Eating Consciously

As you are probably already aware, the food industry is very political when it comes to guiding our eating habits and keeping animal agriculture in business. A recent example is the threatening of a lawsuit by the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) against PETA. PETA had been running a campaign against dairy with their ads and informational material alerting people that milk usually contains certain levels of blood and pus due to infected udders. CMAB is not only demanding that they stop running the ads, but to forfeit all promotional materials and all profits made though the campaign. PETA also filed a suit of it's own against CMAB claiming false advertisement on their "happy cows" commercial. Not only did the judge admit it was indeed false advertisement, but CMAB were not charged and allowed to continue with the promotion since they have government affiliation! This is not the first time we have witnessed food politics in action. Some years back Oprah addre

only by adding the proper lingo! A study by the Cornell University Food and Brand lab found that people were much more likely to find foods more satisfying when the contained adjectives such as juicy, luscious, and creamy than the same foods without the fancy name. What would you rather serve for dinner, quinoa pilaf, or tender quinoa with fresh peas? I am thinking this would work to convince yourself that your own cooking is more appetizing, for those who are afraid of their own cooking. If you have children, try this method the the next time you introduce a new fruit or vegetable.

Here's a great vegan version of a thick alfredo style sauce that tastes as close to the real thing as you can get. Vegan Alfredo 2 cups baby portobello mushroom (quartered) 1 cup unsweetened soymilk 1/2 cup cashews 1/2 block firm or extra firm tofu 2 Tbs olive oil 2 cloves garlic 8 oz whole wheat fettucine or linguine (1/2 bag or box) salt and black pepper to taste In a food processor, blend soymilk, tofu, nuts, olive oil, and garlic until it reaches the consistency of a thick sauce (it will thicken more as it cooks and small pieces of nut are okay, they will resemble grated cheese). Saute mushrooms with salt, pepper, and a small dash of oil over medium heat until soft. Turn heat down to low and pour sauce over mushrooms. Cover and allow sauce to heat until hot, about 10 minutes. Combine with cooked pasta. Enjoy! Tip- Alternatively, you can replace the mushrooms with spinach, broccoli, or anything else you can think up!