Cool Cuisine: Feed Your Body, Mind and Planet

Laura Stec 
Author and Corporate Chef for Pescadero Foods, Inc. 

Foods best for the health of our people are also best for the health of our planet. True or false? Why does it matter? And why should food-lovers especially take notice? Based on the book, “Cool Cuisine - Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming,” and a partnership between Harvard University and the Culinary Institute of America, this talk looks at how the four most common dietary habits which negatively affect human health (being overweight and eating too much sodium, simple carbohydrates, and red meat) are also ruining the health of our environment.  It addresses how agricultural practices can enhance or destroy the taste and nutrient-quality of food, and what inspires eaters (especially youth) to make changes. Understanding motivations and learning new tips will help us cook delicious, full-flavored foods more easily and more often. A discussion of the “energetics of food,” plus a mini cooking demo, complete the presentation. This talk was part of the seventh annual This Way to Sustainability conference at the CSU, Chico campus. 

View/Download Transcript 

Recorded: March 2, 2012