This or That: Roasting Pans vs. Turkey Bags

Now that you've prepped your turkey, it is time to put it in the oven. Have you considered whether you ought to use a roaster or a bag?

I love the text convo above a friend shared with me. It captures how perplexed I am (as was she) by the idea of cooking in a plastic bag. I decided to share the benefits of baking in a roasting pan versus a bag. 

This: Turkey Bags

Everyone I’ve talked to who is a fan of turkey bags like them because it means they have one less dish to wash. I get it, doing dishes isn’t generally my favorite activity. But let's put the one extra dish aside and consider…

Oven bags, also known as roasting bags, are typically made of food-grade polyester or nylon. They are generally BPA-free, phthalate-free, and approved by the FDA for cooking. However, despite this they are not toxic free. Several studies have confirmed that chemicals leach from them at high heat. This study said the highest concentrations of leached chemicals were in the skin and juice. Which means you won’t be able to use those delicious juices to make your gravy, unless you want some extra toxins with your meal. Breastcancer.org recommends against using roasting bags precisely because of the leaching issue. And another study points out that when it comes to plastic household items, BPA-free doesn’t mean risk-free: “Most plastic products release estrogenic chemicals.” Beware, too, “nonstick” roasting bags, which are treated with Teflon, also known as PTFE.

That: Roasting Pans

The old fashioned roaster. Yes, someone will need to wash the roasting pan. I suggest this task be delegated to someone who did not spend the day cooking in the kitchen - a win-win for everyone.  You can elevate your turkey on a rack, which will also need to be washed, but you won’t eat chemicals that can store in your body for long periods of time or that can alter your endocrine function. A simple roasting pan is a great tool to utilize in your kitchen throughout the year.

This article appeared in the December 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get more tips, tricks and delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.

This or That: Grain Finished v. Pasture Raised

 I always recommend pasture raised animal products to my patients. When I suggest pasture-raised, I am doing so for multiple reasons. One significant factor I want my patients to understand is that pasture-raised products have a different nutritional profile than grain-finished meat products.  The National Institutes of Health, a government agency, which funds health and medical research, has published studies verifying the superiority of grass-fed meat products in terms of nutritional value. Grass finished meats have 2-5 times more omega-3 fatty acids than grain finished meats.  They contain beta-carotene, conjugated linoleic acids, and also contain significantly more of the antioxidants vitamin E, glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase than grain-fed beef. These antioxidants play an important role in protecting our cells from oxidation, especially delicate fats in the cell membrane such as omega-3 and omega-6. You can wade through the analysis here.

This reason alone is enough to help most people switch to grass-finished products whenever possible, but sometimes we need to consider an even larger picture than our personal health. Consider this or that:

This: Grain-Finished

Whether we know it or not, when we choose grain finished animal products we are supporting practices unhealthy for the animals we consume, the land on which they are raised, the watersheds surrounding their feedlots and the planet at large. As Michael Pollen, noted author of Omnivore’s Dilemna,  said:

“The feedlot’s ecosystem, I could see, revolves around corn. But its food chain doesn’t end there, because the corn itself grows somewhere else, where it is implicated in a whole other set of ecological relationships. Growing the vast quantities of corn used to feed livestock in this country takes vast quantities of chemical fertilizer, which in turn takes vast quantities of oil—1.2 gallons for every bushel. So the modern feedlot is really a city floating on a sea of oil.”

When we choose grain-finished products, which account for 97% of the meat products sold in the US, we are supporting the extraction of fossil fuels and their attendant greenhouse effects.

When we choose grain-finished we are supporting the GMO corn industry. You can see my posts about GMO here, here, here and here to consider where you stand on genetically modified organisms in our diets.

British photographer Mishka Henner’s arial photo series of confinement animal feedlot operations (CAFO) in Texas are stunning. Without words, they show us the terrible toll feedlots take on the land. The manure ponds produce unhealthy algae blooms on the pond surface. These vast ponds contain manure at toxic concentrations that can seep into the groundwater, run-off into the local watershed causing higher concentrations of pollutants. Biting into that burger, your mind isn’t picturing this terrible view.

Feedlot cows, the land around them and water downstream are sick and flavorless. Left photo by Mishka, Henner, Right photo from Hawaiian Libertarian.

American meat products are loaded with antibiotics, which contribute to antibiotic resistance and may alter our guts’ micro flora. Many producers use large amounts of antibiotics in their meat production because animals are not meant to consume large quantities of grain. Their bodies are adapted to digest grasses. They have specialized digestive systems with multiple stomachs where grasses are fermented by their unique gut flora and broken down by enzymes that target the structure of grasses. When these animals are fed a grain-based diet, they get sick. The problem is made worse because such large numbers of animals are kept in such small spaces and live their lives surrounded by their shared manure. You can imagine just how easy it is for the cattele to get ill.

That: Grass-Finished or Pasture-Raised

Grass-fed cows and the land and watershed are happy, healthy and tasty.

When you choose to eat grass-finished products, you are supporting healthy animals. These animals are living in grass-covered pastures, in numbers sustainable by the vegitation in pasture. The herds do not require antibiotics because there are not large populations of cattle living in a small confined space.

When you choose grass-finished, products, you choose healthy land and water usage. We support keeping natural waste products in low enough concentrations that nature can effectively utilize or detoxify them.

When you choose grass-finished, you are choosing to support food as nature makes it, not as it is in engineered in the lab. Sustaainable meats are not produced with GMO feed.

When you choose grass-finished, you choose to support practices that do not contribute to global warming on a massive scale. We choose to allow nature’s carbon cycle to work as it was intended.

Grass-fed cows are happy cowsThis article appeared in the November 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get more tips, tricks and delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.

This or That...

We are bombarded with media about farming, food production and the value of GMOs.  Some of these articles and videos are cleverly disguised as "news" content, which in truth are advertisements for the sponsors.  Many of us may feel overwhelmed by the variety of options available.  Or we may freeze in the grocery aisle trying to balance the needs of our wallets with what we've seen or heard.  When the choice is made, it is a reflection of our personal economy and values. 

Many of us make choices without following them to their source or conclusion. We trust what we are told because it’s easier in our busy lives. We prefer what’s cheap because we’ve been taught to value immediate cost before other considerations. I know I have and sometimes still do. As human beings, we make choices with short-term glasses. As a result, the true scope of what we support is not apparent.

What Do You Support?

Option One: I support big agribusiness.  Though I may not have considered it before, this means... I support the use of petrochemicals leading to soil degradation and water pollution in the pursuit of business profits. I support ‘food products’ manufactured with genetically altered (GMO) seeds and toxic chemicals. I am in the dark, in company with many people, about what we eat, creating a national health crises of chronic conditions: digestive issues, diabetes, heart disease, dental challenges, weakened immune systems, brain imbalances, toxicity issues, skin problems and much more. 

OR

Option Two: I support sustainable food production, which means... I support stewards of the land and sea who grow and harvest real foods in accordance with nature’s principles.  I prefer fresh, local foods from small farmers, when possible.  I seek out businesses that produce without the addition of toxic contaminates to our soil and water.  I understand that the full cost of food production is more than what I pay at the cash register. I support giving people information they need to choose for themselves. I want the availability and clear labeling of real foods so my purchases become a reflection of my and my family’s sustainable healthy values.

I know real sustainable foods help me and our planet thrive. I enjoy feeding them to my family. I know how much better I feel when I gratefully enjoy them. I recognize that my health care savings help off set my budget for real foods.

One way we can all support sustainable healthy practices is by voting.

This election cycle you have the ability to let these values be reflected every time someone in the state of Oregon goes to the grocery store. You can Vote YES on 92. Click Oregon Right To Know for more information and to donate. When we label our food, everyone has the chance to make a conscious choice.

If big business was proud of their products they would Vote Yes on 92.  If big business was confident consumers would choose their GMO products, they would be thrilled to Vote Yes on 92. If big business wasn't afraid that consumers empowered with information would change their shopping preferences they would Vote Yes on 92.  But... Big business isn't proud. They are spending millions of dollars to defend their secretive practices. They want to hide what's in their products because they know it is of substandard quality.  Big business isn't confident because their accountants and legal advisors tell them to worry.  Big business is afraid that you, armed with information, will change your purchasing habits.  Big business knows that without your ignorance, their profit margins will suffer.

If you Vote Yes on 92, you will more easily be able to choose for yourself what you put into your body and into your family's bodies.

If you Vote Yes on 92, you will be able to support sustainable producers and keep more money in your community.

If you Vote Yes on 92, manufacturers will change their American product packaging and people beyond Oregon will be able to choose for themselves.

If you Vote Yes on 92, you are taking a stand for the health of yourself, your family, your friends, your community, your state and the world.

We do have choices and I for one feel incredibly empowered when I pay attention to the small changes I can incorporate into my busy schedule. I can take a few moments to fill out my ballot. We all can. Please share this post on Facebook.

What do you choose? What small and big actions are you taking in your life to live in a healthy sustainable manner? Please respond below with your comments.  I like hearing from you.

This article appeared in the October 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get more tips, tricks and delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.