Freshworthy Friday: More Pink Slime!

It's been a big week for food news, and while these first two links are important, the last—about our favorite, PINK SLIME, is the most important.

Are Food Blogs Over?
The Amateur Gourmet
First things first: please tell me food blogs aren't over. I really, really like writing this one.The gist of this article is this: food blogs that offer new recipes aren't enough—we food bloggers have to push the envelope, offering readers something fresh and different. For me, this means honing in on a very specific way of eating, and offering more than just recipes on my site (I profess in my bio to be a novice cook, anyway).



The last few months I've resolved to bring more to Sustainable Diet, by way of photos and more posts, and touching on news (Freshworthy is still in its infancy).

So I have to ask: what brings you here, what keeps you here, and what makes you come back for more?

The Chocolate Diet?
New York Times
Let's all take a moment to rejoice, yet again, in the health benefits of chocolate. This new study shows that people who ate more chocolate had lower BMIs (body mass index). It's the antioxidants, purportedly, that make this possible.

For the most sustainable chocolate enjoyment, purchase fair trade and organic chocolate bars. While they tend to cost a fair bit more than conventional, you can feel doubly good about helping those who harvest this superfood.

Amarillo 'pink slime' facility closing, employs 200
Amarillo Globe-News via TM Daily Post
An Amarillo plant that produced 200,000 pounds of pink slime every day has stopped its operation, along with similar plants in other states. While it is truly unfortunate that the people who worked there will have to find new means of employment, this is certainly good news for our food supply—especially since so much of these ammonia-washed beef trimmings were sent to schools for children's lunches.

This whole story has really blown up. Even Jon Stewart is talking about "Bovine Velvet." Governors of the states where the beef factories are shutting down (Perry included) have been trying to endorse "lean beef trimmings" left and right, urging consumers that ammonia-washed beef particles are healthy.

Don't buy it! Literally OR figuratively!

That said, any type of processed meat is essentially the same thing. If you and your household are omnivores, you can take small steps to cut processed meats out of your diet.

For the average home shopper, it's important to turn to grass-fed, organic beef products. Ask your local butcher to grind meat in-house for you, and purchase beef and other meat products from local farmers whenever possible!

Granted, these organic products are more expensive. DO buy them, but buy less than you normally would. Fill the empty space left in your diet with more vegetables, fresh fruits, and whole grains.