The Green Music Group (GMG), a project of Reverb, has launched a series of earth friendly calls-to-action this summer. Starting tomorrow, Guster is challenging fans to use the Eat Well Guide to find and eat at least one meal using local, organic food. You have until noon on Friday June 18^th to submit your foodie photos and become eligible to win a Live Nation Ultimate Access Pass. You can check out all the details at the GMG challenge page. The “Eat Local” challenge is part of GMG’s mission to encourage concert venues to sell local and organic food.

GMG is a group of musicians, industry leaders and fans working to inspire environmental action. Directed at music fans everywhere, a different challenge will launch each week though mid-August with an exclusive video from a founding artist, including the Dave Matthews Band, Sheryl Crow, Linkin Park, The Roots, Barenaked Ladies, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Maroon 5 and, of course, those CO2-saving superheroes, Guster.  Challenge prizes include season passes to concert venues, a specialized mountain bike and a Honda Insight Hybrid – plus that green glow we all get from just doing the right thing.

Join the GMG community and check out the various challenges throughout August, and don’t forget to use the Eat Well Guide to find fabulous locally produced food all summer long.



No stranger to boar sausage, or to a finely braised veal shank, Mario Batali isn’t the first person that comes to mind when you think about vegetables. And that’s what’s so interesting about Batali’s decision to embrace Meatless Monday in all of his 14 restaurants across the country.

“The fact is, most people in the U.S. eat way more meat than is good for them or the planet,” maintains Batali. “Asking everyone to go vegetarian or vegan isn’t a realistic or attainable goal. But we can focus on a more plant-based diet. That’s why I’m such a big believer in the Meatless Monday movement!”

So how’s he going to do it? Every Monday every one of his 14 restaurants will serve at least two vegetarian options, whether entrees or pastas or pizzas. In addition, many of the restaurants will designate these dishes as Meatless Monday options, using Mario’s new MM logo. With this simple gesture, Mario will send a powerful message to other chefs and restauranteurs that we can all start the week right by eating our veggies.

To read the rest of this article, visit Meatless Monday.

The proposed permanent market would host all types of vendors from regional farmers to artisan producers. “We need to revitalize food markets, and have a permanent food market at South Street Seaport that meets the needs of residents, brings in tourism and jobs for New Yorkers,” said Quinn. The project would be less like the ever-popular NYC Greenmarkets and more akin to the Pike Place Market in Seattle, which sees nine million visitors each year – an exciting prospect from an economic revitalization standpoint.

Quinn made certain to emphasize the economic benefits of developing this market, one being potential job creation, explaining that “the food system is an economic engine that can put people to work”. Regional producers and small businesses would surely benefit from the platform of a permanent market, but it would also contribute to the economic growth of the South Street Seaport area.

The Fulton Fish Market site received some attention over the past few years when the New Amsterdam Market emerged, a monthly market showcasing regional farmers and artisan producers. The New Amsterdam Market comprises over 120 producers- from farmers to butchers to cheese mongers. Now a 501c3, they fought hard to establish their presence as a monthly market on this site.

Quinn has been a staunch ally in the effort to make the New York City food economy a priority of the city council, constantly advocating for “food that’s nutritious and affordable in every neighborhood in New York City.” Most recently, Quinn was integral in the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which invests $1 billion to help build grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods around NYC. In fact, she mentioned that some of these funds could also potentially be used to develop the permanent market.

The creation of a permanent market at the Fulton Fish Market site would serve New Yorkers in countless ways. The most difficult to measure, but perhaps most important, would be building community. In city as large and bustling as our Big Apple, this prospect excites us most of all.

San Francisco is known for touting innovative cuisine and healthy lifestyles. This past week, the city by the bay raised the bar in both arenas by becoming the first Meatless Monday city! The resolution passed by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors ensures that residents will gain greater access to healthy, meatless options while learning about the connection between what they eat and their health.

The resolution to make Mondays meatless was introduced by supervisor Sophie Maxwell, who hopes that residents will use this opportunity to make nutritious, sustainable choices. San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors agreed that Meatless Monday is a smart way to start the week, passing the resolution unanimously! According to ABC news, Maxwell’s Meatless Monday declaration will “encourage restaurants, schools and grocery stores to offer plant-based options.”

We’d like to welcome San Francisco to the Meatless Monday movement! Hopefully other cities will follow their lead in encouraging residents to embrace a diverse, healthy diet. Meatless Monday is a simple way to bring awareness and preventative health to any community!

Perhaps the most revolutionary thing about Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative is that it works with the today’s busy, complex world, instead of fighting it. “How do we answer the questions or give solutions or approaches to parents in all different kinds of communities?” the first lady asks. With 1 in 3 kids overweight or obese, Obama emphasizes that this generation’s children live in a very different- and much less active- environment. “There are going to be kids who can’t just go out and play. They’re home alone or their neighborhoods aren’t safe. Or what about families that are living out in rural areas where they don’t have a car and can’t go to the local soccer field?”

The Let’s Move initiative seeks to help people make healthier choices by rewarding physical activity as a consistent part of a child’s life. Obama redefined the criteria for the President’s Fitness Awards to include kids who incorporate physical activity in their day to day habits. This expands the award so that kids without access to organized sports can be recognized for integrating fitness into their weekly routines. What a motivation to Move It each Monday!

Obama also takes our diets as the initiative promotes nutrition in encouraging healthy home cooking by making healthy ingredients accessible to the every kitchen. The Healthy Food Financing Initiative is to invest four hundred million dollars to establish grocery stores in underserved communities without access to fresh fruits and veggies. A Farmers’ Market Promotion Program is following suit in devoting five million dollars to improve access so farmer’s markets, so every child can learn about new and different nutritious produce. So take advantage of one of the farmer’s market springing up near you. You and your kids can take a stroll as well as learn how those bell peppers, sweet potatoes and green beans got from their farm to your plate this Meatless Monday.

