1. & 2. Dagoba Chocolate & Chocolove

While most bars in the vending machine are filled with colorings and cheap sweeteners, pure dark chocolate is known for its antioxidant benefits—especially when you keep the sugar low. Try Dagoba chocolate in “Beaucoup Berries“ (it’s vanilla-cranberry-cherry and 74% dark). We’re also fans of Chocolove Fair Trade Organic Dark. Want more? See our roundup of healthier chocolates.

3. YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans

While these are still candy however you look at ‘em (their main ingredient is sugar), YumEarth Naturals Sour Beans don’t have the same chemicals or artificial colorings as, say, Sour Patch Kids. Also tasty: YumEarth Organics lollipops and gummies.

4. Garden of Eatin’ Blue Chips

“Other people have a sweet tooth; I’ve been accused of having a salt tooth,” says Clean Plates founder Jared Koch. Try Garden of Eatin’ organic blue corn chips (they’re great with guacamole). “Though they are processed, they’re not sprayed with chemicals, and they’re made with better quality, non-GMO corn.”

5. Chipotle

Have a hankering for fast food? Try Chipotle. Contrary to popular belief, the chain is no longer owned by McDonald’s, all of its meats are hormone- and antibiotic-free, and it sources a healthy percentage of its produce locally and organically. Says Koch, “I usually order a bowl or a salad with chicken or beef, brown rice, guacamole and vegetables.”

6. & 7. Naked Pizza & Amy’s

When pizza calls, sometimes, we must obey. The Naked Pizza chain currently has locations in nine states; it features a ten-grain crust made with extra fiber and probiotics for better digestion, and its meats are free of hormones and antibiotics. If you want pizza at home, you can try Amy’s brand—”but for a real pizza lover, let’s face it, that’s not real pizza,” admits Koch. So at Clean Plates, we use “the 80/20 rule”: eat clean 80% of the time, and 20% of the time, give yourself a break. “Let this be your 20% splurge: enjoy a slice, and forget about it.”

Truffle photo by Sarah Marriage

The good news: according to Perrine, avoiding the most obesogen-laden foods for just five days can reduce the contaminants in your body by 80 percent! Check our list of items known for carrying the heaviest load of obesogens. Choose organic whenever possible, and you’ll avoid the bulk of the bad stuff.

1. Fruits

pears
apples
peaches and nectarines
grapes
strawberries
blueberries

2. Vegetables

potatoes
lettuce
tomatoes
celery
cucumbers
hot peppers
bell peppers
spinach, kale and collard greens
zucchini

3. Animal foods

They are what they eat, and conventionally-raised beef and chicken are often fed a diet mixed with low-dose antibiotics as well as growth hormones and steroids. The biggest problem is the fat, where these baddies accumulate. As for fish, farm-raised salmon is notorious for containing hormones.

4. Canned items

A lining in many cans called BPA (bisphenol-A) is the problem. Some companies, including Eden Foods, are BPA-free, but most companies sell a mixture of items with and without BPA. To learn more about which is which, see this list of BPA-free brands. To be sure you’re BPA-free, look for Tetra Paks or foil packs, use fresh, or call the company to confirm.

Buy organic, and obesogens won’t have a fat chance.

* Check out this obesogen study, this obesogen study and this obesogen study.

Photo by Liz West

Watermelon Slush Smoothie from Kimberly Snyder, owner of GLOW BIO

The owner of Clean Plates-approved smoothie shop GLOW BIO says, “Watermelon has great cooling and hydrating properties, as well as amazing cleansing and detoxifying effects. Always try to purchase organic watermelons with seeds, the way nature made them. But be sure to freeze the watermelon! It is not the same at all if you do not. Try it for yourself and enjoy this insanely satisfying treat.”

Serves 1

Approx. 3 c. watermelon (or one small watermelon)
2 ½ c. unsweetened almond milk

Cut the watermelon into small chunks and freeze 3 cups overnight. Simply blend the frozen watermelon and the almond milk in a blender. Says Snyder, “The two ingredients combine so magically that you won’t need any kind of sweetener.”

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Go Man Go Smoothie from Creative Juice

Hot new juice café Creative Juice focuses on local, in-season, organic ingredients with no added sugars. The “Go Man Go” puts the spotlight on vitamin-rich mangoes and potassium-rich coconut water. Oatmeal adds fiber, while yogurt provides probiotics for good digestion.

Serves 1

1 c. mango
3/4 c. coconut water
2 Tbsp. oatmeal (rolled oats or cooked steel-cut oats)
1/2 c. yogurt (Clean Plates recommends organic, plain and unsweetened)
squeeze of lime
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients together and enjoy.

