iStockphoto.com A recent study in the Journal of Food Science suggests that green beans, beets and garlic maintain their antioxidant levels even after most kinds of cooking. The antioxidant value in carrots actually increased after gentle cooking.

by Allison Abrey

From NPR.org

Tomatoes are certainly nutritious — a good source of the antioxidants lycopene and beta-carotene. But consider this: if you eat a tomato without adding a little fat — say a drizzle of olive oil — your body is unlikely to absorb all these nutrients.

Scientists at Iowa State University figured this out a while ago. They recruited graduate students to eat bowls of salad greens with tomatoes and various types of salad dressings — from fat-free to regular Italian. “Basically once a month for several months we’d show up first thing in the morning,” recalls participant Gregory Brown, now a professor of exercise science at the University of Nebraska. Researchers put IV lines into the participants’ veins and drew blood samples before and after they’d eaten the salads in order to get precise measurements of the absorption of nutrients.

Read MORE at NPR.org

Families interested in green living enjoy so many resources here in Dallas/Fort Worth. Here’s what’s going on in the latter half of September and early October, courtesy of DFW Earth/Food/Animal/Green newsletter.

Monday, Sept. 14 Sierra Singles Dinner at 6:30ish at Cuquita’s Mexican, 214.575.3188, 8076 Spring Valley Rd., Richardson. You don’t have to be a Sierra Club member to attend. No reservations necessary; just show up.  Organizers: Ginger Bradley 469-223-7902, Paul Heller 972-620-1703.

Wednesday, Sept. 16 General meeting of the Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club, 7 p.m. Brief business meeting followed by speaker. Mr. Pete McKone, Certified Wildlife Biologist; Director of Environmental Services for Dunaway Associates and an adjunct professor at TCU will give a presentation on a variety of topics pertaining to urban development. Topics will include watershed management, stream and wetland restoration, natural resource planning and government/developer interface. This is a key component of sustainable development and will likely generate a number of thoughtful questions. Location: Ft. Worth Botanic Gardens, Moncrief Garden Center, 817-871-7686, 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard at University, north of I-30, Fort Worth. Sierra Club general meetings are open to everyone, members and non-members alike, and are always free.
Wednesday, Sept. 16 Denton Organic Society meeting at 7 p.m. Denton Senior Center, 509 N. Bell Ave., Denton, 940-382-8551.

Wednesday, Sept. 16 Dallas Outings Committee meeting, 7 p.m. The Outings Committee meets at REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Farmers Branch75244 (north side of LBJ between Midway and Welch). All outings leaders, future outings leaders and interested Sierrans are welcome.

Thursday, Sept. 17 Dallas Downriver Club monthly meeting at 7 p.m., 3701 N. Buckner Blvd. (just north of IH 30 and south of John West Road) Dallas 75228.

Sunday, Sept. 19 Dallas Trekkers group walks at White Rock Lake at 8 a.m. Meet at Doctors Hospital, 9330 Poppy Drive, Dallas.  972-489-3072 for more information. Small charge.

Saturday, Sept. 19 Dayhike White Rock Creek Trail. Come join us as we day hike 7 miles on the northern reaches of White Rock Creek. This is a very urban, paved trail but it is actually very nice as it follows the creek under all the main thorofares of north Dallas. No pets, please. Bring water and a snack as we will be walking all morning. We will leave the trail head promptly at 9 a.m. To rech the trailhead from the intersection of I-635 and Hillcrest Rd., go north on Hillcrest a short distance turn right on Valley View and turn right into the second parking lot. Remember it’s the second parking lot on the right. I’ll be near the restrooms and playground. Optional lunch afterwards. Leader: Mark Adams 972-658-1281(C).

Monday, Sept. 21 The Dallas Chapter of Native Plant Society meets. Social time begins at 6:30 with refreshments at the back. A speaker is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. REI store, located on the north side of LBJ between Midway and Welch. Take the stairs to the second floor and turn left to find the meeting rooms. Free.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 Inner City Outings meeting. Snacks and social starts at 6:45 p.m., meeting starts at 7 p.m. Inner City Outings (“ICO”) is an outreach program of the Sierra Club comprised of volunteers who provide wilderness experiences such as day hikes and camping for disadvantaged youth. ICO meets on the fourth Tuesdays at REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Farmers Branch 75244 (north side of LBJ between Midway and Welch). All volunteers and those considering becoming an ICO volunteer are welcome. Contact the ICO Chair for more information.

