade along the promenade away from the music.  The walk provided several historical accounts of the area, allowing us to learn about the St. John's River and people who developed it.

Feeling the long day wear down on us, we made our way back to the hotel, packed our bags for a day at the beach, and went to bed.

Wanting to make the most of every bit of daylight, we awoke early to a beautiful morning and went for a jog on the boardwalk.  The boardwalk thankfully followed the river only about a mile, leaving us enough time to take a dip in the pool.  The pool was amazingly refreshing after the run and felt perfect under the hot sun.  We enjoyed it as long as we could before leaving for our next destination. If you look closely, you can see the pool at the bottom of the image below. 

The best part about a road trip is you see so many things, decide where you want to visit again, and then plan what you'll do there next time.  I will certainly return to Jacksonville to spend a few days at the beach!

Stay tuned for the 3rd and final leg of our road trip. It was definitely the best part!

Have you ever made it back to a destination you only passed through the first time?
Did you get to do and see everything the second time around?

Community Supported Agriculture

I finally had some time today to catch up on some sustainable food reading. There is always so much going on in NYC, it's hard to stay on top of it all and decide what events to attend! I added a new book to my list of those "to-read" called, "The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove" by Cathy Erway. The author spent two years in NYC cooking every day and did not go out to eat. While we do cook most of our meals at home from locally sourced ingredients, it can get repetitive at times. I found Ms. Erway's blog and added it to my feed in the hopes of finding good recipes I can use.

It also happened to be our Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, farm share pick up day today. We have been so fortunate here in Forest Hills to have a wonderful CSA three blocks from our apartment. CSA is a program where members of a collective group pay farmers at the beginning of the growing season to grow and deliver vegetables (and some fruit) throughout the seasons. Our CSA has two seasons - summer with weekly deliveries, and winter with monthly deliveries. Our farmers are awesome and grow a variety of organic vegetables - see www.goldenearthworm.com. While the cost up front seems like a lot, when you divide it out per delivery, it is very reasonable. Not only am I eating fresh fruits and vegetables, it allows me to lower my carbon footprint and support local agriculture. The first year Colin and I joined the CSA, we had so many vegetables we had to split the share with a friend. Last year, we found ourselves hoping for more produce than our half would provide (granted, it was a more difficult growing season last summer). We continued with the winter season this year, and as we would expect, our vegetables are mostly the root vegetables that store well - beets, carrots, rutabagas, radishes and potatoes.




This was today's delivery of root vegetables (after we cooked a few potatoes). While we do sometimes get stuck in a rut of making the same things week after week, it's always really exciting to make a really great new dish. Speaking of great new dishes, Colin experimented today with a vegetable quiche - which did come out fantastic.

In addition to the vegetables we get from our farmer out in Long Island, we also have the option to buy sustainable meat through our CSA. The meat comes from several producers in upstate New York and Vermont, and is frequently delivered with our vegetables. With the vegetables, the farmer plans what is grown to give us variety, while we decide what meat we want to order. Our typical order, which we received today includes turkey (breast or ground), chicken, and eggs. Occasionally we will order beef, but it is pretty rare. We spend about $30-$40 on each order, which lasts us about a month. Because we can't get fish from the farm, we buy that separately at either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's to incorporate into our meals. Trader Joes tends to have much cheaper prices on their fish, but I don't think their overall selection of foods (especially produce) is that great.



The eggs we ordered from the farm were used in Colin's quiche tonight!

The weekend of February 27-28, 2010 there are some exciting sustainable food events happening in NYC. On February 27, a free afternoon event called "Foodprint NYC" is taking place (http://www.foodprintproject.com/). There appear to be some excellent speakers who will look beyond the plate to the social, political, artistic and economic forces that shape the way we eat. The following day JustFood, a food justice non-profit, is holding their annual CSA conference (http://www.justfood.org/csa/csa-events/csa-nyc-conference). The conference brings together CSA members from all over the city and some of the farmers who produce the food for these members. I look forward to attending both events.

Where does your meat come from?

