Breakfast On the Go

Posted on March 22, 2012 by

Mornings are busy, chaotic, and rushed, so it’s no wonder that eating a hearty breakfast ends up being a low priority in most homes. The appearance of breakfast in bar form sought to address the challenge of the hectic morning, and some people now tout breakfast bars as one of the best food inventions ever. But are these bars really a good way to start the day? We dove into GoodGuide data and created the infographic below to give you some answers. To find the healthiest cereal and granola bars, check out our ratings.

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Why Your Meal Matters

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

Do you think that sugary breakfast cereal is only going to affect your waistline (and maybe lead to an energy high that will crash by lunchtime)? Think again. Did you know that your daily bowl could also be contributing to unethical working conditions, the destruction of nutrient rich soil or other environmental and social downfalls?

Food production has changed dramatically over the past several years, making food cheaper at the expense of our health and the environment. While some would argue that the industrial food system has brought efficiency and reliability to our food supply, the changes in how we get our food have resulted in a major disconnect between consumers and the rest of the food system. However, there is a growing movement to address this disconnect, bring mindfulness back to eating, and show people that their meals do indeed matter. We’re getting in on the action, and so can you: now is your chance to learn how small, simple changes to your everyday meals can have a big impact on your body, the environment and society.

Join the “Your Meal Matters” Twitter chat party on March 27 at 9:30am PST/ 12:30pm EST to learn how. GoodGuide (@GoodGuide) will be partnering with organizations across the globe including Greennovate  (@Greennovate), Roots of Change (@RootsofChange), EatingWell (@EatingWell) and Practically Green (@PracticallyGrn) to share ideas about how each of us can make an impact. We will spend an hour discussing everything from what to do with your leftovers to how to navigate the grocery store. Just follow the hashtag #YourMealMatters to join in!

The party doesn’t stop there! To add to the excitement, we will pick the best tips to be featured as Practically Green actions after the chat. If you have a great idea about how to (easily!) make healthier and environmentally friendly food choices, it could be broadcast to the entire Practically Green community and help thousands of other people make better meal choices.

Partners include:

Greennovate: A sustainable consultancy that aims to raise environmental awareness by providing innovative educational programs such as this “Three Meals That Matter” video.

Roots of Change: Works to develop and support a collaborative network of leaders with interest in establishing a sustainable food system that share a commitment to changing our food thinking, food markets, and food policies.

Practically Green: A community for people striving to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Provides tools that make green actions much simpler, more personal and fun.

EatingWell: A bi-monthly national food and health magazine and website that provides the inspiration and information people need to make healthy eating a way of life through recipes, cooking tips, health information and coverage of food news and sustainability issues.

We are also excited for organizations including Meatless Monday (encourages going meatless on Mondays to improve the environment and personal health) and Sustainable Table (educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food) to join in the chat and lend their expertise. Let us know in the comments section if you will be attending also!

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What’s On Your Plate?

Posted on March 7, 2012 by

There are lots of strategies that can be used to make your eating habits healthier. Cook more. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Opt for the appetizer portion at restaurants. Keep a food diary. Eat breakfast. The effectiveness of all of these strategies is dependent upon your ability to fold the action into your regular routine – which in turn is dependent on how simple the behavior is to carry out.

The Department of Agriculture came to this realization last year and wisely updated MyPyramid to MyPlate. MyPlate is the federal government’s latest attempt to simplify the very complex topic of dietary guidance. While it has its shortcomings (read our blogpost on that topic), it does provide basic, actionable advice that will be of use to all Americans. According to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, “The USDA is committed to helping Americans make healthier food choices and our MyPlate symbol is a simple reminder to think before we eat.” To get people thinking more about their plates (and bowls), the USDA has designated Thursday, March 8th as “What’s on MyPlate?” Day. Working with nearly 6,000 partners, the department is encouraging people to share stories and pictures of their healthy plates on Twitter and Flickr with the hashtag #MyPlate.

