The holiday season is upon us and what better way to show your loved ones how much you care about them than by cooking a delicious organic holiday meal? At the same time, you’ll be doing your part to respect the environment and possibly save the planet.
The holiday season is upon us and what better way to show your loved ones how much you care about them than by cooking a delicious organic holiday meal? At the same time, you’ll be doing your part to respect the environment and possibly save the planet. “Green” meals are increasing in popularity and you don’t have to be vegan to make a difference.
“People think it’s an all or none kind of thing, but that really isn’t true. Try adding one new organic item to your table every year. Start small by buying from local farmers or using recycled paper products when you entertain,” said Marianne Schnall of Ecomall.com.
Whether you decide to go totally vegan with a tofu turkey, or opt for a Heritage turkey, a natural bird descended from early American stock, your organic Thanksgiving meal can really be something special.
Green experts agree that one of the best ways to make a contribution to the environment is to buy local foods. At The Green Guide in New York City, editor, Mindy Pennybacker, said not only does local shopping benefit the independent farmer but it also cuts down on the amount of fossil fuels generated to truck foodfrom one part of the country to another. “At this time of year there’s an abundance of fresh root vegetables such as kale and brussel sprouts that we should make good use of. Buy organic apple cider. There are some very good organic wines and beer out there as well,” she said.
At the “In Good Taste” cooking school in Portland, Oregon, one of the school’s main philosophies is to “eat seasonally”. “We’re sort of an organic cooking school for the lay person. Our classes focus on using all organic ingredients. That means no pesticides or chemicals are used on the things we eat. Sustainable agriculture is the only way to go if we want the earth to be a safe place to grow food for generations to come,” said Barbara Dawson, school manager.
When the school opened its doors eight years ago it was one of the first in its area to promote sustainable cooking. Dawson added that in addition to teaching people how to take better care of the earth and their own health, they also work to raise awareness of eating sustainable, locally grown, seasonal foods. The school primarily uses food that comes from farms within a hundred mile radius of their location.
Every November Barbara Randall, a teacher at the school, hosts a holiday cooking class designed to help students choose the right recipes and ingredients to make a great tasting, healthy, environmentally sound holiday meal.
“This year we’re making pumpkin turnip soup, barley pilaf with wild mushrooms, and natural Heirloom turkeys. We will also have chestnuts, roasted apples, and pumpkin pie, and all the ingredients we use will be organic and the taste is unbelievable,” Randall said.
The teacher, who has done her homework, said the average food item travels 1,300 miles to reach its destination and feels that’s just too far. “Whenever you buy food from a local farmer he gets 91 cents on the dollar. If you buy it at the super market, the farmer, wherever he is, will only get 17 cents on the dollar. It pays to buy fresh in more ways than one,” she said.
Eating locally is becoming a world wide choice. In Brighton, England, a new publication called “All Things Green” advises readers not to buy any foods that have been air shipped, organic or not. James Collins, publication founder, suggests adding up the food miles on your plate and the rule of thumb is the fewer the better.
“Over here we’ve got our favorites for the holiday meal. Chestnuts, mulled wine, a goose or turkey, and fresh vegetables ”“ and they can all be organic. Loved ones will tell you that a meal prepared with love, local ingredients, and without damage to the environment tastes like heaven,” Collins said.
Whole Foods, a national food store chain, points out in their Thanksgiving press release, that the Pilgrims ate only fresh foods at the first Thanksgiving. Whole Foods market chef, Janet Chaykin, said, unlike the Pilgrims natural feast, today, a typical holiday meal consisting of turkey, stuffing, a casserole, and pumpkin pie, can contain as many as 15 artificial ingredients and/or preservatives.
“What you don’t serve your family has become just as important as what you do serve them,” she said. Whole Foods caters to a growing number of people seeking to avoid unnecessary processing ”“ something to be truly thankful for. Items designed for quick preparation, which many have come to rely on for their convenience, can include multi-syllable ingredients like monosodium glutmate and butylated hydroxyanisole. Conventional foods can also contain genetically modified ingredients not required by law to appear on labels.
Chaykin suggests starting a holiday repast with something light that will enable guests to fully enjoy the main course. Fresh organic fruit with natural Gouda cheese from Holland is a particularly green appetizer. She also said free range turkeys are not only free of artificial ingredients but tend to be especially tender birds. In addition, the rise in vegan holiday meals has tofu turkey sales up to 50,000 sold per year.
The Ecomall website also offers tips on how to take “green” one step further by going beyond holiday edibles. Because the mission of the site is to enlighten chefs and those who plan to entertain on how to better serve guests and the environment, they offer plenty of tips on how to do more than just eat green.
“What better time than the holidays to pull out the special china, glasses, and linens? If you must use paper products why not opt for recycled ones? Marcal now offers 6% post consumer recycled paper products. There’s a lot of waste during the holiday season and that’s something we can all prevent easily,” Schnall said.
A serious green enthusiast knows there’s more to serving an organic meal than simply buying local products. Schnall believes that holiday decorations don’t have to be new, shiny items from an expensive gift store. Natural items can be just as festive and considerably kinder to the planet. Making table centerpieces with natural things such as pinecones, flowers, and berries not only celebrates green living but can also be especially eye pleasing.
When Christmas rolls around, Schnall suggests that people avoid artificial Christmas trees which tend to be made from petroleum, a material that’s particularly harsh on the environment. “Whenever possible, buy a fresh potted tree that can be planted outside after the holiday. If you have to have a cut tree, be sure to recycle or compost it. Avoid things like spray snow and packing materials and consider wrapping presents in reusable cloth gift bags. Send email Christmas cards instead of paper ones and save a tree. You can keep your traditions alive while changing just a few things about the way you celebrate,” she said.
For those who are turkeyed-out by Christmas and want to serve something other than poultry, the Green Guide strongly recommends shopping for organic meats. Federal organic standards require that no synthetics, pesticides or fertilizers be used to produce food. Organic animals are only those that are fed organic feed or grass, and are free of growth hormones and antibiotics.
“Organic meat sales were up by 23.4% in 2005. In fact it’s the fastest growing organic food on the market. There are plenty of websites and stores that offer environmentally aware consumers things like grass-fed beef and organic smoked ham that don’t stress or pollute the environment,” she said.
Holiday clean-up, both before and after is another thing that can be made more earth-friendly. All the soap, detergent, polish, and disinfectants designed to kill germs can actually pollute the air in your home. Even after it’s gone down the drain and been processed, those poisons were still found in 69% of streams tested by the Green Guide. Generally, products with labels that say “warning”, “caution” or “danger” contain highly toxic ingredients that can be particularly harmful to both humans and the environment. When shopping for household cleaning solutions, opt for natural things such as vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda and add some extra elbow grease. If you must purchase cleaning agents, look for plant based products with labels that say “biodegradable in 3-5 days”.
From finding the right food, to setting the table, to cleaning up after guests leave, there are more options now than ever before for people interested in going green. Those who don’t have time to shop at several specific stores to get the things they need for their holiday table can go online and find a whole host of sites with everything you can think of. Planning your meal is as easy as organic apple pie.
One organic web site is Diamond Organics which offers a wide array of grass-fed beef, lamb, and buffalo. They also sell organic nuts, apple cider, fruitcake, red and white wine, fruit and chocolate. Organic holiday gift baskets can be custom made and are sure to please even the fussiest palate.
There are now numerous companies that deliver organic meals and ingredients. Go online to your favorite search engine and type “organic food baskets” and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the food that’s available.
Teri Borseti is a freelance writer based in Massachusetts.
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