I had another out to eat experience this past weekend that left me wondering if it is even possible to eat sustainably raised meat outside of NYC. Colin and I met his parents for lunch in Poughkeepsie, NY and went to a nice restaurant on the waterfront. Looking at the menu, which had a good variety of plant, meat and fish options, we decided to ask the waiter if he knew where the meat was bought. The waiter acted as if this question had never been asked before! He left our table and returned with the manager. Upon asking the same question to the manager, he was dumbfounded and wondered why we wanted to know and what specifically we were looking for. When we explained that we wanted me that was either bought from a local farm or butcher, the manager said, "we get our meat from various sources, do you want to know if the meat is organic?" I know that produce grown organically cannot contain certain pesticides and is environmentally better, but I didn't know what the standards for organic meat are. In looking at the USDA definition (http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml), it appears "Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones." I don't see anything in the definition about how the animal was fed, though I assume it could not have been a heavy corn based diet or else it would have needed antibiotics. I also see anything related to how the animal was slaughtered. Upon hearing the meat was not "organic" Colin opted for a veggie sandwich of mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and cheese, while I had the salad and minestrone soup. The sandwich was amazing!
The conversation about eating in New Zealand and Australia came up during lunch and I have not researched what farming practices these two countries use. I know the issues related to industrial agriculture in the U.S. and have seen the photos and video footage of the cattle feedlots out west (you can see these two if you search "CAFO photos"), but I'm not sure if these exist in New Zealand. I will have to be on the lookout as we explore the south island. It will be more of a challenge in Australia as the country is so large. A brief web search on CAFOs in both countries did not turn up much, so on our journey there in just over a week, perhaps we can ask people where their meat comes from.

Recommending Food Movies and Links

Two weeks ago, I had the great opportunity to see a showing of the movie Food, Inc. It was pretty amazing! I had heard much of the information before after reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Both of these investigative journalists were involved in Food, Inc. The movie gives viewers a window into how food, mainly meat, is mass produced to meet the demands of consumers. The giant cattle "factories" were difficult to watch, as were overpopulated chicken coups. It is also frustrating to learn that only a few companies own the entire meat supply and how many government officals, who are supposed to protect the public's health, have worked or go on to work for one of those few companies.
I had a great conversation with my parents on the topic over a sustainably raised turkey and backyard garden vegetables Thanksgiving dinner. My mother, who grew up on a farm in Portugal, raised all of of the animals and crops for consumption. She described to me her experience in seeing chickens slaughtered. If more of us had to see the actual process from "farm to table," especially how meats get there, I believe most Americans would be vegetarians, or would drastically reduce our meat intake.
I heard Marion Nestle, a top nutrition professional from NYU, speak at the same Food, Inc event and one of her topics in particular really resonated with me. As a dietitian, we rely on messages from the USDA who puts out the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. Marion Nestle made the great point that if you look at the recommendations, we are told to "eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables." When we talk about things to limit in our diet, we focus on nutrients and not on foods. Did you ever notice that? Instead of saying, "limit red meat," we say "to choose lean meats and low fat dairy" or "to limit fats." If you visit the Food Guide Pyramid on the web: www.mypyramid.gov, you can see that the meat and beans group states to "vary your choices (of meats and beans) - with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds." But, why does it not say to LIMIT intake of meat to a certain amount? Maybe because the beef industry would be pissed and since it was already stated the the meat food manufacturers and government officals circle jobs and are essentially the same people.
Since watching Food, Inc. I have been trying to only eat sustainably raised meats. Let me tell you the challenges I have faced!! In my home, I only get meat from our CSA (http://foresthillscsa.com/). My summer and winter vegetables come from a wonderful farm in Long Island, called Golden Earthworm (http://www.goldenearthworm.com/) and I can order meat through a network of farmers in upstate NY and VT (http://www.csalewiswaitefarm.com/). Since I eat food prepared at home at least 5 days a week, it's not too difficult to eat sustainably. But, the first challenge with my new quest to eat sustainable meat came when I took a friend out to lunch for her birthday and we went to Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse. If you look at a menu at Bugaboo (or restaurants like that), you can see my dilemma. With a 10oz steak on the menu for $12, Bugaboo is certainly not paying the cost of raising that animal sustainably (allowed to pasture on grass) - nor are 99% of the chain restaurants out there. I caved under pressure in the restaurant and had a crabcake and BBQ chicken! I went to the Olive Garden last week and went for a fish dish - which can also pose an environmental problem based on my choice - but for now I am only tackling meat!
Back to the issue of American's desire for the largest steak or burger - why does a restaurant even serve a 10oz steak to one person?! I encourage you all to lift the veil and learn about where your food comes from.