We’ve decided to get in on the fun, and will be posting some pictures of our plates tomorrow. Why? At the end of the day adopting new behaviors, or modifying existing behaviors, has to start somewhere. We hope you’ll join us and use tomorrow to practice building your plate with these tips from MyPlate.

  • Balancing calories: enjoy your food, but eat less; avoid oversized portions
  • Foods to increase: make half your plate fruits and vegetables; make at least half your grains whole grains; switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
  • Foods to reduce: compare sodium in foods like soup, bread and frozen meals – and choose foods with lower numbers; drink water instead of sugary drinks.
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The Allure Of The Lorax

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

There has been quite a buzz surrounding the release of the Dr. Seuss movie “The Lorax,” one of the biggest mass-consumer movies with a clear message of stopping the destruction of our forests and saving the environment. To help consumers identify resources to stay green even after they leave the theatre, Universal Pictures partnered with a list of “Lorax Approved” organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and popular eco-friendly brands like Seventh Generation. However, the choice of certain collaborators, like the non-hybrid Mazda vehicle, has led to many to accuse the studio of greenwashing. Other critics believe the film focuses too much on green living and is “brainwashing” children into becoming “eco warriors.” So who is right? Let’s take a look at how some of these partnerships rate on GoodGuide:

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Hewlett Packard (7.2): With above average scores, HP has been very transparent about their environmental and social practices. They recently launched a campaign encouraging consumers to ”Print Like The Lorax” by making eco-conscious choices when printing.

Mazda (6): In conjunction with the release of the movie, Mazda is promoting their new “SKYACTIV” technology that improves fuel efficiency. Scoring comparably to other car companies, many of Mazda’s cars have average environmental scores but the vehicles still are not as high as hybrid or electric choices.

Seventh Generation (7.5): One of the highest scoring household and personal care companies on GoodGuide, Seventh Generation has a 9.4 for environmental management. They are encouraging consumers to purchase their “Lorax-Approved” products, which are highlighted by cartoon images on the packaging.

Stonyfield Farm (6.2): Despite scoring lower in areas such as resource use, Stonyfield Farm is still above average compared to most food companies.  They will also be promoting their “Lorax-Approved” products with large in-store displays.

Whole Foods (5.5): Although it has an average overall score, the company is not very transparent in its environmental and social practices. This is their first-ever partnership with a major film, which they will be promoting in-store and through social media.

It appears that no brands with the “Truffula Seal of Approval” received poor GoodGuide scores, but how many are actually trailblazers? Is Universal really concerned with promoting a green message and empowering consumers, or are they more interested in the earnings potential that comes from appearing to care about the environment? And can we really equate this fictional character to a trusted third party certifier?

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Relying on Labels

Posted on March 2, 2012 by

The meat section of your grocery store will be undergoing a transformation. As of March 1st, 2012, the majority of meat sold in the butcher case is required to bear nutrition labels. The labels will be just like the ones on other packaged foods, requiring specifics like calories, saturated fat, and protein to be disclosed (see image above).

Why the sudden interest in labeling meat products? Up until now, manufacturers had the option to voluntarily provide this information. However, recent surveys by the Food Safety and Inspection Service show limited participation in the program. Rising rates of chronic disease have prompted a closer look at how to empower consumers to make educated food choices, and making the voluntary meat label mandatory is seen as a way to give people essential nutrition information they can easily act upon. Having the details on these food products is likely to cause serious sticker shock for label readers. One serving of 95% lean ground beef (4 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of cards) is 154 calories, 2.5g of saturated fat, and 24.2g of protein. For more of the basics on what will and won’t be labeled, check out this article from WebMD. While there are some positives to the new disclosure coming to the meat department, this new ruling does bring us back to the question of the utility of labels.