Typically made with few ingredients, Irish soda bread doesn’t require a lot of effort. For one, it’s a quick bread (using baking soda, rather than yeast, to make it rise) and the main ingredients are typically flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. I found that its simplicity was exactly what I was looking for in that moment. As I reached into the cabinet to get the ingredients I couldn’t help but be mentally transported back to Ireland.

Taking part in the traditions of my ancestors made me beam with pride. Using simple ingredients to produce a comfort food baked with love and intention was a joyful experience. As soon as I put my hands in the dough, it felt instantly therapeutic. I kneaded and kneaded, bringing together the wet and dry ingredients in a marriage of flavors. The sweet smell of the bread baking in my oven brought me back to my childhood, when I couldn’t wait to find that foiled-wrapped piece of soda bread that my mom would put in my lunchbox on St. Patrick’s Day. This simple pleasure, taking notice of my family’s traditions, really put me in tune with my own existence. It felt genuine in a city with such fleeting pleasures.

Unfortunately, St. Patrick’s Day is too often thought of solely as a day to imbibe to the point of inebriation. I found comfort in engaging in a deep-rooted tradition that truly celebrates my Irish heritage, which is too often not given the respect it deserves on this day. If you are keen to make my Irish Soda Bread, you can see the recipe on our sister site, Meatless Monday.

Elizabeth Puccini is co-founder of the NYC Green Schools initiative and parent of a student at The Children’s Workshop School in Manhattan. With the help of like minded parents, Elizabeth brought Meatless Monday to three New York City schools. She tells us how easy it is to bring Meatless Monday to our nation’s schools:

How did Meatless Monday at The Children’s Workshop School, The East Village Community School and P.S.94 come about?

The three schools share the same cafeteria. Inspired by the Baltimore school system, our Nutrition Committee asked if we could have Meatless Mondays. The School Foods Manager said yes. It was that simple.

Have there been changes to school food policy since the committee stepped in?

Absolutely. We have a salad bar that serves chickpeas and tofu, and we’ve eliminated fried products. We’ll soon be including education about the health and environmental benefits of eating plant-based foods.

Can these victories be easily adopted by other city schools?

Yes. School Foods is obligated to meet the requests of parents and schools. Suggesting Meatless Mondays is something parents and principals can take on right away!

What has the students’ response been?

Students are starting to appreciate the consequences of what they eat. When you limit meat, their first question is “Why?” This begins a dialogue about why it’s so important to eat less meat and get your protein from plant sources.

What advice would you give other parents?

Get involved, and know you have the power to demand change. Form a nutrition committee, get the support of the principal and meet with your School Foods Manager (every school is assigned one) to speak about changes in your menu!

Christina Roberto, M.S. and PhD candidate at Yale University, recently authored a study about the effects of calorie labeling on food choices. The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity study found that calorie labeling on menus improved choices, but posting the 2000 calorie a day recommendation as well maximized the effect.

Your study points out the increasing trend of eating out (i.e. food with generally lower nutritional value). How would calorie postings improve dietary patterns?

When eating out at restaurants, choices are no longer intuitive: it isn’t necessarily the case that a salad has fewer calories than a burger. Providing people with calorie information allows them to make informed decisions when dining. Requiring calorie information on menus also encourages restaurants to add lower calorie items.

Why is it that most of us have difficulty approximating the calories of restaurant meals?

Part of the reason is restaurants are businesses that need their food to taste as good as possible, so you keep going back. There is little incentive to balance taste and health. Most of us would never dream that a lot of restaurant foods have as many calories as they do!

This was the first study to assess consumption patterns when posting the daily calorie recommendations. What led to the decision of testing this variable in your study?

We thought that providing people with calorie information alone, without offering context, might dilute the effects of such labeling. Seeing that an appetizer is over 1000 calories doesn’t really hit home until you realize you should only be eating about 2000 calories per day and that appetizer will get you half way there!

Do daily calorie intake recommendations posted at a single meal impact food choices throughout the day?

In our study, we learned that people who had the daily caloric intake statement and calorie labels on their menus ate 250 fewer calories throughout the day than either of the other groups. This suggests that putting a statement informing people about daily caloric requirements can maximize the effectiveness of menu labeling.

Do you think there is value in a weekly reminder to stay within a healthy calorie limit?

People are very busy and we live in a food environment that constantly promotes poor food choices, so I think reminders about making healthy food choices can be very beneficial!

Maintain a healthy body weight by heading the recommended daily limit of 2000 calories. For a weekly reminder to reset your caloric calendar, do the Monday 2000!

Manhattan Borough President, Scott Stringer, has embraced Meatless Monday – and is recommending that the New York City Department of Education institute Meatless Monday in all city public schools! As part of his recent report, “FoodNYC: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Food System,” Stringer points to the success of the Baltimore City Public School MM program, and maintains it sends a positive message to kids about the health benefits of eating less meat and more vegetables.

As reported in the New York Times, Stringer stresses, “You’ve got to reach the next generation of New Yorkers early.” Baltimore schools’ food and nutrition services director, Tony Geraci, adds, “There’s not a culture on the planet that doesn’t have vegetarian offerings. You just have to remember to make it taste good.”

Meatless Monday is about giving people a choice – the option to start the week with a meat-free meal. We’re delighted that the Manhattan Borough President is casting a vote for public health with his support of Meatless Monday. We now encourage the city’s education department to enact the recommendation, and to bring nutritious, tasty lunches that will, ultimately, help to fight obesity and chronic disease!