Free Republic

This is my story on how you can cut down your grocery bill while improving your diet. It’s called intensive organic vegetable gardening and it’s like growing money in the backyard.My wife and I completed our organic certification course last year at the University of Richmond’s School of Professional and Continuing Studies. We decided to take this course so we could eat healthier and reduce our grocery bill. This has been a fun project and we look forward to growing our own vegetables, or as I like to call it: growing money in the backyard!

Our food choices are influenced by age, gender, friends, family, cultural background and where we live. Early childhood experiences with food can be traumatizing (who liked liver and onions as a kid?), but if you decided never to try something again as an adult, then you might be missing out on some truly nutritious and, perhaps, delicious items. We avoid certain foods for a number of reasons, but sometimes it’s for the wrong reasons. Science may have given it a bad rap (we already went through the ups-and-downs with butter, wine and chocolate), or it may taste or look gross...

Her taste for restrained elegance once earned her the title of First Lady of Fashion. But yesterday she showed off her wild side to help teach kids about how to keep fit while having fun. Michelle Obama was in New Hampshire's capital as part of her ‘Let’s Move’ campaign against childhood obesity to find out what's on the menu at a visit to a neighborhood nonprofit group. She stopped by the Penacook Community Center in Concord, which encourages before and after school exercise and teaches children about healthy eating through use of a vegetable garden. During a quick visit...

"Nasty, Rotty Stuff" That's the verdict from student Mayra Gutierrez on the new healthful menu introduced this year by the Los Angeles Unified School District. And she's not alone, according to the L.A. Times. "At Van Nuys High School," reports the paper, "complaints about the food were so widespread that Principal Judith Vanderbok wrote to [food services director Dennis] Barrett with the plea: 'Please help! Bring back better food!'" Readers might wonder how, with all of the challenges in reading, writing and arithmetic, school administrators decided that reducing fat and sodium at the cafeteria was a top priority for L.A....

A Fresno elementary school became the latest to ban cupcakes and other sugary treats in favor of healthier snacks this week. School officials at Roosevelt Elementary School say the move is part of a districtwide initiative to improve student nutrition. As part of the effort, the school substituted its "Donuts with Dad" event scheduled for later this week for one called "Fruit with Dad." Officials say they're also giving students more whole-grain bread and reduced-fat cheese, and cutting out high-sugar breakfast cereals and soft drinks in vending machines.