Tuesday, Sept. 22 Fort Worth Organic Club meets at 7 p.m. at Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth, north of I-30, turn left into main entrance from University. Free.

Thursday, Sept. 24 Dallas Organic Gardening Club monthly meeting. Fretz Recreation Center, Dallas. 7 p.m. Free.

Thursday, Sept. 24 Arlington Organic Gardening Club monthly meeting. Bob Duncan Community Center Garden Room, 2800 S. Center St. in Arlington. 7 p.m. Free.

Saturday, Sept. 26 Beginner Backpacking class. Aimed at beginners, this class is an ideal way to learn about backpacking. Topics include: backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, outdoor clothing, boots, socks, cookware, food, water, wilderness ethics, and preparing for a trip. Instructors are experienced Dallas Sierra Club leaders. There will be time for questions and a hands-on look at outdoor gear. Lunch of backpacking food is included. You will also have the opportunity to learn about and sign up for several beginner backpacking trips. The fee is $20 for Sierra Club members and $30 for non-members (cash or check) You can sign up to be a Sierra Club member at the class. No reservations are necessary, just show up. The class will be held at REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX 75244 (north side of LBJ between Midway and Welch). The class will start at 10:30 a.m. and end at about 5:00 p.m. Leader: Laura Kimberly 972-307-8364(H).

Saturday, Sept. 26 See Sierra Club at Garland Healthy Living Expo 2009 – Healthy You, Healthy Earth: Rx for a Better World. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Garland ISD Center, 4999 Naaman Forest Blvd, Garland.

Sunday, Sept. 27 Watch party for The National Parks: America’s Best Idea hosted by the Dallas Sierra Club at the Studio Movie Grill, 11170 N. Central Expressway, northeast corner at Royal, Dallas 75243. Private theater viewing of two-hour opening episode of Ken Burns documentary. Experience the large screen viewing to enjoy the amazing photography and emotional in-depth look at the history, heritage and magnificent beauty of these American treasures. Food (including several vegetarian options but no vegan options) and drinks will be available before and during the program; purchase not required but greatly appreciated since it offsets the group’s cost of the event. FREE ADMISSION but RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by Monday, Sept. 21. For phone reservations (deadline Sept. 21) and/or cancellations: leave a complete message at 972-369-5543 with your name, number of reservations wanted/canceled and return phone number. Unfortunately, inaudible messages or those without a return number can’t be honored.

Monday, Sept. 28 Mid-Suburban Sierra Club organizational meeting for communities near DFW Airport at 7 p.m. After having the summer off, the Mid-Suburban satellite group of the Sierra Club will have an organizational meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m. at the Sunflower Shoppe Community Room, 5100 Hwy 121, Colleyville 76034. This will be an informal meeting to discuss what we can do as a club in the communities surrounding DFW Airport. Possibilities include: 1. Monthly or quarterly educational meetings with speakers; 2. Socials; 3. Movie nights with documentaries; 4. Family events with plans for children; 5. Dayhikes in some of our many local nature areas and parks; 6. Cool Cities–Sierra campaign for local municipalities; 7. Involvement with (healthy and environmentally friendly) school lunches; 8. Energy meetings; 9. Book discussion groups like we had a few years ago –Choices for Sustainable Living was one; 10. Your suggestions. There will be leaders from both the Dallas and Fort Worth Sierra Club to answer your questions and help us plan. Please bring your ideas and, hopefully, your willingness to help this area’s club expand and flourish. We need something like this in our part of the metroplex but it is not something that can be planned or implemented by two or three people. I really want to see you on September 28. If you have questions or suggestions about the meeting or the area, please call me, Terry Jensen, at 817-545-0140 or 972-251-1532. Free.

Thursday, Oct. 1 Almost TGIF Hike along the Trinity Trail. End the work week with a hike on a paved portion of the Trinity Trail near the Fort Worth Zoo for approximately 3-4 miles. Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the parking lot just south of the Hoffbrau Steak House on University Drive in Fort Worth approximately 1 mile south of I-30. Bring water for yourself and wear appropriate clothing. Optional meal/libations after hike. In the event of rain, hike will be cancelled. Please, no dogs. Leader: Claudia Blalock 817-924-6242.

