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How Do You Sow Your Wild Oats?

Monday, August 9th, 2010

At Country Choice Organic we try to live healthy, active lifestyles. And like many of our customers, we’re always looking for new ways to stay motivated. So this summer, we are hosting a Facebook photo contest to find out how our fans keep fit and eat right.

To participate (and earn a chance to win a year’s supply of Country Choice Organic products), oat fans can submit a picture that shows how oats fuel their active lifestyle. Whether it’s a photo of a power-packed recipe or a pic of you and your friends refueling with an Oatmeal on the Run bar after a long run, we want to know how oats help you stay active and healthy.

Submit your photo before September 10 for a chance to win. A panel of Country Choice Organic employees will select the winning entry. To enter, visit: http://www.facebook.com/CountryChoiceOrganic

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Tags: Active Lifestyles, Country Choice Organic, Facebook, Oatmeal, Oatmeal on the Run, oats, organic food, Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats, Soft Baked Cookies, Steel Cut Oats, USDA organic, whole food, whole grain

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

The Organic Trade Association yesterday announced the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 by the Senate Agriculture Committee. Their press release focused on an amendment that adds a pilot project to offer healthy organic food in school feeding programs. As an organic manufacturer we applaud the OTA’s efforts to lobby for organic programs, however, this announcement fails to see the forest for the organic trees.

The real news here is that Congress is finally waking up to the reality that we are feeding our kids to death. This action acknowledges that the high calorie, low nutrition processed foods that pass for lunch at most schools is contributing to the obesity epidemic we face today. And they are offering significant dollars to upgrade the menu. While current nutrition programs receive about $16 billion annually, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides an additional $4.5 billion over ten years for expanding and adding programs that:

Help Schools Improve the Nutritional Quality of School Meals
Create National Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in Schools
Promote Nutrition and Wellness in Child Care Settings
Connect More Children to Healthy Local Produce through Farm-to-School Programs
Strengthen Local School Wellness Policies
Support Breastfeeding in the WIC Program
Improve School Food Financing

The OTA release expresses it well, “As we all recognize, the health status of our children is crucial to the well-being of our nation’s future, and the food that they are fed in schools is key to that status.” These words ring true whether or not the food is organically grown.

Click here to read more about the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 http://ag.senate.gov/Legislation/CN%20budget%20framework-%20nutrition.pdf

Posted in In the News | No Responses »
Tags: Healthy Hunger-Free Kid Act of 2010, kids health, Nutrition, Real Food, school breakfast prgram, School nutrition, USDA organic, whole food

What Does Oprah Know?

Friday, November 6th, 2009

For some time Oprah has called out Steel Cut Oats as her “favorite whole grain”. And who can argue…100% whole grain…helps reduce cholesterol…nutty texture…30 minute cook time…30 MINUTE COOK TIME?!? Okay, maybe it’s not so perfect (unless you have a chef). Quick Steel Cut

All that changed on November 2 when we introduced Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats. Same whole grain goodness; same nutty, chewy texture, but with a 5-minute cook time puts Steel Cut Oats on your daily breakfast menu.

Look for Country Choice Organic Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats in your favorite store. The name’s a mouthful, but worth remembering. After all, you’ll get to enjoy a steaming bowl of steel cut oats everyday…just like Oprah!

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Tags: Nutrition, Oprah, organic food, Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats, Real Food, reduce cholesterol, Steel Cut Oats, USDA organic, whole food, whole grain

Smart Choice…Says Who?

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Why is anyone surprised that products carrying the “Smart Choices” seal may not be too smart? After all, the manufacturers doing the choosing are in business to sell calories, not health. And in a country that produces more calories than we could possibly consume (by last count, around 3900 per person per day), manufacturers seek every advantage – from plastic toys in the carton to nutrition claims on the carton – to make the sale.

The problem is too many of us choose to not think about the food we eat, abdicating our decision-making to people who may not have our best interests at heart. Instead, we approach most meals like a NASCAR pit stop, stopping just long enough to slam down some “fuel”, while mostly ignoring the health impact (or benefit) of our choice. So if Jeff Gordon burns high octane super-premium, why do so many of us run on low-test and expect it to not affect performance?

Instead of relying on industry-supported health standards, shoppers need to take responsibility for making their own smart choices. The good news is, with very little effort, you can find places with more to offer than empty calories. The outer ring of most grocery stores is a good place to start. Likewise, farmer markets and natural food co-ops offer healthy, sustainable food plus have knowledgeable staff to help you understand the difference between whole grains and donut holes.

So next time you need to refuel, take a second to think about what you’re doing. After all, your smartest choice might be to ignore the nutrition claims on the carton and instead focus on the secret spy decoder ring inside the box.

Posted in In the News | No Responses »
Tags: Country Choice Organic, empty calories, farmer markets, food co-ops, Smart Choice seal, USDA organic, whole food

What’s Food Got To Do With It?

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

I attended the Natural Products Expo in Boston last Friday and came away thinking, “Who eats like this?” Sure, all the usual suspects were there with samples of organic ice cream and yogurt, but clearly nutrients were the star of the show. Competing booths worked hard to assert their Acai street cred or tout their Goji berry-ness. In fact, it seemed much of our natural “food” had devolved into carriers for the latest super fruit or micronutrient. Combined with the abundant display space devoted to colon cleansing, wrinkle removal and pet acne, it made me wonder, “What’s food got to do with this?”

I was reminded the next day, spending time with a third generation Maine lobsterman. We joined Herman and Monique aboard the Jocelyne K under a warm afternoon sun (much appreciated considering their day started at 5:00 a.m.) and spent a few hours motoring around Mackerel Cove. We listened to lobster stories, learned about a lifestyle passed down to generations and heard the pride these “farmers of the sea” take in providing real food to people. We stopped along the way, dining on lobster stew, mussels, steamed lobster and fried clams. Nothing fortified, not a goji berry to be found…and yet I never felt healthier.

Learn more about Maine lobstermen at http://lobstersonthefly.blogspot.com/

Posted in Organic Industry, Products | No Responses »
Tags: Lobster, Lobster on the Fly, Mackerel Cove, Maine, Natural Products Expo, Real Food, whole food