The great aim of education is not knowledge but action. ~Herbert Spencer
Our favorite MindfulEats resources in one place. Let us know if you have recommendations - leave them in the comments!
I. NUTRITION / Weight Loss
- WebMD has a great general site that includes a nutrition database, a calorie calculator, an exercise database (see how many calories you burn walking) and more. Very useful for planning food and fitness.
1. Calorie Calculator: How many calories do you need? These give general guidance, don't use them as an exact measurement.
2. Nutrition Databases: How much nutrition is in your food and how many calories are in it?
- Mike's Calorie and Fat Gram Chart Fast, easy to read chart
- WebMD Really easy searchable database (some would say awesome)
- USDA Searchable database that is comprehensive but not the most user-friendly
3. Portion Size: How large should a portion be?
WebMD Portion Tool Check out this great tool that shows what portions of different foods look like
Spark People Meal Sizes What does a 300-400 meal look like?
Portion Sizes and Plates MindfulEats chart on portion sizes and resource for portion plates
4. Food Logs: Invaluable tool for understanding your food patterns and/or losing weight.
- Mindful Eats simple pen and paper log, and our thinking on food logs
- Fit Day is a free online log with and premium versions
- the Daily Plate on Livestrong is an online log
- Spark People has an online log and an avid online support community
- About.com also has a free online log
- Lose It! is an iPhone ap
II. Shopping Resources
1. Pesticides in Food
- Shopper's Guide to Pesticides: Lists the fruits and vegetables with the most/least pesticides - if you want to start going organic to avoid pesticides, you will get the biggest bang for your buck by replacing the highest pesticide foods. There is also an iPhone ap.
2. Sustainable Seafood Lists: With so much overfishing, these lists provide guidance on seafood. Don't worry, there are sustainable options!
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch: These lists from this esteemed organization can be broken down regionally, and there is also an iPhone ap.
- Blue Ocean Institute: Another list that is updated monthly. One supercool thing by
- Blue Ocean Fishphone: If you don't like carrying wallet cards but you carry around your mobile, this is supercool - TEXT the word "Fish" + the species name to 30644, and they'll text you back its sustainability status instantly.
- Marine Stewardship Council: find sustainable fisheries and learn more about them
3. Market Terms: what are all those terms they use about food like "pasture-fed", integrated pesticide management, etc.
- Mindful Eats post
4. Markets and Community Supported Agriculture
- Local Harvest: Find a local CSA
- Eat Well Guide: This awesome guide lists markets and CSAs as well
- Mindful Farmers: Mindful Eats post on restaurants and markets
5. Seasonal Foods: what's in season during the winter?
- Natural Resources Defense Council: Enter your location and month, and get your local foods
6. Cosmetics/Personal Products: You absorb more through your skin (your largest organ) than your digestive system - what's in those lotions and potions?
- Cosmetics Database: Check out the grade your products get. Fascinating.
7. House Cleaning Products: This stuff gets everywhere - you inhale it, you touch/eat the residue when you put food on your counters, and it gets in the ground water.
- Mindful Eats post for our take on green cleaning products
- Debra's list: the Queen of Green's list of cleaning products
- US Dept of Health and Human Services Household Products Database: look up your products
III. Eating Out/Restaurants
- Eat Well Guide: Traveling? This awesome guide features responsible restaurants in numerous areas
- Mindful Restaurants: Mindful Eats post on restaurants and markets
- WebMD has chain restaurants with calories, nutritional data
- Washington Post lists the menus of a few chain restaurants and their calories and fat
- Grow NYC lists NYC restaurants that source their food from the greenmarkets
- iPhone Restaurants ap: restaurant nutritional information at your fingertips
IV. General Health
- WebMD: great resource for health issues - also includes good tools
- Mayo Clinic: esteemed health institute with user-friendly information