Saturday, Oct. 3 Dayhike Trinity River Greenbelt. Octoberfest 10K DAYHIKE Hike 10K (6 miles) on the Lake Ray Roberts Greenbelt Corridor. This is an easy trail running along side the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. No reservations required, just show up. Please, no pets. Bring water and snacks. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Highway 380 Trailhead Park. Admission to the park is $5.00 per person or free with a Texas State Parks Pass. There will be an optional lunch afterwards. The Park is on US Hwy 380 2.1 miles west of Hwy 377 or 2.8 miles east of Loop 288 in Denton. Highway 380 can be reached from Central Expwy, Preston Road, or the Tollway. Bring extra shoes in case the trail is muddy. Leader: Mark Adams 972-658-1281(C).

Saturday, Oct. 3 Workday to make TRAC tidy. October marks the one-year anniversary of the Trinity River Audubon Center (TRAC), a fabulous environmental learning center in South Dallas. To mark the event, TRAC plans a large celebration during the second weekend in October. To help get ready for it, Sierra Club Dallas Group is scheduling a service outing to the facility to help spiff up the grounds and make the whole place shine in anticipation of the large turnout they are expecting for the anniversary event. We will be clearing brush, removing any trash, and generally performing tasks that will improve the look of the trails and the waterways encompassed by the center. No special skills or tools required. Please contact Teresa Wilkin for further details and to get on the crew list. Leader: Teresa Wilkin 214-693-1503(H).

Sunday, Oct. 4 Sustainable Sunday: Vegan Buffet every first Sunday at Papaya Garden, 1201 W. Airport Frwy #100, 817 684-9378, Euless, on the corner of Airport Fwy (Hwy 183) and Industrial (FM157 also known as Collins in Arlington). Thai, plant-based, and all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Larger restaurant, more room, good food. Ask for Terry at the door to meet/converse with an interesting group of people. Or sit with your friends and family. Organizer: Terry Jensen 817 545-0140 or 972 251-1532.

Read more online: DFW Earth/Food/Animal/Green newsletter

We can’t think of a better gift to give a new mom (like yourself!) than healthy, mouth-watering meals delivered right to your doorstep. How does this sound?

Mock “Chicken” Soup with Wild  Rice
Coconut Bhasmati Rice
Vegetable / Tofu Salad Wraps
Beet Dip with Whole Grain Crackers
Garbanzos, Artichoke Hearts / Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Chef Craig Shropshire’s Vegan Meal Delivery Service has served Richardson, North Dallas, Park Cities, Oak Lawn, Lower Greenville and Lakewood since 1992. Menus featuring five-course, gourmet vegetarian dinners are delivered to your home or office on Mondays and Wednesdays for $20. Menus change weekly. Gift certificates, catering and cooking instruction is also available.

Contact Chef Craif Shropshire at 972.437.4447 or by e-mail.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has been riding the more sustainable food train for years now, is sponsoring free screenings of the acclaimed documentary film Food, Inc. nationwide, including North Texas. The local showing will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16,  at the Magnolia Theatre in Dallas.

The food industry exposé is preparing to burst through the doorway cracked by Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” “If you know the truth about what you’re eating … you might not want to eat it anymore,” investigative journalist Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) warns the movie’s audience at the film’s beginning. Says The Ethicurean (check them out—they’ll help you “chew the right thing”), the film “persuasively confirms what the real ‘real food’ movement has long held: the only beneficiaries of our current food system are giant agribusiness corporations such as Tyson, Smithfield, Monsanto, and others like them.”

Chipotle’s Food With Integrity philosophy focuses on hallmarks like unprocessed, seasonal, family-farmed, sustainable, nutritious, naturally raised, hormone-free, organic and artisanal. Its sustainable suppliers supply the chain with naturally raised meats, organically grown beans, rBGH-free dairy and locally grown produce.

Tickets for the local screening at the Magnolia will be first come, first served. For more information, visit the Magnolia on the web.

D/FW Earth/Food/Animal/Green Building serves up these quick restaurant reviews for healthy, sustainable and local eating right here in Dallas/Fort Worth.

