Mmmm Good, healthy and delicious food grow in Ontario!

Please choose locally grown food in your neighbourhood markets to support our fantastic farmers in Ontario, Canada.

Ontario family farms can count on my support to buy their fresh produce.

Also, Ontario farmers can rely on the Ontario Government to provide stable financial support to weather price fluctuations during unpredictable times due to weather and global market changes.

Today is a historic day for Ontario’s family farms as the government announces and implements the New Risk Management Programs as the biggest policy change in 30 years.

The features of the New Risk Management Programs include:

• Bankability, stability and predictability while responding to market trends over the long term.

• To help grain and oilseed farmers manage costs, the government is extending the current pilot Risk Management Program, and will be making the risk management program for grain and oilseed farmers permanent.

• A new Risk Management Program will be set up for cattle, hog, sheep and veal farmers.

• A Self-Directed Risk Management Program for the edible horticulture sector.

• The cost of these programs will be shared between the Ontario government and farmers. Ontario strongly encourages the federal government to partner with the province and farmers in these important programs.

• Since 2003–04, farm income stabilization programs totalling more than $1.9 billion have helped farmers deal with bad weather, volatile prices and rising costs.

• The government continues to promote Ontario foods through such initiatives as Foodland Ontario.

• Ontario’s agri-food sector is one of the province’s leading industries, contributing more than $33 billion annually to the economy.

In recognition of the innovations developed by farmers, agri-food businesses and organizations, awards of the Agri-Food Innovation Excellence program are presented to 55 winners each year.

The two top awards for Agri-food Innovation Excellence are a Premier’s Award and a Minister’s Award.

The Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence has attracted more than 900 applications highlighting on-farm innovations since 2006.

Congratulations to the following farmers who  received today the top two awards:

• Paul and Rosie Hill of Willowgrove Hill received the Premier’s Award for producing DHA Omega-3 enriched pork.
  • They are the first pork producers in North America to do this.These are considered essential nutrients for the maintenance of general human health, normal growth and development.
  • The pork is also enhanced with organic selenium, an antioxidant considered an essential trace element in the human diet.
  • In just two years, Willowgrove Hill has seen their nutritionally enhanced pork products jump from two to 90 per cent of their total sales.

• Arie and Lisa Duizer of Duizer Farms received the Minister’s Award for the innovative design of their robotic dairy barn.
  • It enables a single producer to manage a milking herd of up to 120 cows.
  • The investment has paid dividends in labour savings and improved herd health.
  • More than 1,000 dairy producers from around the world have come to visit this innovative barn.

Good Things Grow in Ontario's Family Farms With Improved Protection and Support

Fifty-five other winners will be awarded for their work at regional ceremonies later this spring.

Please click here to try new recipes using Ontario food.

Ontario, Canada: Newsroom

News Release

Protecting Ontario’s Family Farms

April 4, 2011

New Risk Management Programs Biggest Policy Change In 30 Years

Ontario’s family farms can now count on stable financial support to weather unpredictable times so Ontarians can keep enjoying healthy, locally grown food.

Premier Dalton McGuinty highlighted Ontario’s new risk management programs and thanked farmers for their creativity and innovation today at the annual Summit on Agri-Food.

Ontarians are eating more of the healthy food grown by Ontario farmers, processed in the province and sold by local retailers. When the province’s family farms thrive, Ontarians taste it at the dinner table.

Risk management programs support farmers when prices for their products fluctuate due to unpredictable factors such as weather and global market changes. The province will introduce new risk management programs for cattle, hog and sheep farmers and will be making the risk management program for grain and oilseed farmers permanent.

A separate Self-Directed Risk Management program for fruit and vegetable famers is also being set up.

The Premier also presented one of the two top awards for Agri-food Innovation Excellence.

Fifty-five other winners will be awarded for their work at regional ceremonies later this spring.

