Eating Healthy Green

As a wrap-up to Our Daily Green's How We Spent Our Summer Vacation series, we had the distinct pleasure of visiting the National Archives. The National Archives are best known for the Big Three of our nation's history, The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights. No visit would be complete without reverently viewing The Charters of Freedom, as the exhibit is named, and realizing the nation the documents inspired.

Admittedly, popular culture played a role as well, as the Mini Green's relived the movie National Treasure and pointed out the inaccuracies between the real life storage site of the Declaration and the fictionalized account.

But in addition to the big three, The National Archives currently has another exhibit, What's Cooking, Uncle Sam? The exhibit contains documentation dating as early as the Revolutionary War about the different ways the government regulates and controls the food we eat. Over the ages, the government has issued many edicts about what to eat and how to eat it.

Our government monitors food safety, underwrites food production, establishes dietary guidelines and in many ways controls all food consumption in the United States. From the farm, factory, kitchen to the table, our government has something to do with our food. Food choices are an important step to a greener life. It's a way to stay healthy as well as avoid chemicals. We can choose local, minimally packaged/transported food and less processed more natural food.

The engaging Chef José Andrés has partnered with the National Archives with a new restaurant, America Eats Tavern. Chef Andrés has initiated many green and healthy crusades not only in Washington DC, but around the world. He helped launch the non-profit Hope for the Sun in Haiti, by setting up solar kitchens after the devastating earthquake. After being named Best Chef in the U.S. by the James Beard Foundation this past May 2011, Chef Andrés said,

"Food is the most powerful thing we have in our hands," accepting his reward at a ceremony in New York City. "We have the responsibility to make sure that not only our great nation, but the world will always be using food in the right way."

In a 60 Minutes interview, Chef Andrés spoke highly of his love of vegetables in the diet. While in DC, we had the pleasure of eating a meal at one of his restaurants, and were able to sample a delicious vegan soup, the white gazpacho, featuring SuperFoods such as almonds, garlic, and olive oil.

Because Our Daily Green's first love is food, we encourage our readers take time to learn about what we use to fuel our bodies. We agree with Chef Andrés that FOOD is the most powerful thing we have, and by beginning with what we eat, we take the first step to a greener tomorrow.

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