Ann’s Health Center & Market has many vegetarian/vegan selections, sandwiches and fresh veggie juices. Their mock chicken salad is my favorite — as a wrap in the store, or take some home to stuff in a tomato or serve as a main dish. In addition to prepared food, find groceries (some organic) and produce (non-organic) here.  I’m sure they have the best smoothies in town. Eclectic. 2634 S Zang, Dallas (214) 942-9483

New Start Veggie Garden Vegan and very healthy buffets for lunch (except Saturday). Both raw and cooked foods, warm and cold, soups and sushi, Mexican and Italian, all healthy and tasty international fare with more of an Oriental touch.  It’s good! 2330 Royal Lane, Ste. 900, Dallas 75229 (just west of I-35 on the south side of Royal), (972) 243-0507

Rio Mambo serves some of the best vegetarian Tex-Mex and margaritas in Tarrant County. Spinach enchiladas with grilled veggie ranchero sauce is tops, and their vegetable fajitas are extraordinary! 5150 Hwy 121, Colleyville, (817) 354-3124; 1010 Houston St., Fort Worth, (817) 336-3124. Mexican.

Find more local eateries on North Texas Natural Family’s Food page.

The peanut butter scare, the pistachio scare, the ground beef scare … People seem awfully scared of food these days. Yet a potentially even more alarming food scare has been building for years, rarely reported and often dismissed as too “radical” to be true: Is there a link between the dramatic rise in childhood allergies and our increasingly “engineered” approach to food production?

Robyn O’Brien, a mother of four and food allergy crusader, thinks there is—and she exposes how and why in her new book, The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making Us Sick—and What We Can Do About It. The Unhealthy Truth is both the personal story of how O’Brien learned to cope with life-threatening food allergies in her children and a larger exposé of the largely unregulated tie between Big Food and Big Money.

O’Brien will be appearing at Border’s in Dallas at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20.

Borders
10720 Preston Road
Dallas 75230
(214) 363-9305

Read more about The Unhealthy Truth at Super Eco.

Join other families at the Conscious Parenting for Peace Conference, part of The Global Peace Project’s Conscious Community Expo and Concert held Saturday, April 4 at Unity Church of Dallas. The free conference calls for nationwide and world wide unity and service and will offer a full day of speakers, events, ideas and activities.

A Conscious Parenting track designed especially for families will highlight holistic health, education and family topics.

Conscious Parenting Schedule

10:00 – 10:10 Leigh Anne DuChene with LIVE Didgeridoo music Quinn Eaker – Freeform Dance Meditation
10:10 – 10:15 Welcoming Message
10:15 – 10:45 Leigh Anne DuChene – Holistic Family Heritage & Conscious Parenting
10:45 – 11:30 Katherine Clay – Babywearing for Peaceful Parenting
11:30 – 12:00 Ann Crowell – Midwifery Care for a Peaceful Pregnancy & Birth
12:00 – 12:30 Kristi Rooks – Cloth Diapering for Conscious Living
12:30 – 12:45 Leigh Anne DuChene Peace & Kindness Meditation with LIVE Didgeridoo music Quinn Eaker
12:45 – 1:30 Katherine Clay – Babywearing for Peaceful Parenting
1:30 – 2:15 Quinn Eaker – Unschooling for Peaceful with Children & Education
2:15 – 2:45 Dr. Cindy Haggerton – Chiropractic Care for Peaceful Pregnancy & Children
2:45 – 3:15 Dr. Joy Wiggins – Pathways to Peace for Children
3:15 – 4:15 Bob Hopkins – PAVE
4:15 – 4:45 Donnallyn Dominguez – Midwifery Care for a Peaceful Pregnancy & Birth
4:45 – 5:15 Leigh Anne DuChene – Holistic Family Heritage & Conscious Parenting
5:15 – 5:45  Quinn Eaker – Unschooling for Peaceful with Children & Education
5:45 – 6:00 Quinn Eaker LIVE Didgeridoo music performed
6:00            Closing Message

The Peace Project is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization funded by The Peacilicious Planet run by volunteers, created to enhance local, regional, national and global communities through peace education programs. It creates opportunities for individuals and communities to peacefully impact the world by fostering a culture of peace, balance and harmony that allows all to participate in building a global community that embracing social, economic, religious and environmental peace, awareness, tolerance and sustainability.