QUOTES

“Farmers have always been there for Ontario, so we need to be there for farmers. That’s why we’ve made the single biggest commitment to the family farm in 30 years. The new risk management programs will help our farmers and their families stay strong.”

– Dalton McGuinty
Premier of Ontario

“Ontarians count on our farmers. They deliver the high-quality food that we’ve all come to expect, and they should be able to count on us. We’re supporting innovation and programs that will give our farmers the predictability, bankability and stability they need to stay on the land and continue to provide us with the good things that grow in Ontario.”

– Carol Mitchell
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

QUICK FACTS

LEARN MORE

Office of the Premier
ontario.ca/premier

Wanted: Winning Recipes for the Competitive Reality TV Series Recipe to Riches

Is Your Recipe Worth $250,000?

Presented by
Temple Street Productions

Date: February 26, 2011
Time: 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Price range: Free

FREE

Food Network Canada is on the hunt to find the best recipe in Canada for their new TV series ‘Recipe to Riches’. Come on down and present your favorite original recipe to our panel of professional judges for a chance to compete for $250,000 and have your recipe turned into a President’s Choice food item. Register online at www.recipetoriches.ca.

For more information contact:
Phone: 416-580-0204

Address:
Hyatt Regency Hotel
370 King Street West
King and Spadina
Map to this event

Public transit directions:
St. Andrew’s Station
TTC Trip Planner

www.recipetoriches.ca

Press Release

Shaw Media’s Food Network Canada and Temple Street Productions Announce New Competitive Reality Television Series Recipe to Riches
National Casting Call Opens Today
Series to Premiere on Food Network Canada and Global in Fall 2011

TORONTO, Jan. 17 /CNW/ – Temple Street Productions and Shaw Media confirmed today that they will produce and broadcast a brand new Canadian competitive reality TV series, Recipe to Riches. The new original series gives ordinary Canadians with extraordinary recipes a once-in-a-lifetime shot to exhibit their talent on TV with the possibility of their recipe making it onto the shelves of select Loblaw Companies Limited (“Loblaw”) grocery stores across the country. The national casting call for Recipe To Riches begins today with information available at www.recipetoriches.ca.

The show will embark on a cross-country tour and will be looking for Canada’s best recipes in seven different food categories that range from appetizers to entrees to desserts. The winners of each category will receive a $25,000 cash prize and will have their recipe developed into a President’s Choice® branded product available in select Loblaw grocery stores across the country. Canadians will vote for the best of the best among the category winners, and the winner will take home the grand prize of $250,000 – the largest cash prize in Canadian reality show history.

“Recipe to Riches ups the ante of reality food programming in Canada,” say David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, Co-Presidents of Temple Street Productions. “We are offering Canadian food enthusiasts an opportunity to share their most delicious recipes with the entire country.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with Temple Street Productions to bring Canadians a completely new kind of series that will offer a strong coviewing experience for families across the country,” says Barb Williams, Senior Vice President of Content for Shaw Media. “There is a strong appetite among Canadian viewers for this kind of format and no shortage of culinary talent to be showcased.”

Participants will compete in one of seven culinary categories including:

• Appetizers

• Sweet & Savoury Snacks (including squares, bars, cookies, tarts, clusters, brittle and crisps)

• Cakes (including cheesecakes)

• Sweet Pies (including cobblers, crisps and crumbles)

• Savoury Pies (including shepherd’s pie, meat pies, pizza)

• Entrées (freezable)

• Frozen Treats (including ice cream, sorbet, gelato)

Interested participants are encouraged to register for their audition city, date and time at www.recipetoriches.ca. Details of the competition rules are also available on the website.

The cross-Canada search for our nation’s best recipes begins in Halifax on February 5 and ends in Toronto on February 26th. Canadians are invited to participate in open calls at the following cities:

Halifax: February 5
Vancouver: February 12
Montreal: February 19
Toronto: February 26

Recipe to Riches is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with Food Network Canada.

