It’s no secret that purchasing reusable containers will help reduce the amount thrown into a landfill.  Whether you’re the one who’s going back to school or the one packing the lunches (or both) with a few cool tools, you can save time and money.    

To-Go Ware Stainless Steel Food Carrier

Great for hot or cold foods, this comes with a removable plate and 2-tiers so you can separate foods.  Stainless steel is highly durable, won’t leach toxins like plastics can and is very easy to clean. 

Plastic Bag Dryer

I never knew these existed until very recently.  Way back in Elementary school I had a friend who would save all her Ziplocs she used for snacks & lunch in a day and bring them home with her after school and gave them to her mother who would wash, dry and reuse them as many times as she could.  Back then I  thought it very strange (because no one else I knew was doing it).  Little did I know back then that it would be considered “eco-friendly” today. 

SIGG Water Bottle

According to Fast Company, Americans use 50 billion water bottles each year.  Most are not recycled.  Find a reusable water bottle that looks good (so you’ll be more inclined to use it) and help keep your share of water bottle waste out of the trash.  They come in an assortment of colors and sizes for kids and adults alike. 

With a national movement underway to bring organic food to college dining halls, Colgate University senior, Nina Merrill discovered that there was very little online documenting and discussing it.  She gives college students a voice and a platform to discuss what’s happening on their own campuses.  Her goal is to encourage the development of organic good programs on college campuses nationwide.  Her theory is that by facilitating a round-table discussion where students can share their successes and pitfalls of their organic campus initiatives, others will be empowered to take proactive steps in improving the quality of their campus dining.  Her blog, titled Organic on the Green, gives students the opportunity to network with others from around the country who have similar goals and concerns.  It features essays from students on the front lines of making college dining more sustainable. 
 
She’s also working on a “How To” dining guide for students who hope to bring more organic food to their university or college.  This guide will call upon the topics discussed on the blog as well as highlight the initiatives of some of the most influential students on the sustainable campus circuit.

Additional organic food resources:

How To Go Organic

Slow Food USA

Next time your recipe calls for oil opt for a healthier option whether baking, sautéing, marinating or frying. Organic Macadamia Nut oil is a good fat and a terrific replacement for any oil that a recipe may call for. It contains a perfect 1:1 ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils and an impressive level of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. Dietary trials in Australia and Hawaii demonstrated that macadamia nut consumption lowered risk indicators for heart disease. While Olive Oil is also a highly beneficial oil, it has a much lower smoke point (high heat threshold) and when it reaches really high temps it begins to burn diminishing it’s nutritional value. Flax & fish oils are also amazingly beneficial, but should be consumed cold or at room temp.

The fat-free craze has many on a full force carb binge-out and look where that’s landed us; with the highest obesity rate of any country in the world. Companies are still labeling foods “Fat Free” as if it’s an incentive to buy, to which I’d like to ask…what’s the sugar and simple carb content (the things that really pack on the pounds)?! Instead of being scared of fat, we should embrace the good ones and skip the bad (i.e. trans-fat and partially hydrogenated). Good oils can help you feel full longer (so you have less of a tendency to keep eating), leave your skin beautiful; help improve memory, balance hormones and even help speed up weight loss efforts. 

Whether organic or not, Macadamia Nut oil can be difficult to find in stores. More often than not store clerks look at me with raised eyebrows or squinted eyes as if I’m making this product up, so I order mine online.   This makes a wonderful hostess gift and I highly recommend adding this to your own cupboard!

Until now, there hasn’t been a channel dedicated to all things green & eco-friendly.  In collaberation with TreeHugger.com, Discovery launched Planet Green one month ago on June 4th.  On the air 24/7, you’ll find a wide variety of shows to help inspire you to live more consciously.  Offering a broad range of perspectives and ideas, all backgrounds and ages will be able to find something appealing.  

No matter what shade of green you are, learn how to reduce your carbon footprint on Wa$ted, follow the residents of Greensburg as they rebuild their town that was completely destroyed by a deadly tornado and how they are implementing eco-friendly design into their plans.  If you’re a bit (or a lot) star-struck, check out Hollywood Green as host Maria Menounos reports on how the stars are going green.  On location at Whole Foods Market, watch Emeril Lagasse whip up some healthy meals with local and organic foods on Emeril Green.  Hosted by Tom Bergeon (Dancing with the Stars host), each week Supper Club features a celebrity chef who cooks up a green meal for four green celebrity guests while they discuss latest happenings and controversies in the green movement.  If you’re into home design and renovation, tune into Renovation Nation, Greenovate or World’s Greenest Homes for some great inspiration and ideas. 

 To find out what channel it’s on in your area, click here. 

Nothing says summer like fresh squeezed lemonade!  So refreshingly sweet and sour.  Stir up a batch of this delicious lemonade for any occasion:

 Feel free to adjust sugar, honey and lemon amounts to taste.

• 6 cups filtered or spring water
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups organic raw sugar or 2 cups mild organic honey or to taste
• 2 to 2 1/4 cups fresh squeezed organic lemon juice, strained to remove seeds and pulp (about 12 organic lemons)

Make sugar syrup by heating the water to hot and adding the raw sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow this to cool for about 1/2 hour. If using honey, heat the water to hot. Remove from heat and add the honey, stirring until completely dissolved. Allow this to cool. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour into a recycled glass serving pitcher , add thin lemon slices and chill in the refrigerator until cold. 

Make ice cubes with lemon verbena leaves or raspberries frozen inside for that little extra touch.  Present to your guests in these lightweight recycled glass tumblers that are oh-so-stylish.   

Summer offers an abundance of fresh fruits and veggies and I am a lover of salad, but not just your run-of-the-mill lettuce, tomato & carrot salad.  I like to load mine up with a ton of delicious and nutritious flavors, colors & shapes.  Something so important during these budget-crunching times is to know when you should buy organic.  The Environmental Working Group released a list, based on USDA studies, with the most to least pesticides found in produce to help consumers know what is more important to spend our money on.  It’s definitely best to buy organic whenever possible, but we don’t always have the option or the cash flow, so here are the top 5 “best & worst”: 

 Most Pesticides Found (in order)

1). Peaches (highest pesticide load!)
2). Apples
3). Sweet Bell Peppers
4). Celery
5). Nectarines

Top 5 Least Pesticides Found

1). Mango
2). Pineapples
3). Sweet Corn
4). Avocado
5). Onions (lowest pesticide load)

With this in mind, I’ll share with you one of my favorite salads.  Feel free to take this to your 4th of July bash this weekend…it’s sure to be a hit!  (Remember to buy local whenever possible…hit your local Farmer’s Market for some good deals on fresh finds):

California Summer Salad

1 head organic red leaf lettuce 

1 organic orange bell pepper

1 organic yellow bell pepper 

3 organic red tomatoes on the vine (according to the FDA, the ones on the vine weren’t found to contain salmonella and okay to eat)

1 cup snap peas (cut in half with ends snipped off)

1.5 cups shredded purple cabbage

1 cup organic shredded carrots

1/4 cup toasted slivered organic almonds

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 organic avocados (sliced & served on the side so it doesn’t get mashed in the bowl with everything else)

Balsamic Vinegarette Dressing

1 cup Organic Olive Oil

1/2 cup Organic Balsamic Vinegar

3 organic garlic cloves (mashed in a garlic press)

2 Tbls. Organic dried basil

*Wisk together; add salt & pepper to taste.  

Serve in a beautiful bamboo salad bowl: