vegan

Leave a comment Posted on July 18, 2014July 18, 2014 Uncategorized

Annie’s Homegrown Is America’s #10 Best Small Company

October 17, 2013 at 9:55 pm , by Nick Shell

2 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack,

Tuesday afternoon when I picked you up from school, your teacher Ms. Lauren directed me over to the current poster on the wall, featuring what you and your friends have been learning about this week.

The question was, “What do we buy at the grocery store?”

As always, you had the most random, confusing answer:

“Old MacDonald mac and cheese, apple squeeze things, fruit juice, pizza.”

By “apple squeeze things,” Ms. Lauren knew you meant fruit pouches (GoGo Squeez applesauce pouches).

But as for “Old MacDonald mac and cheese,” she had no clue…

I explained to her that Annie’s Homegrown makes a type of mac and cheese called Bernie’s Farm, which contains noodles in the shapes of rabbits, tractors, carrots, and cows.

That, to you, is “Old MacDonald mac and cheese.”

The only other peculiar answer I saw on the list was your friend Sophie’s:

Spoons.

Yes, well, I guess sometimes you do have to get spoons at the grocery store…

Of all weeks for this story to be something I would write about, when I signed on to the MSN homepage today, I saw a link to the story, according to Forbes, “America’s Top 25 Best Small Companies.”

Annie’s Homegrown is #10 on Forbes’ list!

Do you know how happy that makes me?

I love it that a food company like Annie’s Homegrown, who is committed to saying no to GMO’s (and Monsanto) and petroleum-based food dyes (like Kraft uses) is able to be so successful in the free market.

The other thing I love is that there’s enough people in America who demand real food (that doesn’t contain mysterious and potentially harmful chemicals) so that a brand like Annie’s can be this successful.

This is such a beautiful case of supply and demand.

But most of all, the best part of this story for me is, you love Annie’s enough to mention it at school as one of the necessary staples that you like to buy at the grocery store.

You’re as passionate about Annie’s as I am! (Okay, so maybe you just like the way their food tastes and looks, and you’re not really aware of Annie’s “no GMO” policy, but still.)

That gives me one more reason to be so proud of you.

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on July 18, 2014 Health, parenting, vegan

Non-Petroleum Candies Melt In Your Bed, Not In Your Hand

October 8, 2013 at 11:01 pm , by Nick Shell

2 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack,

I imagine it’s pretty typical for parents to reward/bribe their child with M&M’s during the process of potty training.

However, we’ve watched a few too many documentaries on Netflix to let you eat candy that contains petroleum-based dyes, like M&M’s do.

Instead, we found that Kroger now has their own brand of healthier (and less chemical friendly) alternatives to classic favorites.

I don’t you want to end up like I did as a kid, suffering from anxiety problemsand digestion issues due to food dyes that aren’t actually food.

After all, no one willingly chooses to eat petroleum… yet the FDA approves it as a food additive.

Just like with the beaver [body parts] in vanilla and strawberry flavorings…

But Kroger’s brand, called Simple Truth, makes what they call “Candy Coated Milk Chocolate Drops.”

Basically, they’re M&M’s without petroleum and tar ingredients. Instead, they’re colored with vegetable juice.

So, the deal is, Mommy lets you have two of them every time you go potty… on the potty.

Saturday night, you convinced her to let you sleep with the bag, which only contained about 5 remaining candies.

Mommy trusted you not to eat the candy, but to simply hold the bag all night, like you do your monster trucks and trains.

And you did.

You woke up in a haze Sunday morning, as Mommy and I walked into your room after hearing you mutter something about cats.

There you were, wrapped up tightly in your blanket, with your arms tucked down inside.

As we unwrapped you like a stuffed burrito, we discovered the bag of chocolate candy, still clenched tightly in your grip.

Well, you didn’t eat them, just as Mommy trusted you wouldn’t.

But as you look at the comparative picture above, you can see that your candies melted to mush in the night.

Good thing we had another bag ready for you in the pantry.

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on July 17, 2014 Health, parenting, vegan

It’s Okay To Question Where Your Food Comes From

September 11, 2013 at 11:00 pm , by Nick Shell

2 years, 9 months.

