I can't believe it's October already!
I love October and all it brings with it. Namely, the fall weather. The leaves changing. Fires in the fireplace. Hot mugs of tea sipped while enjoying the cooler weather outside. Long walks. Sweaters.
I love fall!
October also brings a new habit for Hip Mountain Mama's One Small Change.
In September, we made the switch to all cloth napkins. We LOVE our cloth napkins!
For October, we're doing something a little bigger. (Or at least bigger for french-fry addicts like Nana and I... admitting our addiction is the first step, right?)
We are boycotting McDonald's and all other fast food chains.
We are doing this for several reasons. First, we are trying to support, through our purchases, more local businesses and farmers. As Eric Schlosser points out in Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
, the meat packing industry- partly driven by the fast food industry- exploits immigrant labor in horrific ways. Additionally, as the number of recalls and disease outbreaks recently have highlighted, our meat is not always safe. Rather than supporting the corporate giants and mega-farms that raise beef for fast food companies, we would like to support local businesses by purchasing and eating meat from places like A Cut Above Natural Meats. Plus, their meat is ethically raised, not given any antibiotics, steroids, or growth hormones!
Second, fast food chain food is just not good for us. When giving in to temptation and hunger, I usually just opt for some french fries - they don't have all the ickiness associated with the above mentioned beef , right? Wrong. Again, go back to Eric Schlosser's book. He tells us why the french fries are so delicious and so bad for us. You can read about it here. Essentially, it boils down to "natural flavor." What exactly is natural flavor? Not natural, that's for sure! And, as the largest buyer of potatoes in the US, do you think McDonald's contributes to corporate farms and GMOs? You betcha. McDonalds buys potatoes from corporate food giant Monsanto. At one point in time, McDonalds fries were made out of GMO potatoes. While those have since been pulled, it seems like it is only a matter of time before another GMO potato crops (a little pun to lighten the mood) up and sneaks into our fries. And then there is the very practical side of things. The calories. Zero nutritional content. A LOT of calories.
And, don't even get me started on their marketing practices. Why can children recognize Ronald McDonald but not a sweet potato?
{sigh}
Despite the convenience and the manufactured yumminess of those french fries, we're giving them up!
Instead, we will pack some extra granola bars for when our tummies rumble on the go.
And, when the craving hits, we'll slice up some real potatoes-- organic potatoes, potatoes bought locally when possible- sprinkle a little salt on them, maybe melt a little cheddar cheese (rBGH free, of course), and enjoy some REAL french fries.
My daughter, our pocketbooks, and our waistline thank us.
*image from freefoto.com
We are boycotting McDonald's and all other fast food chains.
We are doing this for several reasons. First, we are trying to support, through our purchases, more local businesses and farmers. As Eric Schlosser points out in Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
, the meat packing industry- partly driven by the fast food industry- exploits immigrant labor in horrific ways. Additionally, as the number of recalls and disease outbreaks recently have highlighted, our meat is not always safe. Rather than supporting the corporate giants and mega-farms that raise beef for fast food companies, we would like to support local businesses by purchasing and eating meat from places like A Cut Above Natural Meats. Plus, their meat is ethically raised, not given any antibiotics, steroids, or growth hormones!Second, fast food chain food is just not good for us. When giving in to temptation and hunger, I usually just opt for some french fries - they don't have all the ickiness associated with the above mentioned beef , right? Wrong. Again, go back to Eric Schlosser's book. He tells us why the french fries are so delicious and so bad for us. You can read about it here. Essentially, it boils down to "natural flavor." What exactly is natural flavor? Not natural, that's for sure! And, as the largest buyer of potatoes in the US, do you think McDonald's contributes to corporate farms and GMOs? You betcha. McDonalds buys potatoes from corporate food giant Monsanto. At one point in time, McDonalds fries were made out of GMO potatoes. While those have since been pulled, it seems like it is only a matter of time before another GMO potato crops (a little pun to lighten the mood) up and sneaks into our fries. And then there is the very practical side of things. The calories. Zero nutritional content. A LOT of calories.
And, don't even get me started on their marketing practices. Why can children recognize Ronald McDonald but not a sweet potato?
{sigh}
Despite the convenience and the manufactured yumminess of those french fries, we're giving them up!
Instead, we will pack some extra granola bars for when our tummies rumble on the go.
And, when the craving hits, we'll slice up some real potatoes-- organic potatoes, potatoes bought locally when possible- sprinkle a little salt on them, maybe melt a little cheddar cheese (rBGH free, of course), and enjoy some REAL french fries.
My daughter, our pocketbooks, and our waistline thank us.
*image from freefoto.com
Wonderful change!!!
ReplyDeleteLove this! We have gotten out of our one small change thing but this has inspired me to revisit it! Thank you! and thanks for visiting my blog too... your moment is too cute!!
ReplyDelete