About Temple Street Productions

Temple Street Productions is an award-winning independent production and distribution company based in Toronto, Canada. A selection of Temple Street’s past and present projects include: Being Erica (CBC, SOAPnet), Wingin’ It (Family Channel, CBBC) Billable Hours (Global, Showcase), Canada’s Next Top Model (CTV), How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? (CBC), Queer As Folk (Showtime, Showcase) and Darcy’s Wild Life (NBC, Discovery Kids, Family Channel).

About Shaw Media

Shaw Media is a diversified communications and media company, providing consumers with broadband cable television, High-Speed Internet, Digital Phone, telecommunications services (through Shaw Business Solutions), satellite direct-to-home services (through Shaw Direct) and engaging programming content (through Shaw Media). Shaw serves 3.4 million customers, including 1.8 million Internet subscribers and over 1.0 million Digital Phone customers, through a reliable and extensive network, which comprises 625,000 kilometres of fibre. Shaw Media includes the second largest conventional television network in Canada, Global Television and 19 specialty networks including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, History Television and Showcase. Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX – SJR.B, NYSE – SJR). FOOD NETWORK is a trademark of Television Food Network G.P.; used with permission. President’s Choice® is a registered trademark of Loblaws Inc. used with permission.

For further information:
media@recipetoriches.ca

Good Luck!/Bonne Chance!

photo credit: Barack Obama

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)

PCRM Online, February 2011

News and Media Release
Feb 2, 2011

Oprah Winfrey and Dietary Guidelines Highlight Benefits of Vegan Diet

Yesterday, millions watched Oprah Winfrey and her staff explain the health benefits they experienced during her “vegan challenge.” Earlier this week, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans set a precedent for federal nutrition policy by acknowledging the benefits of vegan diets.

“Live your best life.” It’s one of Oprah’s mottos. It’s also what she and 378 of her staffers recently did when they went vegan for one week. Three hundred of the staffers who successfully completed the one-week challenge collectively lost 444 pounds. A video editor for the program lost 11 pounds and said that by the third day he felt better than he had in 10 years.

The challenge was led by New York Times best-selling author Kathy Freston, celebrity coach for PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart and author of the recently released Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World. According to Freston, your weight starts to drop within a week of eating vegan. But that’s not the only upside of a vegan diet.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans—issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services every five years—devote two full pages to vegetarian and vegan nutrition. They point out that plant-based eating patterns provide nutritional advantages and reduce obesity, heart disease, and overall mortality:

“In prospective studies of adults, compared to non-vegetarian eating patterns, vegetarian-style eating patterns have been associated with improved health outcomes—lower levels of obesity, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, and lower total mortality. Several clinical trials have documented that vegetarian eating patterns lower blood pressure.”

Plant-based recommendations for all Americans include:

• Increasing intake of vegetables (especially dark-green, red, and orange vegetables and beans and peas), fruits, whole grains, and fortified soy beverages
• Choosing a variety of protein foods, which include beans, peas, and soy products

Another of the guidelines’ key recommendations is to reduce the intake of calories from solid fats, which come mainly from meats and dairy products and contain few essential nutrients and no dietary fiber.

Sausage, franks, bacon, and ribs are cited as major food sources of solid fats. The guidelines also note that “evidence suggests an association between the increased intake of processed meats (e.g., franks, sausage, and bacon) and increased risk of colorectal cancer and cardiovascular disease.”

“People who avoid meat cut their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, and those who also avoid dairy products and eggs are healthiest of all,” says PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “It’s good to see that these diets are now part of federal policy.”

The new guidelines resonate partially with avoid meat cut their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers’s nutrition recommendations, represented graphically in the Power Plate, for a diet of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes.

To learn more about a well-rounded vegan diet, visit ThePowerPlate.org.

Then sign up for the next 21-Day Vegan Kickstart that begins April 4.

