chipotle is out of carnitas for good reason: blog the change for animals #foodwithintegrity

January 15, 2015 Kristen Carr

I must preface this article with full disclosure: I'm a bit biased as far as Chipotle goes. My husband works for the company, and I am a huge supporter of theirs for that and many other reasons. So my husband let me know that some Chipotle stores would soon run out of carnitas, and we had a conversation about it at home.

"Well, some of us are going to run out of carnitas this week," he announced. "It's a big deal."

"Really?" I asked. "Can't you just order more?"

"Nope."

Big went on to explain that they had to suspend one of their pork suppliers because they were no longer treating their pigs humanely. Chipotle's tag line is "Food With Integrity," and they mean it. The supplier in question was violating Chipotle's standards, something they learned this past Friday. About one third of Chipotle's stores are affected, and they aren't sure how long they'll be without. Most of the violations of Chipotle's standards are related to the housing of the pigs. Chipotle requires its suppliers to raise the animals they use humanely, and, in particular, the pigs must be raised outside of cramped pens with access to the outdoors. Most of the pork used for food in this country is not raised this way, but instead of lowering their standards, Chipotle made the bold and brave decision to act with integrity as they advertise.

In the past, Chipotle has occasionally notified their customers through signage that they may be serving beef that does not meet their "responsibly raised" standards. The company periodically has a difficult time obtaining large supplies of beef that are raised free of artificial hormones or antibiotics. The great thing is that they let their customers know when they have to substitute "conventionally raised" beef. Pretty amazing when you think about how often we dine in restaurants and have no idea where our meat or other food is coming from.

In the case of carnitas, Chipotle has refused to make a substitution. Candice Choi of the Associated press relayed that "Paul Shapiro, vice president of farm animal protection for The Humane Society of the United States, said that most breeding pigs in the country are kept in gestation crates with concrete floors. Pigs that are raised with access to the outdoors or bedding represent a 'very small portion of the pork industry.'"

So what's behind Chipotle's philosophy of providing "Food With Integrity?" It's something our family is very proud to be a part of. Their web site states that "Food With Integrity is our commitment to finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers." And if you want the inside uncensored scoop? It's TRUE. 100%. I have the privilege of knowing through my husband and his colleagues just how high Chipotle's standards are. Chipotle elaborates:

It means serving the very best sustainable raised food possible with an eye to great nutrition and great value.

It means that we support and sustain family farmers who respect the land and the animals in their care.

It means that whenever possible we use meat from animals raised without the use of antibiotics or added hormones.

And it means that we source organic and local produce when practical. And that we use dairy from cows raised without the use of synthetic hormones.

Food With Integrity is a journey that started more than a decade ago and one that will never end.

So what does "naturally raised" mean, when it comes to pigs and other animals? Chipotle provides a clear definition: "naturally raised animals are raised in a humane way, fed a vegetarian diet, never given hormones, and are allowed to display their natural tendencies." Since 2001, Chipotle has sourced all of their pork from producers who follow these guidelines.

And the "conventionally raised" pork that is the standard of the food industry? What's that all about? Chipotle explains:

Many pigs are raised on factory farms and kept in small pens that do not allow for freedom of movement, limiting their ability to express natural behaviors. These pigs are given large amounts of sub therapeutic antibiotics to keep them from getting sick and enhance growth. According the the Union of Concerned Scientists, American pork producers use over 10 million pounds of antibiotics per year to keep their confinement-raised pigs from getting sick. That's more than three times the estimated amount used to treat all human illness.

WHAT?!?

Yes, you heard that correctly.

In summary, know where your food comes from. If you eat meat, know how the animals you are consuming have lived. And aspire to have the kind of integrity in your choices that Chipotle does.

To learn why naturally raised pork is so important to Chipotle and why I have a crush on founder, Steve Ells (my husband is okay with it), please click here and check out "STEVE SHARES."

And please watch this video. I've seen it more times than I know, and it still makes me cry every time.

the lesson in chipotle's "the scarecrow"

hi, i'm vegan-ish. nice to meet you

April 19, 2014 Kristen Carr

Nearly every day, I ask myself "what kind of an eater am I?" I tend to like to put labels on things. I think most people do. The fact is, I can't put a label on the kind of eater I am. Sometimes I call myself an "aspiring vegan" or an "almost vegan." Is there such a thing? Isn't that a bit like being "almost pregnant?"

The fact is, I prepare and eat mostly vegan meals. My family eats them with me, but they are not vegan, nor do they wish to be. So we have meat and dairy around the house. Do I occasionally throw a bit of cheese on my veggie burger? Guilty. Do I eat an actual burger once in a blue moon? Yes. But am I helping animals and the environment anyway? Yes.

A couple of weeks ago, I accidentally discovered a Live Twitter Chat new to me, #VeganFoodChat hosted by The Food Duo, "a couple of quirky vegan kids from NYC who play with their food." I started following the hash tag and discovered the participants to be talking about the triumphs and tribulations of being vegan around those who are not. I quickly joined in, not really caring if I "belonged." I know all too well about the judgements people pass about vegans. I judged, too, before I started learning more about it. I thought these vegans may not accept me (I think that's a commonly-held stereotype about passionate people), but I decided I'd just give them all the middle finger if they were haters and I dove in head first.

This group of people welcomed me and accepted me into their fold instantly. And when I admitted that I wasn't a "real vegan" but just a "mostly vegan," or one of those labels I like to use on myself, they seemed to breathe a sign of relief. One of them said "If there is a perfect vegan out there, I have yet to meet him or her." Another said "Everyone slips up sometimes, but no one talks about it." Wow. I felt accepted and comfortable, and even a little bit groundbreaking in my admission. For the first time, I felt like the kind of vegan-ish person I am is okay and can be accepted. And I don't have to be perfect.

So, what's my point? (Shut up about yourself, now, Kristen.) I don't have to be perfect, and you don't either.

Every bit of vegan-ish behavior you can muster helps the world get closer to ending the torture of animals for human consumption (please don't turn the channel just 'cause I went a little activist on you).

Being open-minded and educating yourself on where your food comes from is the first step. Sure, there are some nutty activists out there, and they are so loud, they are hard to hear. We just want to tell them to shut up. But if you digest the information slowly on your own terms and realize that there is a lot of truth behind the accusations, you're opening yourself up to a whole new way of thinking.

So what can you actually accomplish, even if you aren't a full-fledged vegan?

Reducing the amount of meat in your diet has tremendous health benefits and environmental benefits, not to mention the fact that it helps get us closer to ending the suffering of animals, the standard for most meat-producers. Check out some of these statistics outlined by Kathy Freston.

If everyone went vegetarian for just one day, the U.S. would save:
• 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost four months.
• 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year.
• 70 million gallons of gas–enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare.
• 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware.
• 33 tons of antibiotics.
If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:
• Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France.
• 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages.
• 4.5 million tons of animal excrement.
• Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.
You can read Freston's entire article, The Startling Effects of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day, here.

Talk about a powerful way to help the environment! But what about animals?

Most of us fall prey to the denial of the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. We don't see animals suffer, so it's easy to deny it. We just see our food served nicely on a plate and don't give a second thought to what an animal had to go through to make that meal possible. Or we say "yeah, yeah...I know. But I like meat. Whatever." Some of us don't even believe that the animals suffer. When I do have that occasional burger, I'm somehow able to put the images I've seen and stories I've been told out of my mind for a bit, so I get it. But most of the time, I can't get what I've learned out of my mind. I'm not going to include a bunch of gory pictures and stories, so don't get all uncomfortable. Just know that it's real, and the information is everywhere if you want to see for yourself.

If you're interested in reducing the amount of meat and/or dairy in your life on behalf of animals (or the environment, or your health, or whatever) how do you get started?

First of all, you've already started if you've made it this far in the post and are still reading. You rock!

Second, do whatever works for you. I eased into it, and though I'm almost there, I'm still easing. I'm not quite ready to completely give up the annual sushi dinner with my mother-in-law (yes–I know–there's great vegan sushi) or an occasional late-night In-and-Out indulgence with my hubby. But I'll get there.

Here are a few suggestions on getting started that worked well for me:

• Try Meatless Monday. Yes, it's an actual thing with a web site and everything! Pretty great. Meatless Monday is an awesome way to commit to eating this way just one day a week. By committing to it, I enabled myself to explore vegetarian and vegan recipes I wouldn't have otherwise considered, some of which have become family favorites. My family was actually excited about it. Participation was something I proposed to them, and they were on board. Well, the teen thing rolled his eyes a bit to play it cool, but I think he liked the idea. They felt comfortable committing to one day. They had six others! We ate this way for a long time. The kids (and even my hubby) would start asking over the weekend "what are we doing for Meatless Monday?" or "can we have X, again, for Meatless Monday?"

