Interesting Links for Today's Show

Mark Bittman rounds up some "must read" articles about meat eating. Check out the link here. He is a big proponant of "less meat". While, I love my veg*ns, it is nice to have meat-eaters who espouse being more plant-based. I feel like Mark Bittman "gets it" in a way that Michael Pollan doesn't yet, but they both get people talking and that is important.

As if there weren't enough reasons to not eat fish (mercury, genetic-engineering, by-catch, environmental impact, human working conditions), now fish caught in US is sent to China then back. See link here.

New USDA food guide graphic. See here.

Vegan research subjects needed. See here.

Happy Mother's Day from FfT!

I hope everyone had an fun Cinco de Mayo! Meat-free Mike is giving me Mother's Day off, thanks Mike!! I'm sure he has lots of awesome stuff planned for you all this Sunday, so tune in. I'll be back the next Sunday to hopefully share some information my family has been learning about chocolate and sugar. A sweet show indeed! Don't miss it!

Josie's Radio Debut and Karma-free Dining

 Last week Meat-free Mike was busy bailing his basement after the Illinois monsoon so I recruited a new co-host, Josie, my three year old daughter. Josie shared her views on veganism, foods she enjoys, cooking tips, pitched for the WEFT Spring pledge drive, and much more. She loved her first time on air and has several fans already. We might have to ask her back again sometime.

We also replayed Mike's interview with the folks who run the Krishna dinners at The Channing-Murray Foundation. We highly suggest you check out the delicious Karma-free dining for a price that won't stretch your budget.

You never know what useful information we might be dishing out on Food for Thought, so don't miss it!

Spring Pledge Drive

Spring is in the air, people are planting gardens, cleaning house, and looking for worthy organizations to donate money. We can help you with the last one. WEFT is a non-profit community radio station and we depend on listener, like you, to keep us on the air. No donation is too little or too large. You can call in during Food for Thought today or donate online. I will be flying solo and I want to be available for your pledge call, so for most of the show I'll play Dr. Will Tuttle's Livving in Harmoney with All Life. If you have not heard about The World Peace Diet, you will want to listen to today's show. We'll also have the Common Ground Corner from our local food co-op.

Please show your support for YOUR community radio station today!!

On Tap Today

Some of the things we'll be covering of FFT today:

Passover the vegan way. Check out Alicia Silverstone's post from last year to for tips. Another great resource is Jewish Vegetarians of North America.

VegNews blues. Quarrygirl blew the whistle on doctored photos in VegNews. The news travels fast and even The New York Times covered the scandal. Some responses to this news can be seen here, here, and here. Listen today to see what we think. Leave a comment and tell us your reaction.

Other sad news for vegans this week was pregnant Natalie Portman's comments about eating dairy and eggs again. She has been a long-time vegetarian and went vegan after reading Eating Animals (reviewed previously on FFT).

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is finding it difficult to get their foot in the door of the LA school system. At the same time, Chicago schools ban homemade lunches.

Want to raise your HDL (good cholesterol), maybe dried apples could be a tasty solution.

I talked about the French couple who's baby died a couple weeks ago. Here is the link I promised to Virginia Messina's response.

The local humane society is taking donations for their garage sale benefiting homeless companion animals. They also need volunteers and of course people to come out and shop.

As the weather warms up, many people get ready for outdoor events. If you are including alcohol, you might want to consult barnivore to ensure your drinks are veg. Please drink responsibly!

Tune in for more on these stories and much, much more!

Last Sunday on FFT

Last Sunday, Steve Coxon was my guest on Food for Thought. We discussed veganism, favorite recipes, effective vegan activism, the veg scene in St. Louis, and much more. You can check out his link for his favorite vegan recipes and lots of other interesting things like his time in Malawi and Lego. It was great to meet Steve and his family and I appreciate him taking time out of his weekend visiting friends to come in a talk with me.

FFT on the Road

Both Mike and I traveled (in different states) a bit the last couple weeks and shared some of the restaurants they visited. Here are some links to the restaurants we covered:

Mellow Mushroom (ironically, we both went to a Mellow Mushroom, Mike in KY and Linda in NC) has been a great place for veg*n to eat for years. The Mega Veggie (without cheese for vegans) is always yummy, but they now have Daiya cheese as an option.

Deejai Thai is a mom and pop restaurant and the best Thai food in Charlotte, NC (at least of all the places we've tried). Easy to order a vegetarian entry and brown rice is available. The staff is helpful and while the ambiance is nice enough for a date night, children are welcome.

Common Market has two locations in Charlotte, NC and I recommend them both. They are little neighborhood convenience/specialty shops with a deli that makes me want to move south. Their vegan breakfast/brunch options are spectacular. I would kiss someone if they opened up a similar place in C-U!

Whole World Natural Restaurant and Cafe in Columbus, OH is a long established veg eatery. We had the pleasure of dining there for Sunday brunch. The portions were big, food was excellent, the vegan options were many. We will return again when we are in Columbus.