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Chocolaty Superfood Smoothie from The Clean Plates Cookbook

Get ready for antioxidant-rich berries and cacao, vitamin-packed greens, and heart-healthy coconut oil and seeds—the seemingly varied ingredients come together deliciously.

Serves 1

1 1/2 c. organic frozen strawberries (If your fruit isn’t frozen, just add some ice cubes)
1 c. coconut milk
2 large leaves collards, kale, or chard, ribs removed, leaves torn into large pieces
2 Tbsp. unsweetened raw cacao powder
2 Tbsp. coconut nectar, or more to taste
2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil (optional)
1 Tbsp. chia or hemp seeds

In a blender, combine the strawberries, coconut milk, greens, cacao powder, coconut nectar, coconut oil, and seeds and purée until smooth. Add more coconut nectar to taste and serve.

Chocolaty Smoothie photo by Connoisseur 4 the Cure

1. Avocados. We all know someone who avoids avocados because they’re “fatty.” But most of that fat is monounsaturated—that’s the kind that lowers “bad” cholesterol. They pack a wealth of vitamins and minerals. And they taste delicious as a spread.

2. Nuts and nut butters. Should you eat nuts religiously? Consider this: Seventh-Day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, are some of the longest-living people in America, and one thing they have in common is that they snack on nuts. (Read more about that in Blue Zones by Dan Buettner.) Eating nuts at least five times a week can reduce your risk of heart disease and may add years to your life. Throw them into salad, make your own trail mix, “just get them as plain as possible, with no added flavorings or sugars,” says Clean Plates founder Jared Koch. “Add nut butters to a breakfast or smoothie to make it a more complete meal, or even scoop them into oatmeal.”

3. Coconuts and coconut oil. They do contain saturated fat, which is why you may have been told to avoid them. Yet coconut oil has recently been shown to operate in surprising ways: helping to improve cholesterol levels, reduce belly fat and possibly even fight Alzheimer’s. It has a high smoke point, so it’s great for cooking.

4. Grass-fed beef. We know this one may shock you. But while there is saturated fat in beef, research shows that a little bit of beef can actually decrease heart disease risk. “The problem is that many people eat poor-quality animals with other stuff in there that’s harmful: antibiotics, bad feed, hormones; negative stuff that doesn’t need to be in the cow,” says Koch, “and they’re eating it with bread and fries and no vegetables.”  So if you choose to eat beef, make sure you’re filling out your plate with vegetables; for maximum health, only about 1/4 to 1/3 of your plate should be beef.

5. Dark meat and skin. Yep, that’s another surprise. There are a lot of nutrients in the dark meat (plus it tastes heartier). And a recent large study shows that the taurine in dark meat may help protect against coronary heart disease in women with high cholesterol. Just be sure to stick to pasture-raised organic poultry.

6. Eggs. A study of 160 overweight people showed that those who ate two whole eggs for breakfast lost almost twice as much weight as those who ate a bagel with the same number of calories and weight mass. It’s even been suggested that eggs may improve cholesterol levels (check with your doc if cholesterol is an issue for you). They contain a high concentration of protein for fewer than 80 calories apiece, and their yolks are high in choline, which reduces inflammation. One tip: “The less overcooked, the better,” says Koch. “Too much cooking can result in cancer-causing compounds.”

Want more surprising info about healthy fats? Check out our article on oils.

Those are the fat facts.

Photo by Kristen Taylor

1. Meet better meat. Surprise: research shows that a bit of nutrient-rich beef may actually decrease heart disease risk. “The problem is that most of us eat cheaply-farmed beef that contains antibiotics and hormones,” says Clean Plates founder Jared Koch. So when you shop, look for grass-fed, pasture-raised beef. “Buying a little less, but making it the best you can afford, will not only boost your health, but boost the flavor,” says Koch. More tempted by chicken? Look for free-range and organic.

As for hot dogs and brats, most are overloaded with salt and nitrates. Try to choose nitrate-free hot dogs made from grass-fed beef.

If you’re doing surf n’ turf, seek out wild or at least organic farm-raised fish. Cod and wild Alaskan salmon are good bets, high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid tilefish, king mackerel, shark and swordfish, which are high in mercury.