Dear Jack,

Especially as you become age-appropriate to read today’s PG-rated letter, I want you to always question where your food comes from. After you find out, and you decide that you still want to eat it, then, cool.

But I will always challenge you to question the ingredients and/or sources of your food.

I grew up always wondering what was really in hot dogs. (We didn’t have the Internet or YouTube back in the Eighties.)

Now that I know, I’ve learned it’s actually not as disgusting as what the FDA allows food companies to label as “natural flavoring.”

Back on February 12, 2012 (a year and 7 months ago) I wrote, “Is “Natural” Vanilla Flavoring Really From Beavers’ Anal Glands?”

Granted, it’s not the most sophisticated thing I’ve ever written. I figured many people assumed I was just being a weirdo and/or a conspiracy theorist. But that post has received more Facebook likes than other particular post I have ever written: over 1,100.

Apparently, enough people out there in the world are like me, brave enough to question and investigate where our food actually comes from.

My hero in that field is Vani, A.K.A., the Food Babe. I follow her on Facebook and learned that she covered the “natural” beaver flavoring story this week!

She’s the one who earlier this year helped start that petition to Kraft, asking them to remove the toxic petroleum-based food dyes from their macaroni and cheese, as it is for their products overseas.

Since then, she has caused me to question other things, like what’s really in beer.

The Food Babe has become one of my major regular news sources for information about food and nutrition. (That’s supposed to be the FDA’s job… I think.)

Some may say that talking about this is innappropriate.

But I say it would be more innappopriate to ignore what’s really going on just for the sake of not wanting to be perceived as innappropriate. It seems grosser to learn this unfortunate information and complain that it’s innopropriate, only to keep eating it.

I’m not afraid to ask questions about food. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Granted, I’m not necessarily safe to talk about these things on Facebook. I learned that the hard way earlier this summer when, in an effort to figure out the science behind why my constant sinus pressure and heavy mucus production (of 21 straight years) cleared up immediately after I stopped eating dairy 6 months ago, I genuinely asked if there is already mucus in cows’ milk when people consume it.

That’s when I learned that politics, religion, and food are in the same category. They’re equally sensitive (and often, devisive) topics.

Still, I’m asking plenty of questions about our food everyday; and for better or worse, I’m learning a lot.

Yes, we’ve now become very serious about buying non-GMO and organic foods as much as possible. We don’t trust our health to corporations and their mysterious science-project types of ingredients.

We have control of the situation… by being brave enough to ask where our food really comes from and what effect it has on our bodies. Then we simply vote our beliefs with what shows up on our grocery bill each week.

Let the free market decide what is too disgusting to eat. Let us be the weird ones, if need be.

Love,

Daddy

Photo: Food Babe.

Leave a comment Posted on July 17, 2014 Health, parenting, vegan

What I’ve Learned From Being A Vegan For 6 Months

September 8, 2013 at 12:11 am , by Nick Shell

2 years, 9 months.

*TMI Warning: Contains “too much informantion,” which may be deemed as innappropriate, controversial, and/or offensive to some readers.

Dear Jack,

It was 6 months ago I took that funny picture of you chowing down a messy, vegan chocolate cookie from Whole Foods, as I officially publicly identified myself as a vegan.

I have learned a lot since then about this growing alternative lifestyle; which now represents about 2.5% of the American population.

For one, I learned to stop using the word “vegan.” It’s not as marketable and has a bit of a negative, stereotypical connotation.

So instead, I refer to myself as “living a plant-based lifestyle.” It doesn’t offend people like the other word tends to do.

That’s a cue I took from several influential documentaries currently available for streaming on Netflix: Food Inc., Forks Over Knives, Vegucated, and Hungry For Change.

I also learned that I am no longer allergic to cats. Seriously, I can rub my hands and arms and face on a cat… and nothing happens- no itching, no sneezing, no headache. That has never been the case for me, until now. (Was I ever allergic to cats, or just eggs and dairy instead?)

Plus, and I apologize in advance for being so open about this, but since this is just between you and me, my sinuses are completely cleared out now. (In other words, I only produce a very small amount of clear, thin mucus. I see now that dairy products were the source of the thick, white and yellow stuff that led to my chronic sinus infections and non-stop sinus pressure which had plagued me since I was a kid.)

And while I’m being gross… I don’t really wear deoderant anymore. It’s not actually disgusting, though, considering that I don’t have body odor under my arms anymore. If you ask me, it’s only gross to not wear deoderant if you need it: No problem means no solution. I guess plants don’t produce as much odor when processed by the human body?

Another bizarre side-effect of removing eggs, dairy, and even honey, from my diet is that now, the thought of alcohol (I considered myself quite the expert of knowing a good craft beer or bottle of wine) sort of makes me nauseous.

It’s like the health benefits of drinking a responsible amount of beer or wine became irrelevant when I began only consuming plant-based foods. My body started getting enough of all the nutrients it always always wanted and needed. I have learned that for me, alcohol now messes up the natural good vibes that the plant-based lifestyle gives me on a daily basis.

I’ve traded in my Blue Moon for coconut water, which is about the same price, but enhances my sense of well-being, instead of knocking it down. Plus, I’m getting into Yogi Tea, too.

After 6 months of living this way, I can honestly say I’ve never been happier, more energetic, or as clear-minded as I am now.

And I have seen how even though you and Mommy have remained vegetarians, like I was up until 6 months ago, my switch to eating only plant-based foods has influenced our family’s lifestyle as a whole.

Now more than ever, we try to buy as much organic and non-GMO foods as possible. What’s the difference between those two? I’ll be covering that more in my next letter to you…

I can see that my conversion to the “plant-based life” has caused our family, by default, to incorporate more fresh fruits and veggies into our meals and snacks.

Plus, some of my plant-based food alternatives have replaced some of the normal food options in our fridge.

We use Earth Balance butter (made from olives) instead of dairy butter. When Mommy makes cookies, she uses almond milk and/or applesauce instead of eggs.

After 6 months of this alternative lifestyle, I am convinced this is how I want to live the rest of my life. It’s not for everybody, but it is for me. And since you have me as a daddy, you sort of have no choice but to know about all this weird stuff.

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on July 15, 2014 parenting, reviews, vegan

Calling For Grandparental Reinforcement To Finish Dinner

August 7, 2013 at 9:54 pm , by Nick Shell

2 years, 8 months.

Dear Jack,

There’s no question that you love your GoGo Squeez applesauce pouches. (As do I.)

It’s just that you’ve begun to associate finishing your applesauce with finishing dinner, and therefore, having to get ready for bed.

So you take your time eating dinner, essentially trying to make it never ending.

But a few nights ago, you were really putting up a fight… Mommy and I never let you finish dinner without eating some kind of fruit.

So half jokingly, Mommy asked you if we needed to call Papa (my dad) to tell you to finish your applesauce.

You hesitantly agreed.

I quickly briefed Papa on what was going on before putting him on speakerphone and handing the phone to you.

“Jack, you need to eat your applesauce. It’s good for you,” Papa advised.

You didn’t say a word. You just listened, nearly in disbelief that I actually called Papa about this.

He did his best, but ultimately, after the phone call, you still stood your ground.

We gave you a choice: Either eat your applesauce and have some playtime afterwards, or go straight upstairs to get ready for bed.

You chose to go straight upstairs. (Granted, Mommy still forced you to eat a spoon of applesauce before taking you upstairs.)

So sort of like the time you put yourself in time-out so you wouldn’t have to get dressed, you chose not eating applesauce over getting extra playtime.

Just in case you missed it, here’s the irony:

You didn’t want to eat your applesauce because it signified going upstairs to get ready for bed, meaning your fun time would come to an end.

So you refused your applesauce, meaning you went straight upstairs, forgoing the option of playing with your toys in the living room for a few minutes before going upstairs.

Even Papa tried to help. But sometimes you’re just so set in your ways.

Love,

Daddy

P.S. I have to brag on GoGo Squeez. Their products are free of high fructose corn syrup or any added colors or flavors. I’m not waiting or hoping for the government to mandate food labeling. Instead, I’m taking control of the situation myself by purposely buying food from brands I can trust. Brands that aren’t dependent on Monsanto for their livelihood or that are shady about their ingredients. Any food brand that can claim to be kosher certified, as well as vegan friendly, has my attention:

100% natural Kosher certified BPA free packaging Gluten free Wheat free Vegan friendly