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Web Site Helps You Buy Green

Do you ever stand in a store aisle, overwhelmed by the rows and rows of products, just wishing you had a way to know which products really are safe for you and the environment? Which are the healthiest? Which companies are socially and environmentally responsible?

The Web site GoodGuide.org aims to do just that: arm you with information about the social, environmental, and health impacts of products so that you can make purchasing decisions that reflect your values. Developed by a professor at UC Berkeley, the Web site lets you search among tens of thousands of products (food, personal care, toys, household) and see expert recommendations on the best choices, as well as reviews from other users. You can even create and store your own list of favorite products.

So there are no more excuses. Get out there and stimulate the economy!

Lazy Weekends + Black Eye Peas = Happiness

Anyone who knows me knows I am a dried bean evangelist. Kidney beans. Black beans. Giant butter beans. Black eye peas. Navy beans. Lentils. It doesn't matter; we are all family here.

So when I have some free time on the weekend, you can bet money there will be a big pot of beans. Today was black eye peas, which I had with leftover cornbread. I just love how versatile they are. I can eat them plain, mix them with rice, stir in some stewed tomatoes, stuff them in a pita, throw them in a wrap, top a salad, form them into a cake for a quick pan-fry. And, the leftovers freeze wonderfully, giving me delicious, comforting, homemade lunches to take to work for weeks.

And, not only are they delicious, but I must again point out that they one of the biggest bargains in the grocery store. Where else can you get 12 servings of nutrient-dense, protein-packed goodness for $.99? Not in the frozen food aisle, my friend.

What squash teaches us about the economy.

I machete-chopped into a spaghetti squash the other night, ready to prepare it for dinner. As I was scooping out the slimy strings and seeds, I thought to myself, I wonder if you can roast these, like pumpkin seeds? (Which, let's face it, are fantastic, but such a hassle. The scale of the spaghetti squash seemed much more doable.)

Besides, it's a tough economy. It's my responsibility (as a citizen! for my country!) not to waste these seeds. (And surely the same must apply to cookie crumbs, no?) I will use every part of the squash! I will roast the seeds with sea salt and olive oil! I will eat the stringy flesh with stewed  tomatoes and fresh basil! I will dry the peels in the sun and use them to reinforce the soles of my shoes! (I decided I could live with two out of three.)

The seeds were delicious. Their interior wasn't as meaty and dense as pumpkin seeds; they were lighter. And just a spritz of olive oil, a grind of salt, and 10 minutes in the oven was all it took to transform them into a crunchy golden snack (and me into a true patriot.) Now that's value.

Obamalicious!

A coworker pointed these gems out to me, which are currently on sale in the bakery of the local Safeway here in Washington, DC.  Because what better way to celebrate the history-making inauguration of our 44th president than by eating his face on a low-grade sugar cookie? If their egg and dairy ingredients weren't enough to deter me, the $5 price tag (for six cookies) will do it.

Eating veggies for dinner, on the cheap

In these uncertain economic times (the fatigue around that phrase has already set in for me), everyone is looking for  places to cut back -- including the fridge.

In the UK, turnip sales are up a whopping 50%, as Brits turn to the humble tuber as an inexpensive way to extend soups, stews, salads, and casseroles. Although the vegetable has carried a stigma as being "peasant food" since World War II, people are re-embracing the turnip, thanks to its low cost and to the fact that celebrity chefs are increasingly using them in their recipes.

Similarly, in a recent article, the Chicago Tribune is touting cabbage as a cheap, filling, and nutritious food staple. (Check out the recipe they feature for a fancied-up cole slaw. Up to you if your budget allows for black sesame seeds!) 

A shocking (and presumably true) statistic, courtesy of Chrissie Hynde

In an interview last week with Rolling Stone about her new vegan restaurant in Akron, Ohio, the Pretenders' front-woman Chrissie Hynde claims that a vegetarian in a Hummer has less environmental impact than a meat-eater on a bicycle. Yowsas, Chrissie! It's hard to believe, yet also not that hard to believe at the same time.

Another interesting figure: Australia's Canberra Times cites a new study claiming that a vegetarian diet is 20% cheaper than a meat diet.

"The findings show it costs $508 a week to feed four adults on a traditional meat diet. A reduced meat diet costs $418 a week, while a vegetarian diet costs $394."

(Google's trusty currency converter says $394 Australian dollars is about $330 in U.S. dollars.)

Alright, so maybe I'm spending less money because I had dried kidney beans and brown rice for dinner instead of rack of lamb, but groceries sure don't feel like much of a bargain lately. I do try to buy almost exclusively organic, but that should be a choice that is economically and logistically possible for everyone - not a luxury.

I guess I will just have remind myself of these stats next time I feel the pain at the checkout counter and remind myself that if I was a meat-eater, it would be even worse.

At least I still get to drive my Hummer. That is a comfort.