2. Stay in the pink. It can be tempting to blacken a steak, but that blackness yields carcinogens called “heterocyclic amines” or “HCAs.” Pull meat off the fire at medium-rare (as a chef might say, “Cook it, don’t kill it”) and remove any charred pieces. Trim off excess fat before grilling so it doesn’t drip onto the coals—this will keep HCAs in the smoke away from your food. Also, cooking smaller pieces or starting the meat in the oven and finishing it on the grill cuts cooking time, which gives HCAs less time to form. Cooking on a rack or cedar plank can also help you avoid HCAs.

Marinade trick: marinating meat in red wine or beer for six hours prior to grilling has been shown to dramatically reduce the amount of HCAs, while using acidic marinades with lemon or apple cider vinegar has also been shown to significantly cut HCAs.

3. Dress it right. Not all condiments are created equal. Check the labels; organic ketchups and mustards will be free of high fructose corn syrup, chemical preservatives and colorings.

4. Grill green. Veggies are great grilled, and provide your body with nutrients to counteract some of the harmful effects of other foods at a barbecue. Aim to fill at least half your plate with vegetables.

5. Indulge a little. “I call it the 80/20 rule,” says Koch. “Aim to eat really healthfully 80% of the time. The other 20% of the time…we’re only human.” Plus, your body will be able to better handle the 20% indulgence if you’ve powered it up with the healthy 80%.

The heat is on.

Photo by Luke Brymer

VEGETARIAN: Barbabietole (Beet Salad) from Chef Mette Williams of Culina

Serves 4

8 golden baby beets
8 candy-striped baby beets
1 1/2 c. kosher salt
10 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs cleaned and chopped
1 medium shallot, finely diced
¼ c. orange oil*
2 tangerines, segmented; save juices from segments and use to marinate beets
8 leaves watercress
½ c. soft goat cheese
2 Tbsp. basil oil*
petite basil or chopped regular basil
¼ c. candied pistachios or roasted pistachios

Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with a layer of kosher salt. Lay out a few thyme sprigs and then place 7 of each beet variety on top. Cover with foil and roast in the oven at 350° F for 30-45 minutes. To check the beets’ doneness, insert a toothpick. If it goes in easily, they are done. Let them cool until you can hold them comfortably, and then peel off the skins. The beets are easy to peel when warm.

When beets are all cleaned, cut into bite-size pieces and mix with the chopped thyme, diced shallots, orange oil and tangerine juice.

For the reserved raw beets, make sure they are free from dirt, and slice paper-thin on a mandolin or slicer, width-wise. These beet disks will be a garnish, and you can do them ahead of time and keep them in clean water until ready for use.

To assemble, place a few pieces of watercress on a serving plate and put the marinated beets on top. Scatter the tangerine segments, goat cheese and pistachios and drizzle with the basil oil and a bit of the beet marinade. Sprinkle on the basil and place the beet disks on top.

Note: avocado can be substituted for cheese if you want to make the salad vegan.

* To make a large batch of either orange oil or basil oil, take one cup orange segments or one cup basil, combine with two cups olive oil, and let sit overnight. Strain through a cheese cloth and discard the leaves or fruit left in the cheese cloth.

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VEGAN: Asparagus Soup and Cashew Cream from The Conscious Cook, by Chef Tal Ronnen of LYFE Kitchen and Crossroads

Serves 6

sea salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bunch asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 2″ pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 c. Thick Cashew Cream, plus more for garnish (instructions below)
freshly ground black pepper
2 c. fresh baby spinach
microgreens for garnish

Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

Add the asparagus, celery, and onion and sauté for 6 to 10 minutes, until the celery is just soft. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Cashew Cream and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high. Add the spinach to the last batch and continue blending until smooth. Pour the soup into a large bowl and stir to incorporate the spinach batch. Ladle into bowls. Garnish each bowl with microgreens and drops of Cashew Cream.

Thick Cashew Cream

Makes about 2 1/4 cups

2 c. whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water

Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with just enough fresh cold water to slightly cover them. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you’re not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)

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FLEXITARIAN: Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Avocado Salsa from The Clean Plates Cookbook

Serves 4

The salsa is also great as part of a meat-free meal. Try it with roasted or grilled veggies!

2 limes
1/2 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4″ dice
6 oz. strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4″ dice
1/4 small red onion, cut into 1/4″ dice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
fine sea salt to taste
4 (5- to 6-oz.) sustainably sourced salmon fillets, about 3/4″ thick, skin removed if you like
organic extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
freshly ground black pepper

Zest one of the limes. Juice the zested lime to yield 4 teaspoons of juice. In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, avocado, strawberries, onion, cilantro, and salt to taste. Cut the remaining lime into wedges. Set the salsa and lime wedges aside separately.

Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the salmon with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the salmon until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.

Serve the salmon hot, with the salsa on top and the lime wedges on the side.

