Elly got rave reviews for her Asian-Style Lettuce Wraps in our "What's on your plate?" contest.  Simple and easy to prepare; a beautiful healthy dish!

Romaine lettuce leaves with a customizable selection of fillings including:

• hulled barley seasoned with soy sauce, brown rice syrup and garlic chili oil

• shredded raw beets, diakon radish and carrots

• thinly sliced cucumbers, red peppers, mushrooms and purple cabbage

• sliced raw turnips marinated in cider vinegar topped with a lime-ginger sauce and toasted sesame seeds

• fresh tomatoes on the side

Elly Haddad is a certified holistic health coach and founder of Elemental Fit, a health coaching practice devoted to educating and equipping women to create balanced lives for themselves and their families. Through improving overall health, her clients find success in conquering cravings, developing healthy eating habits, weight-loss, stress reduction and more.

Integrative Nutrition asked our community "What's on Your Plate?"  We had an amazing response to this contest with photos of mouth-watering delights.  Frank Giglio was the top vote getter with his photo "Kitchen Sessions".  Frank kindly shared his recipe with us so we can all enjoy his yummy creation. 

Seared Scallops with Cucumber Salad
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons coconut oil
4-8 Large scallops (U-10)
A sprinkle of Frank's Finest Lemon-Pepper Blend
1 large English cucumber
2 Tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
1 cup snap peas, cut into 3rds
1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Freshly cracked black peppercorns
1/2 lemon for drizzling
1 green onion, tops sliced thin

Directions:

With a Japanese mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the cucumber.  Place into a large bowl, mix in the snap peas, onions, and dill.  Drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar, then season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Toss well and allow flavors to meld.

Place the scallops on a dish and season with Lemon-Pepper blend

Heat a large heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat.  Melt the coconut oil and when a light amount of smoke is visual, add the scallops.  Cook on one side until well browned, then flip each scallop, turn off the heat and allow to rest in the pan for 1-2 minutes before removing.

Place a small amount of cucumber salad onto 2 plates.  Place 4 scallops around each salad.  Drizzle the plate with lemon juice and sliced green onions. Serve and enjoy!

Frank Giglio is the owner of Frank's Finest.  Frank is also the Executive Chef and Contributing Editor to The Best Day Ever.  You can find out more about Frank at www.frankgiglio.com.

Crack! The egg bursts onto the pan and shines like the sunrise.  A familiar visual for many, eggs are an integral part of the American diet, but many of us don’t think twice about what kind of hens those eggs come from.   In a recent New York Times article, and across the media, the discussion of caged hens has become an important debate.

Farmers with large egg farms (farms that house 4 million hens, yielding 3 million eggs per day) believe that caged chickens are just as functional as hens kept outside of cages.  However, “extreme caging methods” are being banned in California and are up for review in Ohio, calling into question the factory farming methods that are used. 

Many animal rights advocates believe that the lives of these caged chickens are subpar. They can hardly move, let alone roam free as they would in their natural habitat.

The debate is contentious, especially because eggs create a large portion of school lunches and 90% of eggs consumed by the American population come from these large farms.  Is there a way to feed our population while still respecting the animals that provide for us?  What do you think?

Many people shop labels.  Whether its high fashion or expensive cars, a label costs more; it means something to the consumer.  Food is no different.  People who care about the quality of the food they put in their body read labels.  If a label reads “high fructose corn syrup” or “trans fat” an informed consumer will bypass this product.  Whether a food has an organic label or not is also important information for today’s foodies.  If a product has the seal “USDA Organic” the consumer knows that the food was grown or prepared using organic practices and ingredients; however, the producer has paid a fee to the government to obtain that certification. 

Many small farmers cannot afford the high cost of the government’s organic label.  According to the Organic Trade Association, referenced in this article on Change.org, 92 percent of organic food sold in this country is sold by mass markets, like Wal-Mart, Costco, or grocery store chains.  By comparison, only 8 percent comes from farmers markets, co-ops, or CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture). 

Quite often the small farmers have organic growing practices; they just don’t pay for the expensive label.  How do you get this important information?  It’s easy; simply start a conversation with the person you are buying your food from.  When you visit the farmers market and you see they do not have an organic label, ask why?   Ask them about their growing practices.   Do they use pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals?  You won’t know until you ask. 

Do you only shop for products with the “USDA Organic” label?  Do local farmers in your area provide an opportunity to talk about their growing practices?  What are your conversations like?

Raw milk has become such a hot topic of debate recently; police are even getting involved.   Rawesome Foods, a natural food store in Venice, California, was the target of a police raid that confiscated over $10,000 worth of raw dairy products.  Is raw dairy a do or a don’t?  Check out both sides of the argument and give us your opinion on this dairy dilemma.

Do: Raw food enthusiasts believe that raw milk contains important bacteria that build up the immune system and prevent allergies as well as lactose intolerance. Since raw milk is banned in many states, people will drive for hours to buy raw milk from farms in neighboring states. Those who support raw milk believe that pasteurization kills not only the dangerous bacteria, which may or may not be harmful, but also the important nutrients that are in the milk in its purest form. They consider it a superfood full of nutrients and beneficial enzymes. 

Don’t: Others are happy to stick with the milk that is readily available at grocery stores throughout the country. The dangers are very real, they believe, and it is not worth the risk to drink milk raw. Bacteria found in raw milk such as E. coli, salmonella, and listeria can make people sick or even be lethal.