You may also like:

• Appealing Paella Recipe

• Tempting Tempeh Sloppy Joes Recipe

• Free 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program

• New Year Resolution Recipe

• Stay Slim Recipe: Whole Wheat Barleycakes

• Anti Fast-Food Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

New Dietary Guidelines to Help Americans Reduce Obesity, Heart Disease and Overall Mortality

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

USDA and HHS Announce New Dietary Guidelines to Help Americans Make Healthier Food Choices and Confront Obesity Epidemic

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2011 — Agriculture Secretary TomVilsack and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius today announced the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the federal government’s evidence-based nutritional guidance to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity through improved nutrition and physical activity.

Because more than one-third of children and more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, the 7th edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans places stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption and increasing physical activity.

“The 2010 Dietary Guidelines are being released at a time when the majority of adults and one in three children is overweight or obese and this is a crisis that we can no longer ignore,” said Secretary Vilsack. “These new and improved dietary recommendations give individuals the information to make thoughtful choices of healthier foods in the right portions and to complement those choices with physical activity. The bottom line is that most Americans need to trim our waistlines to reduce the risk of developing diet-related chronic disease. Improving our eating habits is not only good for every individual and family, but also for our country.”

The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on balancing calories with physical activity, and encourage Americans to consume more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and to consume less sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains.

“Helping Americans incorporate these guidelines into their everyday lives is important to improving the overall health of the American people,” said HHS Secretary Sebelius. “The new Dietary Guidelines provide concrete action steps to help people live healthier, more physically active and longer lives.”

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans include 23 Key Recommendations for the general population and six additional Key Recommendations for specific population groups, such as women who are pregnant. Key Recommendations are the most important messages within the Guidelines in terms of their implications for improving public health. The recommendations are intended as an integrated set of advice to achieve an overall healthy eating pattern. To get the full benefit, all Americans should carry out the Dietary Guidelines recommendations in their entirety.

More consumer-friendly advice and tools, including a next generation Food Pyramid, will be released by USDA and HHS in the coming months. Below is a preview of some of the tips that will be provided to help consumers translate the Dietary Guidelines into their everyday lives:
• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

This edition of the Dietary Guidelines comes at a critical juncture for America’s health and prosperity. By adopting the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines, Americans can live healthier lives and contribute to a lowering of health-care costs, helping to strengthen America’s long-term economic competitiveness and overall productivity.

USDA and HHS have conducted this latest review of the scientific literature, and have developed and issued the 7th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in a joint effort that is mandated by Congress. The Guidelines form the basis of nutrition education programs, Federal nutrition assistance programs such as school meals programs and Meals on Wheels programs for seniors, and dietary advice provided by health professionals.

The Dietary Guidelines, based on the most sound scientific information, provide authoritative advice for people 2 years and older about how proper dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.

The Dietary Guidelines aid policymakers in designing and implementing nutrition-related programs. They also provide education and health professionals, such as nutritionists, dietitians, and health educators with a compilation of the latest science-based recommendations. A table with key consumer behaviors and potential strategies for professionals to use in implementing the Dietary Guidelines is included in the appendix.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines is available at www.dietaryguidelines.gov.
For more information on dietary guidelines, see www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines and www.healthfinder.gov/prevention

Tortillas: Important Ingredients of Quickie Quesadillas

photo credit: Paul David Gibson

During any big game, such as the NHL (National Hockey League) game or the NFL (National Football League) game, you need a healthful snack to munch on.

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)  gives us a great recipe  “Quickie Quesadillas” which makes an absolutely delicious meal or snack.

Quickie Quesadillas

Directions
Makes 8 servings

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup water-packed roasted red peppers
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed butter)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
8 corn tortillas
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2-1 cup salsa

Place garbanzo beans in a food processor or blender with roasted peppers, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and cumin. Process until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Spread a tortilla with 2 to 3 tablespoons of garbanzo mixture and place in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with onions, tomatoes, and salsa.

