Bad foods gone good

published in Fort Wayne Monthly magazine, October 2009

The All Things Organic trade show, held annually at McCormick Place in Chicago, might be the world’s healthiest binge.

There, a huge expo room is lined with row upon row of booths offering the newest and greatest in organic and functional food and drink. There are samples to the left, samples to the right, everything from salad dressing and tofu to vodka and cookies.

The sheer quantity and diversity can stymie even a dedicated journalistic effort such as mine to sample everything for you, my faithful readers. But I forged on this year, armed with bottled water, an iron will and a forgiving waistband.

Four hours later, I felt the distinct need to lie down. It was worth every Tums, however: I discovered four products that might typically be considered off-limits, but here have at least some small redeeming health value. From my shopping bag of brochures and my chocolate-stained notes, these treasures:

Toats cookies are good for you. And the environment. And your dog. And your horse.

The makers of Toats are seriously green. They repurposed a horse barn in Virginia for their manufacturing facility. Their biscuits are packaged in biodegradable cellophane bags inside 100 percent post-consumer-use recycled boxes, which are printed with vegetable inks by an American printer who uses only solar energy. Even their shipping boxes are 100 percent post-consumer-use cardboard.

They only use vegetable-based cleaners at their facility, silica-based baking sheets and low volatile organic compound paint.

They donate a percentage of their profits to a shelter for abused women and another percentage to an animal rescue league.

Finally, they make cookies that are vegan, free of wheat, eggs or dairy. Toats have protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates and omega-3s. They have zero grams of transfats and are 99 percent certified organic.

Toats cookies are good for people. Or dogs. Or horses. Toats’ manufacturers encourage consumers to “simplify their cookie jar” with a universal people-dog-horse treat.

To be honest, Toats kind of tasted like an organic dog biscuit I sampled last year. (Hey, it had cinnamon and imported flours and protein and vitamins and in general better ingredients than my average energy bar off the shelf. It promised a shiny coat, too.)

But it certainly wasn’t bad. In fact, I probably could get used to it. Especially if I had a dog. Or a horse. And I can at least feel good about the ink on the packaging. See www.toatsorganic.com for pictures of cute puppy dogs and pretty horses and to request that the cookies be sold locally.

It can be Chardonnay, it can be organic, and it can still be delicious.

Back in the day, you could make good wine, or you could make organic wine. Inconsistencies in winemaking for the sake of an organic label made choosing a bottle from the shelf at the co-op risky business.

Things have changed dramatically with advances in and interest in organic winemaking. Frey Vineyards in Medocino is one of the oldest and best, with an array of organic and biodynamic wines. (Write me at julianne@juliannewill.com if you want to know more about biodynamics.)

Among their selection is Chardonnay, not usually my favorite grape. Here, however, it has no sour-milk aftertaste. Frey has managed to make an oaked California Chardonnay (albeit in French barrels) that is buttery, creamy, rich, smooth, soft…and organic.

The health benefits of wine, when drunk in moderation, are well-documented. Even better when that wine is organic, not to mention incredibly good. It gives the Spanish toast “salud” (to your health!) true meaning.

Find a friend in another state without Indiana’s ridiculous shipping restrictions, then visit http://freywine.stores.yahoo.net/orch20.html to place an order. Or drive to Chicago with an empty trunk and visit Sam’s or Binny’s.

And that organic Chardonnay is the bomb with organic smoked salmon pate.

Especially when that pate is from All Things Organic show “Best New Product” winner The Organic Smokehouse.

The buttery, oaked richness of Frey Chardonnay perfectly complements the buttery oaked richness of this organic smoked salmon pate. This is not a health food, but it is made of healthy things, including organic whole milk crème fraiche, lemon and pepper. Eat a little and know that the omega-3 fatty acids in the salmon are improving your brain’s performance. It’s smart to have a little pate and Chardonnay at the end of the day!

Though based in the UK, The Organic Smokehouse can take your order online at www.organicsmokehouse.com/pages/productcategory.aspx?intContentID=5, and UPS will deliver your treat as early as the next day.

Omega-3s don’t always taste like fish. They can also taste like candy.

So do calcium and probiotics, when you get them via Gimme chocolates. This new line of functional candies uses only all-natural products—no artificial colors or sweeteners or fake anything. Each is a crispy rice ball wrapped in milk or dark chocolate. There are no crazy aftertastes, just awesome candy goodness.

You’d never know you (or your kids) were getting 50 percent of your daily recommended allowance of calcium via TruCal, made from real milk; or 350 mg of omega-3 fatty acids; or 1 billion active probiotic cultures. You’d just know you wanted more.

Find Gimme Calcium, Gimme Omega 3 and Gimme Probiotics right now only at www.healthysnackstore.com/index.php?page=display&id=414 and hope they come to a store near you.

More than hope for such awesomeness at a store near you, ask at a store near you. Fresh Market was not very receptive to suggestions when I tried, but you might talk to the manager at your local Scott's/Kroger or check with the Three Rivers Co-op. If enough people want to buy, they might try. And we can always dream of a downtown Whole Foods, who could bring all these delicious treats and more. Fresh sushi, meringues … you could write your own all-things-organic story of discovery. Just remember the notebook, the bottle of water and the forgiving waistband.