What do you think? Should pasteurization be legally necessary for all milk products? Should the bans on raw milk in some states be lifted?

You can listen to the story on NPR’s All things Considered here.

Most television shows about food are focused on competition between chefs and recipes for less than healthy meal ideas. The up and coming Food Forward is a refreshing, delicious, health-conscious change in the right direction. Food Forward, while still in the process of being created, is a 13 episode documentary focused on people in the United States who are trying to create more just and sustainable ways for people to think about, acquire, and eat their food.

The different episodes cover all different kinds of food activists from metropolitan areas around the country. From an urban gardener to a nouveau lunch lady, these people are making the changes that need to be made to create a happier and healthier country. We applaud all of the amazing work they have done and continue to do!

Since so many people spend their relaxation time watching television, this could educate a whole new group of people on these extremely important issues. To find out more about this inspiring project visit their website.

Do you or anyone you know work to change the way Americans eat and think about food? Share your stories with us!

In a disposable society, we tend to place value on convenience, quick fixes, and fast food.  Yes, fast food is popular because it’s cheap, quick, and can be thrown away.  We toss the wrapping, cutlery, containers and leftover food as easily as we cruise through the drive-in.  The U.S. also has a bad habit of excessive waste as a result of overproducing mass quantities of food. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says, in a new study, that 40 percent of what farmers grow ends up in the garbage.  This article states, “The food we toss consumes 4 percent of all U.S. oil and more than 25 percent of our fresh water. Food rotting in landfills produces methane, a potent climate-changing gas. Not to mention the energy spent first delivering, then hauling away uneaten food.” 

Not only is this overproduction of food in the U.S. bad for our planet, it’s also bad for our health. 

From this complex study, NIH scientists came up with their "push" hypothesis; “excess food pushes its way onto plates, the little bit more that people eat makes them overweight, and the rest goes in the trash or gets wasted along the way”.  The overproduction of food thereby becomes a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. 

With agricultural subsidy programs that reward overproduction, and a food industry that is profit driven, producing a lot of cheap, high-calorie food items; change needs to come from the source.  What if government subsidies were given to small organic farmers instead of Big Ag and there were more regulations on how the food industry can market their products?  Do you think we would see a shift in this complex issue of food waste and the "push" hypothesis?

How would you change the production model?  What is your solution to the high cost of cheap food?

The weather is heating up, so we naturally start craving foods that are more cooling.  The summer months are the perfect time to enjoy fresh fruit, salads and raw foods.  Tropical fruits are very popular in smoothies, juices, and as the basis for delicious desserts.  Integrative Nutrition graduate Moria Felber’s Raw Pineapple Cheesecake will delight your taste buds. 

What foods do you crave when the weather heats up?

Raw Pineapple Cheesecake
compliments of Wild Thyme Kitchen

Makes 1 cheesecake

Crust:
1.5 cups raw almonds
5-6 pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Combine above ingredients in a food processor using the S-blade. It helps to stream the vanilla in while the motor is running. When the mixture begins to ball-up on the sides it is ready. Transfer to a spring-form pan. Use a flat bottom bowl to press the crust evenly into the pan. Work the crust up the sides and use your fingers to pinch the top of the crust to make it pretty. Set aside.

Filling:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked 1 hour and drained
4 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
3/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon natural yellow food coloring, optional
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup extra virgin coconut oil

Place above ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the sides down with a spatula. Pour half of the mixture onto the crust and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until the filling has set. The whole pie should be able to be removed from the spring-form pan and hold its shape. This is such a delicious and healthy spring dessert.

How would you like fresh organic produce as a perk at your office?  Would you spend your break weeding and harvesting a garden so that you could enjoy the delicious bounty during an afternoon meeting or even bring it home for dinner?  Many big corporations are trending toward offering an organic garden to employees.  In the face of a bad economy, companies have less to spend on raises so they are giving away the green in other ways.  A recent New York Times article concludes, “these corporate plots of dirt spring from growing attention to sustainability and a rising interest in gardening. But they also reflect an economy that calls for creative ways to build workers’ morale and health.”

Talk to any gardener and you will find that it is a great way to de-stress.  Many people find tending a garden very relaxing and they experience a great deal of accomplishment when they harvest their crops.  Not only do workers have a great way to spend their break, they are saving money, bonding with co-workers and promoting good health by eating fresh organic produce they had a hand in growing. 

There should be a garden at every office, school, church and hospital.  Can you imagine the impact that would make on the lives of Americans?

What are some of the things your company is doing to build a more sustainable place of work?

If you eat conventional strawberries grown in California, you will be ingesting a known cancer causing carcinogen.  Methyl iodide has been approved by the Department of Pesticide Regulation in California for use in growing strawberries.  Well over 80% of the nation's strawberries are grown in California, putting a large amount of this pesticide in our food supply.  That’s pretty disappointing when The President’s Cancer Panel has declared chemicals are bad for our health, and a sure means of prevention is found by eating organic foods.

You can still make your voices heard.  The CDPR is taking comments on this proposed regulation until June 14, 2010.  Write  them now and tell them you do not want strawberries treated with cancer causing carcinogens in your food supply.

Find out more information on how to stay healthy by eating organic foods at the Environmental Working Groups Food News.

Please comment and let us know your thoughts on the CDPR’s decision to use methyl iodide and how we can keep our food supply safe.