following in germany’s footsteps

January 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under Food

Last week, we reported how Germany was quite revolutionary in telling its citizens to stop eating meat, unless on special occasions. Following their lead, Britain will have meat-free menus promoted in hospitals as part of a strategy to cut global warming emissions across the National Health Service, according to the Guardian.

The biggest difference with this, however, is that it is not a single suggestion but rather, part of a nationwide plan to reduce carbon emissions in the UK Health System.

Last year the NHS published what it believes is the biggest public sector analysis of carbon dioxide, the biggest greenhouse gas, which showed the organisation’s emissions in 2004 were 18.6m tonnes and rising. This accounts for more than 3% of all emissions in England, and if the NHS was a country it would have been ranked as the 81st biggest polluter in the world that year, between Estonia and Bahrain.

One-fifth of the emissions were from transport, one-fifth from buildings, and the remainder from procurement, including drugs, medical equipment and food.

They have committed to a government pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. Other proposals include reduction of water bottle use, greater sterilization and re-use of equipment, and encouragement of public transportation for visitors.

Tags: British healthcare, carbon emissions, climate change, meat-free, vegan

review: M Cafe de Chaya

January 19, 2009 by aswanmill
Filed under Food

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by Amy Swanton Mills

Let me just say that I am not a macrobiotic, but am all in favor of any place that promotes fresh, healthy, organic ingredients. M Café De Chaya definitely fits that description and they should be commended for it. That said, I must disclose that I bring a certain prejudice to this review, as I find certain things delicious that macrobiotics wouldn’t even think of letting cross their lips. This list includes, but is definitely not limited to, prosciutto, vanilla lattes with milk from a cow, and hamburgers. So, for those of you who are on the same page as me, this review will probably be helpful to you. For those of you who are macrobiotics, probably not so much, as I would imagine this restaurant is pretty much the crème de la crème of macrobiotic options.

I have nothing against the macrobiotic thing, am game to try just about anything, and I like the idea of a light and healthy lunch. Thus, how I ended up at M Café de Chaya. I ordered the tuna tataki salad, a side of fries, and a mint green tea. My lunch companions ordered sushi and a black cod teriyaki bowl. The salad was good, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor on the fries. They use seaweed as a seasoning, which gives the fries a delicious, yet unexpected, flavor. The salad was good, though a little light on dressing and tuna. I think that is part of the macrobiotic approach, though, where you eat more grains and vegetables than anything else. The teriyaki bowl looked to be the most substantial item on the table, with a generous helping of brown rice.

I felt full after my meal and slightly proud of myself for eating so healthy. If I was forced to go macrobiotic or lose weight, this place would be a wonderful treat, but I have to confess that I felt a little cheated. I know that sounds bad, but I really can’t get behind spending $20 on a lunch that tasted a little unsatisfying. Don’t get me wrong, if I had a friend who was a vegetarian, or macrobiotic, I would highly recommend this place for the variety and creativity of their menu and I wouldn’t be upset about returning. However, I have a lot of other places with a more diverse and delicious menu that I’ll return to first.

website: M Cafe de Chaya