Once I began to learn their favorites, I started sneaking in an additional meatless meal on, say, Wednesday. We'd be halfway through the meal before someone would notice. "Hey...this has no meat! It's not Meatless Monday!" Oh, well. (Hee hee.)

This video about the who, what, how, why, and where on Meatless Monday is quite hilarious (oh, and informative):

• Watch Vegucated. I'm a huge documentary fan, and this one was recommended to me by a non-vegan friend who has similar taste in flicks. I don't want to spoil it for you, but let's just say it probably had the most influence on me of any step I took toward a vegan lifestyle. It's not told in a voice of activism. It's quite gentle and forgiving, yet hard-hitting. It pulled me out of my denial about where my meat was coming from. It showed real people going through this struggle that is both physical and emotional. Check out the trailer:

• Read The Kind Diet. The Kind Diet has become one of my favorite books. I borrowed it from the library and then purchased a copy for myself the next day. It had to be mine. Alicia Silverstone talks about the different stages of being vegan from "flirting" to becoming a "superhero." She puts things nicely, but plainly, and has a casual "this meat-eating thing just doesn't really make sense" attitude. She thinks about it from all angles. She is kind, as advertised. She educates, offers tips, and provides some out-of-this-world recipes. And–bonus!–she's pretty damn entertaining.

• Check out Vegetarian Times Magazine. I have a subscription, and I love it! I don't have to go looking for recipes. I can just open up a magazine and choose something. In addition, the magazine has some great articles about the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. I even like the ads! They introduce me to awesome products I may not have otherwise considered.

• Make your own Pinterest board of meatless recipes, and follow others' boards for fresh ideas. My board is composed of both meat-free recipes and meat recipes that sound amazing that have adapted or would like to adapt (yes, it's okay to do that). I call it "grub: vegetarian, vegan, and adaptable recipes." Go on...check it out. I'll wait for you.

I also joined a Pinterest group board created by my friend, Sarah, called "Meatless Recipes," which is a great way to share with others and gain new recipe ideas. Plus, it's fun! If you're not already on Pinterest (echo...echo...echo), beware. It's quite addictive.

• Don't immediately try to vegan-ize your favorite dishes. You'll be totally bummed, if you do. A veggie burger does not taste like a cheeseburger, and tofu does not taste like chicken. Start out by creating something entirely new. Add to your diet; don't replace items in your diet–at first. Make yourself a veggie stir-fry over quinoa on Monday, and enjoy that fried chicken on Tuesday. Think of it as an adventure rather than a chore or obligation, and it will be a lot more fun. And once you do go for that veggie burger, realize that it's still not a replacement for a cheeseburger. Let it be it's own thing, and appreciate it for what it is. It's quite delicious. But it's not a cheeseburger replacement; It's a veggie burger.

• Make some vegan friends. And I know just where to find them. I invite you to join me each Wednesday for the #VeganFoodChat. Come with an open mind and an open heart (please, no haters). Tell 'em @WellMinded sent you.

See. There's a lot we can do. It's not black and white. Any small measure helps in so many ways. Consider the enormous impact you could have on animals by giving this whole meatless thing a try, to any degree. I'll close with one of my favorite quotes:

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he begun his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down at the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up, and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."
-Loren Eiseley

adding quinoa to your dog's diet (with recipes)

January 3, 2014 Kristen Carr

Since I wrote about whether a vegan diet is viable for dogs, readers, clients, and friends have asked me about incorporating quinoa into their dogs' diets. Questions have ranged from wondering if quinoa is toxic to dogs to the nutritional value of quinoa for their canine companions.

Whether you and your dog are vegan or not, quinoa is a healthy addition to your diet.

What is quinoa? Though often thought to be a whole grain, quinoa is actually a seed. It is thought to have first been grown and harvested for food by the ancient Incas.

Is quinoa toxic to dogs? First thing's first. Quinoa is not toxic to dogs, but can cause severe digestive upset if fed uncooked, so always serve quinoa to your dog after is has been cooked.

Can dogs digest quinoa? Cooked quinoa can be digested by dogs. Due to it's high fiber content, quinoa can sometimes cause diarrhea when first introduced, so use caution to incorporate it slowly, as you should any new food.

