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What is genetically modified (GM) food?
Genetically modified food uses modern biotechnology or ‘gene technology’, which is also called Genetic engineering, which allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one plant species to another and then used to grow GM plants and food crops. Genes from animals and other plants are literally shot into the cells of plants to create “super crops” that are larger, more resistant to bugs, and have longer shelf lives. One example may be to take genes from a fruit fly and inject them into a tomato, attempting to make the tomatoes repel the flies. Now we’re eating the genes of that fruit fly, which is not Vegan-friendly.

Stores aren’t obligated to tell you if a fruit has been genetically modified. I know what you are thinking…how am I going to know if what I am eating is organic and truly Vegan?

All produce has a label on it with a few numbers, here’s a guide to what the numbers mean and which are truly Vegan & safe to eat.

Genetically Modified Fruit Labels
Code starting with the number 8
Example - 8879

Conventional Fruit Labels
Grown with herbicides & harmful fertilizers
Four digit code usually starting with the number 4
Example - 4489

Organic Fruit Labels
Five digit code starting with the number 9
Example - 97044

So next time you go shopping, remember these critical numbers and know how to avoid purchasing inorganic and GM fruits.

Buying organic products from your local farmer’s market should be a no brainer. It helps both the environment and is better for your health all at the same time.

That’s because organic produce is farmed without pesticides or herbicides. So, there are no nasty chemicals or toxics on your yummy fruits & veggies. OSHA, or Occupational Safety & Health Administration, warns that “(pesticides) are an industry hazard because they can irritate the skin, affect the nervous and reproductive systems, and cause cancer.”

Plus buying from local farmers means your food travels less distance, using less gas, and in turn produces less carbon dioxide emissions.

To help find local farmer’s markets in your area, check out Local Harvest or Farmer’s Market.

TreeHuggerTV and nutrition expert Marion Nestle take us grocery shopping where they teach us the pros & cons of selecting organic fruit and vegetables in the supermarket.

What do vegans eat? Well…some people may think it’s just rabbit food. While vegans do love their rabbit food, they also love to tantalize their taste buds with scrumptious cuisines from around the world. There are a lot of choices available to vegans. For some delicious ideas, check out these great recipe websites:

Vegan YumYum
Vive le Vegan recipes
Post Punk Kitchen
Urban Vegan
Veginity

Tomorrow is World Vegan Day, which has been a holiday since 1994 to celebrate the anniversary of the creation of The Vegan Society.

The Vegan Society was founded in Britain on November 1, 1944, by Donald Watson. It was the first ever society for vegans, and coined the the word vegan for “non-dairy vegetarians”.

So…celebrate with the world tomorrow and go vegan (at least for one day).

Check out this awesome blog that features great green shoes that are animal free & environmentally friendly. They feature shoes suitable for vegans, vegetarians and everyone who prefers an alternative to leather.