B00AFU6252 EBOK (44 page)

RESOURCES, SHOPPING GUIDES, AND ALL THE INFO FIT FOR FINE PRINT

REMEMBER HOW I KEEP SAYING NO POP QUIZZES? THIS IS
why! I’ve pulled together many of the resources you’ll need for your Honest Life—all in one place. So just flip here the next time you want to know which low-mercury seafood to grill or the best design blogs to consult before your home renovation. I’ve got you covered.

You know all about why you should buy certified organic when you can (a reminder: pesticides have been linked to everything from cancer to autism). But since it’s sort of impossible to find (or afford) organic produce all the time, you can rely on the Environmental Working Group’s guide to the “Dirty Dozen” to make sure you’re at least doing it for the fruits and vegetables grown with the highest pesticide levels (and you can stress less about the produce on their “Clean 15” list).

As I mentioned earlier, I love to cook a big pot of grains on the weekend: It’s a great habit to get into, whatever your grain of choice, and especially if you like some of the slower-cooking whole grains like wheat berries and brown rice. All you really need is a pot, some water, and your stovetop. They all keep well for days in the fridge.

Grains that have their bran layers intact—whole grain barley, wheat, rye, kamut, and spelt—should be soaked overnight to shorten their cooking time. If you don’t soak, the cooking time will be longer by an hour or more. Also, most grains benefit from a standing time of about 10 minutes, with the pot cover still on, after they’ve been cooked.

Source: The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

MORE TIPS FOR COOKING GRAINS:

• Use a large, heavy-bottomed pan to avoid possible scorching.
  
• To attain distinct, separate cooked grains, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or butter to the cooking water. Bring the water to a boil, then add the uncooked grains.
  
• For a creamier grain (nice for breakfast porridge), combine the recommended cups of water with your uncooked grain and bring the mixture to a boil; then cover and cook.
  
• Don’t overstir—it makes grains gummy—and use a fork.
  
• Cooked grains can sit happily in a covered pot off the heat until you need them. They will hold heat for quite a while.
  

If you want to reap all the savings and health benefits of beans, buying them dried is the way to go. Don’t be intimidated—you really can’t overcook them. Just like you do with your whole grains, you can make a pot on the weekend and keep it in the fridge to use all week as the foundation for many meals. All you need is a pound of dried beans (any kind!), rinsed, and salt and pepper.

Always sort through dry beans to remove any small stones or debris, then rinse well. The cooking times here are for beans that have been presoaked overnight (except lentils and split peas, which need no presoaking). Use the water amounts as general guidelines, but to be safe, make sure the beans are covered by 1 to 2 inches of water. You’ll know your beans are ready when they are firm but tender and not mealy. (For a simple test, spoon out a few beans and blow on them—if the skins burst, they are sufficiently cooked.)

Source: The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Seafood is such an amazing form of lean protein: It’s low in saturated fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are insanely good for your health. But some fish are really bad for you—thanks to ocean pollution, some species are high in mercury and toxic chemicals.

But don’t let confusion keep you from eating fish. The amazing team of marine ecologists and other scientists at the Environmental Defense Fund put together this Smart Seafood Selector chart; learn more at edf.org/oceans.
Any fish name in bold means it’s a good source of heart-healthy omega-3s and low in contaminants.
Make these your go-to fish!