Salmon photo by Family O’Abé

We questioned Rob Newell, Chief Marketing Officer, to see if it’s all it’s cracked up to be:

Q. Are the hens really running free on farms? How much space do they have?

A. Each farm is home to a flock of 16,000 birds. This works out to be 11 square feet per chicken, which is nearly five times larger than most standards. On the farm, the hens are free to engage in natural behaviors like perching on wooden towers and dust bathing in sand pits. Inside the barn, they have access to pecking toys to keep them engaged, and nest boxes to select from for laying eggs. The hens on our farms are tended to by family farmers: usually a farmer, his wife and several helpers, who are experts in animal stewardship.

Q. How can you produce enough eggs to supply supermarkets across America, yet not run crowded factory farms?

A. Rather than using large complexes, we select [multiple] small, family-run farms where we can provide our hens with the best care and attention at all times. [Happy egg co. is expanding across America now; check the store locator here.]

A. We do not debeak our hens. When the chicks are one day old, we use an Infrared Beak Treatment (IRBT) to dull the end of the hen’s pointy beak. Whether we have six or 100 hens, we need to protect all our hens from being pecked. There is a reason we have sayings such as “pecking order” and “henpecked”; it’s a natural characteristic of hens. [Read more about IRBT here.]

Q.  We’ve heard about “free range” hens that have access to the outdoors, but in reality, never leave the hen house. How is it on your farms?

A. A typical day for a happy egg hen looks like this: The hens wake up and get a drink of clean water, then head to the feeding troughs to have a breakfast of all-natural feed that is fortified with vitamins and minerals. In the morning, the hens choose a nesting box in which to lay their eggs. Hens have individual preferences about their favorite nesting box. Sometimes, one box will become so popular that the hens will line up and wait their turn to lay their eggs before going outside to spend the day. The eggs in each nesting box gently roll onto a belt which conveys them to the end of the barn, where the farmer picks them by hand and places them in a cooler.

After the hens lay their eggs, we open the doors and the hens rush outside (we call the doors “pop holes” because that’s what the hens use to pop outside) to soak up some sunshine and enjoy free time on the farm. Outside, the hens find their favorite flock members to roam around and explore the pasture and decide how they want to spend their day. Chase a bug, take five in the trees, or just sit back and relax. It’s up to them. As the sun starts to set, the hens naturally head home to the barn before settling in to roost for the night.

Q. What do your hens eat?

A. As our hens spend their time outside all day, they naturally forage and eat grass and other substances found in nature. It’s these natural nutrients and sunshine that give the yolk of a free range egg from the happy egg co. its rich, dark golden shade. The hens are also fed a specially formulated recipe of corn and soy mixed with vitamins and minerals. The feed never has added meat, bone meal, hormones or antibiotics.

Q. Do your eggs show any higher nutritional value based on the hens’ happy lifestyle?

A. Although we do not currently have our own studies to confirm this, Compassion in World Farming literature has compiled several studies that show that pastured hens produce eggs with natural increases in important vitamins, anti-oxidants and omega-3s in a favorable ratio to those bad-boy omega-6s. You can read more about the study and all scientific citations here.

Q. Happy Eggs are not organic. What makes them different from organic eggs?

A. Organic eggs come from hens that are given organic feed—that is, feed without GMOs or pesticides per the USDA standards. Typically, these hens also live primarily inside barns.

At the happy egg co., our hens are housed in barns overnight and are free to go outside every day. Our animal welfare standards go further than the current organic standards, which focus almost exclusively on a hen’s feed and doesn’t guarantee access to the outdoors. We care about providing great nutritious feed too, but our focus is on hens living higher welfare lives.

Photos by the happy egg co.

1. Brown rice pasta. This is the closest in texture to wheat pasta—so close that we’ve served it to Italians who couldn’t tell the difference! It’s not as low-glycemic as other alternatives, but it’s free of gluten and wheat, and an easy one to try. We recommend Tinkyáda brand.

2. Buckwheat sweet potato noodles. These are pictured above (shown with fresh mint, organic feta and sliced plum; get the recipe at RecolorthePalate.com). If you read the ingredients for most noodles packaged as “buckwheat noodles,”  you’ll learn they’re made primarily of wheat flour. But buckwheat sweet potato noodles are free of wheat (though if you’re gluten-intolerant, always double-check the label). Lower on the glycemic index than most pastas, buckwheat has been shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Expect these to have a more toothsome bite, and a weightier feel.