Top with a second tortilla and cook until bottom tortilla is warm and soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook second side for another minute. Remove from pan and cut in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Nutrition Information
Per 1/2 quesadilla:

135 calories
2.7 g fat
0.4 g saturated fat:
18.1% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
5.5 g protein
24 g carbohydrate
2.3 g sugar
4.4 g fiber
164 mg sodium
57 mg calcium
1.8 mg iron
26 mg vitamin C
351 mcg beta-carotene
0.7 mg vitamin E

Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life for Children by Amy Lanou, Ph.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Please feel free to tailor Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) recipes to suit your individual dietary needs.

Contact Info:
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016

Phone: 202-686-2210
E-mail: info@pcrm.org

Happy Healthy Eating!

Saffron: Important Ingredient in Vegetable Paella

photo credit: 96dpi

Vegetable Paella is a great recipe from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

The PCRM recipe to make Vegetable Paella appeals to everyone who is a vegan, vegetarian and/or just passionate about brown rice.

Although paella is traditionally made with seafood, this vegan version will show you a new, more healthful tradition.

This flavorful, delicious, high-fiber meal is one you will make over and over, and you can make a big batch of it and enjoy it all week.

Vegetable Paella

Directions:
Makes six 1-cup servings

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups dry brown rice
1 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, or 1 8-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
kosher or sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat 1/2 cup broth in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and rice and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add remaining 3 cups broth, saffron, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Add artichoke hearts, peas, and beans. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until rice is tender. Season with salt and black pepper.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe):

302 calories
2 g fat
0.4 g saturated fat
5.4% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol

11.4 g protein
61.7 g carbohydrate
6.1 g sugar
14.3 g fiber

945 mg sodium
61 mg calcium
2.6 mg iron
23.3 mg vitamin C
315 mcg beta-carotene
0.3 mg vitamin E

Recipe from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, M.D. and Robyn Webb

Please feel free to tailor Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) recipes to suit your individual dietary needs.

Contact Info:

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016

Phone: 202-686-2210
E-mail: info@pcrm.org

Happy Healthy Eating!

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• Join LiveRightNow.Ca to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution to Be Fit & Lean

• Free 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program

Red/Purple Beets

photo credit: adie reed

If you love beets for their beautiful characteristics such as sensational sweet flavour and lively colours, then here is a great recipe from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

Beets pair beautifully with citrus, and this salad is a delicious example. Surprisingly, beets’ beauty shows up in a variety of colors—not only several shades of red and purple, but also pink, yellow, and even white!

Also, did you know those beautiful green leafy beet tops are good to eat? The leafy beet tops don’t have to go to waste. According to the Physicians Committee for  Responsible Medicine (PCRM), the green leafy beet tops  are very nutritious and can be lightly steamed or served fresh in a salad mix.

Spinach, Beet and Orange Salad with Ginger-Agave Dressing

Directions

2 small beets, scrubbed and trimmed, stems removed
6 cups baby spinach

2 medium oranges, peeled and cut into sections
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap each beet in foil to seal. Place beets on a baking sheet. Roast beets until fork tender; this may take as little as 40 minutes or as much as 1 hour and 20 minutes depending on the size of the beets. Let beets cool, unwrap, and peel beets under running water. Cut beets into bite-size wedges.

Arrange spinach on a platter and top with beets and oranges.

To prepare the dressing: Add vinegar, agave nectar, paprika, ginger, and chili powder to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add lime juice. Let dressing cool and drizzle over spinach salad.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/4 of recipe):

89 calories
0.5 g fat
0.1 g saturated fat
5% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol

2.5 g protein
20.6 g carbohydrate
13.5 g sugar
3.5 g fiber

59 mg sodium
100 mg calcium
2.3 mg iron
51.1 mg vitamin C
2947 mcg beta-carotene
1.5 mg vitamin E

Recipe from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, M.D. and Robyn Webb

Please feel free to tailor PCRM recipes to suit your individual dietary needs.

Contact Info:

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Ste. 400
Washington, DC 20016

Phone: 202-686-2210
E-mail: info@pcrm.org

Happy Healthy Eating!