reading this week

Here are some of the things I've been reading and pondering lately. Check these out! 

Nudged to the Produce Aisle By a Look in the Mirror (NY Times)
A Michael Moss piece about what behavioral scientists are doing to nudge you into the produce aisle. Would you be more likely to buy healthier foods if you saw your reflection in your shopping cart?

Waste: The Dark Side of the New Coffee Craze (East Bay Express via Mark)
Article about the single-serving coffee phenomenon and how much waste it generates (it's staggering). We use a refillable container and grind our own beans, so we rarely use the plastic pods. Especially interesting to note how insanely expensive the coffee is when you buy it in the plastic pods. (Our favorite fair trade blend is about $12/pound. Your average K-Cup cost per pound? $50. Now who's elitist?)

Pesticides Taking Toll on Farmworkers (Civil Eats)
If you agree that pesticides are not something you want to ingest, you probably agree that you shouldn't be sprayed with them either. Farmworkers deserve protection from these hazardous chemicals too.

FDA sets gluten-free labeling standards (CNN Eatocracy)
The FDA set labeling guidelines that food manufacturers will need to follow starting August 5, 2014 for products claiming to be 'gluten-free.' If only they would set some standards for "farm fresh" or "natural." 

Colbert: Monsanto's 'zombie wheat' is 'return of the walking bread' (Raw Story)
This is from June, but still funny.

Food Waste - A Story of Excess
Interesting video about the sheer amount of waste our country produces.