At the end of the day, how many labels do we really need tell us that something is healthy or unhealthy? Maybe in this era of everything right here-right now, we have too many distractions to be able to focus on the basics. Under these circumstances a label is useful: it tells you what you need to make a good decision, and ideally what is most important. But when is a label a crutch, and when is it providing us with information that’s sorely needed? More importantly, what would it mean if we needed labels to give us information that we should just know? Should there be a line of acceptability when it comes to labels, or will we soon see a day when fresh produce carries stickers with nutrition facts to help us conclude they are healthy?

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February Good News Roundup

Posted on March 1, 2012 by

With new developments arising in the Apple and Foxconn factory debacle, the media turned to GoodGuide as the expert source of information about these supply chain controversies. We’ve recapped some of the coverage below, along with some other highlights from the month:

The Boston Review “Can Apple Shape Up?”: Dara O’Rourke, GoodGuide’s co-founder, provides insight into what the recent factory revelations mean for Apple and for consumers concerned about the ethics of what they buy.

Green Biz “How Sustainable Is Your Valentine’s Day Candy?”: Noting the multitude of social issues involved with chocolate, GoodGuide is profiled as the best way for consumers to learn about the most ethical (and healthiest) candy choices.

MSNBC  ”Glass Half Empty: Is Your Tap Water Safe?”: In order to have a less contaminated water supply, this article recommends using GoodGuide to find products with fewer chemicals.

CBC Canada “Re-Industrializing The Planet”:  Canada’s national public radio station features Dara O’Rourke in the “Recivilization” show in an episode about how the digital revolution has increased transparency in the marketplace.

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Clarifying Certification Confusion

Posted on February 27, 2012 by

How do you navigate through the masses of certifications and eco-labels out there? Staying true to GoodGuide‘s purpose of providing an easy resource to quickly find the safest, healthiest and greenest products, we held a Certification Chat to try to clear up some of the confusion. We were lucky enough to have representatives join us from some of the most prominent certifications to directly answer consumer questions. If you weren’t able to attend, here are some key takeaways from the event:

Fair Trade USA:

  • The leading certifier of Fair Trade products in the US, guarantees ethical working conditions and sustainable business.
  • All Fair Trade Certified products are free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
  • Coffee continues to be the leading Fair Trade product. Produce, sugar and tea are growing rapidly.
  • By providing farmers with economic stability, environmental stewardship is also encouraged.

Non-GMO:

  • Supports informed choice and a non-GMO future with North America’s only non-GMO verification program, based on DNA testing.
  • Ongoing ingredient testing, annual evaluations & onsite inspections are required for companies to be Non-GMO Project verified.
  • There are currently 3,000+ verified products!
  • Here’s the complete list of GMO risk crops and common ingredients from them.
  • The FDA does not regulate non-GMO claims, so look specifically for the Non-GMO Project label.

Leaping Bunny:

  • Administers a cruelty-free standard for cosmetic, personal care and household product companies.
  • Certified companies make a long-term pledge to no new animal testing. They are required to recommit each year.
  • The label is found in the US and Canada, and the EU partner is Go Cruelty Free.
  • The FDA does not regulate the use of terms such as “cruelty-free” or “no animal testing”.

GREENGUARD:

  • Helps protect human health by reducing exposure to chemicals & pollutants. Certifies products for low chemical emissions.
  • Quarterly monitoring and annual re-testing is required to ensure compliance with the standards.
  • Consider a product’s impact on the air you breathe indoors. This is a major route of chemical exposure.

Eco Logo:

  • Certifies products and services that have met stringent standards of environmental leadership.
  • Continuously growing, and now has the support of one of the world’s most trusted certification organizations (UL). They still adhere to the same principles of science and stringency.

Green Palm:

  • A supply chain option for the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil certification addressing social, environmental & economic issues for the palm oil industry.
  • Recently helped Brazil undergo change with its deforestation issues.
  • 50% of packed products in EU contain palm oil / palm kernel or derivatives.

Climate Counts:

  • Scores companies on their climate impact, bringing consumers and companies together in finding solutions to climate change.
  • The ratings are valid for a one year time frame. Scoring is conducted annually.
  • 63.9% of companies improved their climate leadership scores from 2010 to 2011!
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