3. Mung bean pasta. Their name might seem off-putting, but these noodles are actually neutral in flavor and similar in texture to the real stuff. Made from ground mung beans and nothing more, they’re a low-glycemic, high-protein, fiber-rich choice.

4. Kelp noodles. These are popular in raw restaurants because they don’t have to be cooked; they’re extremely mineral-rich, and have a great iron, iodine, calcium, and magnesium profile, with folic acid to boot. They’re also very low in calories. Served fresh, they have a crunchy texture, but if you give them time to marinate in sauce, they’ll soften and feel much more like familiar pasta.

5. Konjac noodles. This is for the most daring diner. Created from the root of the konjac plant, which is native to Asia, these noodles are low in calories and high in soluble fiber. They come packaged in liquid that needs to be drained before using. Try not to be turned off by their slightly fishy scent; they actually taste neutral.

Now, those are newdles.

Intrigued by these options, but not sure how best to prepare them? Check out the May Month of Meals Experience, an independent project from Clean Plates research consultant Ashley Spivak.

1. Florida oranges are dyed.

We know. What? According to an article from Forbes.com on why we love colored foods, Florida farmers have been spraying conventional oranges with a coloring called “Citrus Red 2″ since the 1950s. The article says that due to Florida’s climate, oranges tend to take on more chlorophyll, which turns them green. The fruit is sprayed to give it that bright orange color we’ve come to associate with fresh oranges. Problem is, The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies Citrus Red 2 as “2B carcinogenic,” meaning it’s possibly carcinogenic to humans.

2. Your oranges may not be from Florida—and that’s not good.

As many as one in three glasses of OJ contain oranges from Brazil, not The Sunshine State. You’d think that would get rid of the dye problem, but in fact, last January, the FDA halted imports of Brazilian oranges (including those used to make Minute Maid and Simply Orange) after it found out that farmers were spraying orange trees with carbendazim, a fungicide that is not approved for use by the Environmental Protection Agency. Although not tested on humans, high doses of carbendazim led to stillbirths, hormone fluctuations and reduced fertility in female mice.

3. “Not from concentrate” orange juice contains flavorings.

In her book, Squeezed: What You Don’t Know about Orange Juice, author Alissa Hamilton details the process that most commercial “natural” and “not from concentrate” orange juice goes through before it hits the grocery store. Hamilton says this type of orange juice is put in aseptic storage, which strips the juice of oxygen “so it doesn’t oxidize in the million gallon tanks in which it can be kept for upwards of a year. When the juice is stripped of oxygen, it’s also stripped of flavor-producing chemicals. Juice companies therefore hire flavor and fragrance companies…to engineer flavor packs to add back to the juice to make it fresh.” Those flavors don’t appear on the label because they’re made from orange byproducts.

4. You can still get good OJ if you know what to look for.

Try to buy organic orange juice, and get fresh-squeezed from your favorite juicery or brunch spot. If you really love your OJ, you might want to invest in a citrus juicer.

Orange you glad you read this article?

Photo by AudreyJM529

(Stumped? Scroll down for the answers!)

1. _ _ _ _ _

2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

3. _ _ _ _ _

4. _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _

1.  The bright purple akebi fruit has a short growing season, appearing on wild vines in northern Japan for just a few weeks in the fall. The fruit is ripe when one end pops open, exposing sweet, gooey flesh that can be slurped up along with the seeds. The slightly bitter rind can be prepared like a vegetable.

2. Samphire is a resilient vegetable that resembles seaweed, and is often called “sea asparagus.” The rugged plant grows in marshes and in rocky regions near the ocean, and its salty flavor makes an excellent complement to fish dishes. Try it sautéed or pickled in a salad.

3. The fruit of the salak tree grows in clusters at the base of the short-stemmed palm, and is also known as “snakeskin fruit,” due to its scaly appearance. Peel it by pinching the tip and pulling away the skin to reveal three large lobes containing inedible pits. The edible flesh tastes sweet and acidic, with a dry, crunchy texture. But beware: a careless peeler can cut a finger on the sharp scales.

4. The plant of many strange nicknames (“cheese fruit” and “dog dumpling” are just two) is known as noni fruit in its native Hawaii.  The juice of the unusual-looking fruit is thought to have many medical benefits and is used to treat menstrual cramps, bowel irregularities, and urinary tract infections. The tree that produces this fruit is in the coffee family.

Know any weird fruits and vegetables we haven’t mentioned? Leave them in the comments!

Main photo by Family O’Abé; Photo 1 by misawakatsutoshi; Photo 2 by Denna Jones; Photo 3 by Vidya Crawley; Photo 4 by mmmavocado