Why is quinoa healthy for my dog and me? Quinoa is packed with nutrients and healing properties. Due to it's high protein content (over 8 grams per cooked cup) and the fact that it contains the nine essential amino acids, it is often a staple of vegan and vegetarian diets. It is low in fat (about 3.5 grams per cooked cup), low in calories (about 220 per cooked cup) and cholesterol-free. It is a good source of iron, magnesium, vitamin B12, and fiber and is rich in antioxidants.

How do I prepare quinoa? Always rinse quinoa thoroughly before preparing it. Add one part quinoa to two parts liquid, and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to low, and cook, covered, until the liquid has been absorbed.

Though most often cooked in water for a neutral-flavored quinoa that can be used for a variety of purposes, I sometimes cook it in vegetable broth (or broth of your choosing) for a more full-flavored savory dish. Be aware that most store-bought broth is high in sodium and wouldn't be best for dogs to consume. I also cook it in almond milk (you may substitute your favorite milk) for a richer, sweeter breakfast dish. I offer my family accompaniments such as agave syrup, raisins, bananas, and almonds for a energy-packed start to their day. Whether cooked in water, homemade (low sodium) broth, or milk, I will typically make a large batch so that I can use a scoop here and there in our dog food, a scoop in my lunch salad, or a quick side-dish for a kid meal. It's a great thing to have on-hand in the fridge.

How should I incorporate quinoa into my dog's diet? As with any new food, introduce quinoa into your dog's diet gradually. Because it is so high in fiber, your dog may suffer diarrhea if given too much. A small spoonful mixed into his regular food is a good place to start. Consult your veterinarian or dietitian for specific feeding guidelines for your dog. Quinoa will not provide all of the nutrients your dog needs, but can be a healthy addition to your dog's diet.

RECIPES FOR THE TRYING:

Abby & Chi-chi's Vegan Dog Food

Homemade Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Vegan Dog Delight

Skinny Muttloaf

Quinoa Crisps with Rosemary Salmon Dog Treats

Have you used quinoa in your dog's food? Please tell us about it!

saving a turkey: our first vegetarian Thanksgiving

November 27, 2013 Kristen Carr

I am thankful that this year we are having two Thanksgiving celebrations. One with our immediate family on Thanksgiving, and another out of town on Friday with our orphan family–the family of friends we had Thanksgiving with for years and years before we moved and had kids.

It is only because of that second Thanksgiving (which will be traditional in terms of food, if not participants) that my family half-heartedly agreed to indulge me in our first vegetarian Thanksgiving (I didn't push them so far as to go vegan). This is a holiday miracle because my husband is the most traditional person I know. He wants Thanksgiving to be exactly as he had it as a child. I was shocked enough that he allowed me to add a couple of southwestern style dishes to our fare when we moved to Arizona, but to abandon the turkey? I never thought it would happen. But with the promise of a 21-pound turkey on Friday, it has.

Everyone asks me what we're doing "in place of the turkey." I think they mean, "as a main dish." I get it. The whole thing is quite bewildering to most. I'm up to my shenanigans, again. So whatrwehavin'?

This is what we're making "in place of the turkey." food photo source: vegetariantimes.com

We thumbed the pages of our November issue of Vegetarian Times magazine and came up with:

our menu

winter squash pot pie with swiss chard and chickpeas

green beans and radishes braised in orange juice

mashed parsnips with crispy parsnip ribbons

creamed spinach

chocolate cherry semifreddo

These recipes are all new to us, and we're super excited to spend the day cooking together as a family and saving a turkey.

If you like that idea, and you really want to be a hero (it works even if you've already got the turkey on the oven), you can adopt a turkey through Farm Sanctuary. It's a fantastic program called Farm Sanctuary's Adopt a Turkey Project. They say:

For a one-time donation gift of just $30, anyone can sponsor a turkey who lives at one of our three shelters. As a turkey sponsor, you will receive a special Adopt a Turkey certificate with a color photo of and fun details about your new friend.

Check out their 2013 video to get to know the adoptable turkeys:

Aren't they sweet?

And to keep you in the save-a-turkey spirit, here is the chant Po (my first-grader) did in music class:

a turkey named Burt thought he'd make up a dance

and he'd dance for the king and the queen

if he did a good job, and they liked it a lot

they wouldn't eat him, cause that would be mean

he went

slide–close, slide–close

flap your wings and touch your toes

he went

slide–close, slide–close

shake your tail and wiggle your nose

a turkey named Burt thought he'd make up a dance

and he'd dance for the king and the queen

if he did a good job, and they liked it a lot

they wouldn't eat him, cause that would be mean

yeah!

