To boycott or not to boycott?

Boycotting 'bad' brands seems like the obvious choice – and it can be a good one – but the downside is that boycotts can often end up hurting the people you're trying to help. If you stop buying the products those people are employed to make, they could end up out of a job. That's why a lot of people choose to get vocal instead – because telling companies you're not happy with them sends a much clearer message than just choosing not to buy their product. Read the full story »

Plant-based eating

The theme for World Food Day 2013 (coming up on October 16!) is nutrition and sustainability. The two are interlinked, a concept that is becoming more and more obvious, especially after the horse meat scandal in Europe earlier this year. According to a UN study, our quest for ever cheaper meat has resulted in an unsustainable system of intensively farmed livestock, as well as a detriment to human health because of the increasing amount of poor-quality meat. Professor Mark Sutton, lead author of the study, told The Guardian, “It shows society must think about livestock and food choices much more, for the environment and health." Read the full story »

Three reasons you’ll eat less meat in the Zombie Apocalypse

In the last few blog posts we've given you some tips on how to feed yourself in the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse. In all our hypothetical scenarios and projections, there’s one question I haven’t really been able to tackle. How could you include meat in your post-apocalyptic diet? After some serious consideration, here’s our official position. In the Zombie Apocalypse, meat-eating isn’t going to be a priority. Here’s three reasons why. Read the full story »

What’s at stake with your steak?

What if meat wasn’t nutritiously necessary for your health? But further, what if meat was not only unnecessary, but also killing the planet? You’ve probably heard about lethal cow farts. Livestock produce methane and nitrous oxide through the digestive process – some of the most noxious greenhouse gases. These gases, combined with the general carbon footprint of the meat industry, generate nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Read the full story »

Top 5 meat substitutes

Armed with enough green knowledge for the part-time (and full-time, for those so well inclined) vegetarian, you can be sure to unearth a few scrumptious recipes to kickstart the cooking creativity – be it for those 'Meatless Mondays' or simply because you’re more conscious about where your food comes from. Read the full story »

To go the whole hog or not: My vegan week

I’ve always started and ended each day with an animal product of sorts, whether milk, yoghurt or a plate of meat, until I took a 7 day vegan challenge last week and turned my normality upside down. When I began the challenge, most people looked at me sideways or laughed, saying: “Don’t worry if you don’t make it to the end of the week!” Read the full story »

Going bananas for Oxfam's GROW campaign

It’s not every day you get to dress up as a vegetable or a piece of fruit. But that’s what I signed up for when I joined Oxfam’s GROW campaign to spread the word about food security and collect petition signatures at farmers’ markets around Melbourne in May. As a loyal and proud Queenslander I obviously chose the banana suit. Read the full story »

Where did your food come from?

Ever wondered where your food really comes from? Not where you’ve bought it, but where it’s grown. It’s that thirst for knowledge that drives thousands of people each week to shop direct from producers at accredited farmers’ markets to find the best seasonal produce whilst also supporting the growers. Read the full story »

Quin-HUH?!

The biggest misconception about vegetarians and vegans is that they do not get enough protein. If you pay attention to what you eat, your diet can be even more balanced without meat than it was with it. One of the saviours of the vego is quinoa. Never heard of it? Maybe you can’t even pronounce it? Get ready for your life to be changed forever! Read the full story »

Joe's juice challenge

Feeling down? Particularly about your eating habits? Too much cow, pig and chicken in your diet? Maybe you’re not eating enough fruits and veggies? The perfect wake-up call awaits! Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is an amazing film I came across a few years back. It’s about an Aussie’s journey to quit feeling lousy about himself and his weight, as well as all of the medications he was dependent on each day. Joe vowed to go on an all-juice diet for 60 days – doctor supervised of course. The results, and the process by which he got there, are amazing! Read the full story »