Unity Church of Dallas
6525 Forest Lane, Dallas 75230
(972) 233-7106

Award-winning Executive Chef Anthony Bombaci at Nana at the Hilton Anatole has used his culinary gift for combining simple and precise ingredients that achieve unparalleled taste, texture and style to create a Vegan Tasting Menu and Lacto Vegetarian Tasting Menu. Available nightly, both menus feature a seven-course and 10-course sampling, professional wine pairings by Wine Steward Russell Burkett and à la carte options.

Chef Bombaci’s ten years of cooking in Barcelona shine through with big, vibrant flavors and a creative selection of hot and cold dishes. Each dish is true to Bombaci’s known culinary formula, featuring trios of contrasting and complementary flavors.

Selections from both menus feature Deconstructed Green Bean Casserole with Honshimeji mushrooms, fried onion praline, and tempura green beans. The tantalizing Liquid Baked Potato is highlighted with potato chip “salt” and chive oil, while the Grilled Leeks are accented with glazed Cipollini onions and Romesco sauce.

Specific dishes to the Vegan menu include the Carrot Marmalade served with an unlikely combination of passion fruit granite and peanuts that leap off the plate to dazzle your taste buds, and the Cucumber Spaghetti, with pistachio gravel, scallions, premium pistachios and sesame seeds. Heavenly desserts include Vinegar Marinated Strawberries and the Caramel Banana laced in cocoa nibs, pecans, Valrhona Araguani chocolate and mango granité.

The Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian menu, a delectable array of vegetarian items using fresh vegetables as well as dairy products and eggs, includes a selection of Manchego and Idiazabal Cheese served with a carrot-mandarin marmalade and arugula selvetta, and Cucumber Spaghetti with yogurt, pistachio oil pebbles, scallions and sesame tuiles. Mal Fatti, the light and airy cousin to the pappardelle, is hand rolled and sauced with ricotta, basil, pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano. Desserts are a grand finale, such as The Ruby Red Grapefruit with cashews, white chocolate, coconut and cilantro, and Valrhona Manjari Coulant with curry crema montada and peanut butter ice cream.

The 7-course menu is $85/person, $121 with wine selections (2 ounce servings). The 10-course menu is $100/ person, $145 with wine selections (2 ounce servings). Reservations are recommended: (214) 761.7470. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 6pm – 10pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 6–10:30 p.m. Nana is located on the 27th floor of the Hilton Anatole Hotel at 2201 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas 75207.

Sweeten office politics by softening up coworkers with treats from a local organic or vegan bakery. A recent article at SuperEco.com shone the spotlight on local favorites BreadHaus Bakery, Crosby Catering and Spiral Diner & Bakery.

“Not only do their treats look splurge-worthy, but these bakers appear to be eco-savvy, as well,” noted Super Eco. “Spiral Diner’s web site offers a well researched, footnoted page on why veganism is a healthy, earth-friendly choice.”

Help us find even more delicious local choices. Drop by our Food page and leave us a comment with your area’s favorite organic and vegan bakers.Photo: LotusHead, stock.xchng

There’s a great new eco-site on the web today, Super Eco. We’ve always tried to make North Texas Natural Family welcoming to “midstreamers,” parents who are somewhere in between crunchy-granola and conventional over-consumers. Super Eco thinks along the same lines, working to build a site dedicated to addressing environmental concerns and presenting environmental information in a way meant to meet readers wherever they happen to be in the process of exploring a more environmentally conscious life.

In addition to covering environmental news, Super Eco offers environmental feature articles and environmental how-tos. Who’s who and what’s what? You’ll find detailed product profiles, company profiles and who’s who in the green world and in the news, plus a rich and growing glossary of ecological, environmental and scientific terms to help you discover more. The site is also developing a series of “comparators” that compare and contrast key bits of information about things you may purchase all the time, like shampoo, from an environmentally conscious perspective.

It’s easy to keep up with all of this great content:

• A full list of all of Super Eco’s feeds can be found here.
• A little confused about how subscriptions work? Read the full how-to telling you how to subscribe to our feeds.
• Follow Super Eco on Twitter.
• Join the Super Eco Facebook group.

This planet means the world to North Texas Natural Family — and it does to Super Eco, too!

Photo: woodleywonderworks on Flickr