Yeah. Happy Thanksgiving!

artificial food dyes and pet food

November 25, 2013 Kristen Carr

It seems these days that everything will kill us, and there's an argument against nearly every type of consumable, including pet food. We worry about fillers and protein content in our pets' food, and sometimes it can be overwhelming to have to think about one more thing. But we should.

Artificial food dyes are proven sources of health problems for both humans and animals, yet they are prevalent in processed foods. Why? They often make foods appear more appealing to the consumer. Processed foods are much different from the natural foods they are trying to mimic, so color is added to make the foods look more authentic or natural, or even more fun. But do dogs and cats care about the color of their food? I'm not a dog or cat, so I can't say for sure, but I'm guessing they don't.

Adding artificial dyes to pet food is purely for us, the pet owners, because we are the ones making the purchasing decisions. If a pet food claims to be healthy and contain real meat and vegetables, we might expect it to look like it contains meat and vegetables. Meat is red...vegetables are green. So let's add red and green to the kibble to make it look like it contains real ingredients.

The problem? Adding those colors likely has a negative impact on the health of the animal.

I am often asked "what should I feed my pet?" I always take the needs of the individual animal into consideration, and I recommend different things based on those needs. That being said, there are a few highly processed foods that contain artificial dyes that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. I hate to name names, but I'm naming names. One of the worst is Beneful. Let's check out why together.

Beneful presents itself as a healthy pet food in every way. The name is awesome. It screams "beneficial" and "full of all that is good." Their sub-branding often uses the word "healthy." The packaging is great, too. The design is modern and fairly clean. The white background stands out among the competition and makes us feel like the food is clean and pure, and it gives us the feeling of trust. White is good. And then, just look at all of the real, healthy food pictured on the box. If they show all of those foods on the package, they must be in there, right? The image Beneful projects is nothing but positive, and it works. It sells.

Beneful makes all sorts of food and treats for both dogs and cats, but let's take a peek at Beneful's Healthy Fiesta dog food as an example. Here is the ingredient list, which I pulled from Beneful's Web site:

Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), chicken, soy flour, rice flour, water, propylene glycol, sugar, tricalcium phosphate, salt, phosphoric acid, animal digest, calcium phosphate, potassium chloride, dried carrots, sorbic acid (a preservative), dried tomatoes, avocado, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, Yellow 5, ferrous sulfate, Red 40, manganese sulfate, niacin, Blue 2, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, Yellow 6, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.

So that I don't get too far off track, let's forget about the fact that the first ingredient is "ground yellow corn." Let's focus on the dyes (I've highlighted them in bold). We have Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 2, and Yellow 6.

Yellow 5 Also known as tartrazine or E102, this dye requires a warning label in Europe. It is commonly found in processed foods we humans consume as well as pet food, it is thought to cause neurochemical and behavior effects, including hyperactivity, aggression, and insomnia. It is also linked to asthma, allergies, thyroid tumors, lymphomas, ADHD, and chromosomal damage.

Red 40 Perhaps the most well-known artificial food dye because of it's prevalence and bad reputation, it is tainted with cancer-causing contaminants. You've probably heard a lot about it because it is linked to ADHD and hyperactivity in children.

Blue 2 Often contains cancer-causing contaminants and may contribute to abnormal cell development, especially in the brain. It is most closely linked to brain tumors. May also cause allergic reactions.

Yellow 6 Has been reported to cause allergies and is linked to hyperactivity in children. Some studies have shown that it has caused adrenal gland and kidney tumors in animals. It is also linked to skin issues, asthma, and chromosomal damage.

Beneful is definitely not the only pet food that contains artificial dyes.

Whether these dyes are dangerous and how dangerous they are is the subject of scientific research and debate. What no one argues about is the fact that artificial food dyes provide no health benefit whatsoever.

Very little research has been done about the direct affect of artificial dyes on our pets, but it is better understood than ever before that they aren't good for humans. Still, we consume them, and, still, we feed our pets food that contain them. Who benefits from shielding us from their dangers? The companies who produce these products consider the dyes a primary marketing tool in making their food more attractive to the consumer. They want to keep using them so they can sell more product.

Artificial dyes are of no benefit to our pets. So if Fido and Fluffy don't care what color their food is, aren't we better off reading the labels and choosing foods that don't contain artificial dyes? Our pets are at our mercy, so let's choose wisely for them.

This graphic is a fantastic look at some of the most common dyes used both in our food and our pets' food: