Simple Palate: Eating Green on Earth Day
- By Cielestia Calbay
- Published Apr. 22, 2011
Today marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. And though only 36 percent of Americans are concerned about the planet’s well-being, as surveyed by The A Harris Interactive Poll, there are many ways to eat smart and responsibly for those looking to eat green today.
When shopping for sustainable foods, you’ll likely be bombarded with labels like “grass-fed,” “cage-free” and other foreign-language-sounding terms. With the help of EarthDay.Nature.org, we’ve decoded these less-than-intuitive labels to help you make an informed decision:
Shade-Grown
Found on: Coffee
Definition: Instead of clearing land to grow coffee, producers grow coffee underneath the tree canopy, which helps keep our air clean, our soil healthy and provides habitat for animals and birds.
Dolphin-Safe
Found on: Tuna
Definition: Fishers didn’t use a certain kind of net on or around dolphins, and no dolphins were killed or seriously injured during tuna harvesting.
Grass-Fed
Found on: Meat
Definition: The animals were fed a diet of “100% forage,” were raised on a pasture and were never given hormones or antibiotics.
Free-Range/Cage-Free
Found on: Poultry
Definition: American producers must prove that the birds have “access to the outside,” although the frequency or duration of this access is not defined
Local
Found on: Almost everything
Definition: The product adheres to USDA guidelines and was transported less than 400 miles from its origin, or hasn’t come from another state
Animal Welfare Approved
Found on: Meat, poultry, pork, dairy, eggs
Definition: AWA is a free and independent third-party auditing and certification program for family farms raising their animals humanely — outdoors on a pasture or a range.
Certified Naturally Grown
Found on: Produce, honey, meat, poultry
Definition: It’s similar to USDA certification, but relies on peer-review rather than third-party inspection.
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Cielestia Calbay is the associate editor of Competitor Magazine. If she’s not the office, you’ll probably find her outdoors or scouring the area for the nearest juice bar. She may be reached at ccalbay@competitorgroup.com or @ccalbay
FILED UNDER: Nutrition / Simple Palate TAGS: cielestia calbay / Earth Day / Eat Green / Food Label Meanings / Nutrition / Simple Palate / Sustainable Eating
Cielestia Calbay
Cielestia Calbay is a contributor to Competitor magazine.