Fast Food, the Non-GMO Style, and Awesome

Bruce and Marsha Weinstein
Awesome Foods

Catherine J. Frompovich

In today’s extremely busy lifestyles, food choices often wind up being something fast, on the run, or munchies out of cellophane bags, which usually are nothing more than ‘Frankenfood’ gussied up to appeal to deadened taste buds.

If you’re like me, you don’t have a taste for, nor want to buy, any of those quick fixes whose ingredient labels take a degree in food chemistry to understand. Furthermore, the sinister part of an ingredient label anymore—especially in the USA—is what’s not listed, i.e., genetically modified organisms or GMOs. Personally, when I studied nutrition, I thought food processing chemicals, artificial colors and sweeteners, plus all the trans fats were nutritional horrors, but now we have to deal with GMOs, which are in just about every commercially-produced product since most processing ingredients contain some form of soy, corn, canola, or cottonseed oil. 

GMO crops are sprayed with tremendous amounts of glyphosate, especially GMO seed crops known as Roundup Ready®, which Monsanto makes farmers adhere to through special legal agreements. 

Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service has online instructions How-To Maximize Glyphosate Activity where you can learn how “extremely important” it is in farming. 

Depending on the product, the salt is a combination of glyphosate acid combined with ammonium, diammonium, dimethylammonium, isopropylamine, and/or potassium.

Those chemicals stay on the crops. Furthermore, the amount of active ingredient—glyphosate salt—usually is 4 to 6 pounds per gallon!

How does all the above apply to fast food. Well, recently I conducted an onsite inspection and interview with the CEO of Awesome Foods™ of Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, in suburban Philadelphia, who is the maker of non-GMO, organically-grown, raw, gluten free, vegan snacks, and other fresh “fast foods,” which can be purchased in some stores—like Whole Foods Markets—around the country[1] and online.[2]

After pigging out on Awesome Foods’ Kale Tempuraw too often, I just had to know more. Actually, my interview came about because I inquired about the silica gel pack in each package and wanted to know if it was BPA coated. Bruce Weinstein got back to me with the FDA’s approval the desiccant manufacturer provides Awesome Foods, which says in part, “This silica gel is also a ‘GRAS’ material as defined in 21 CFR and is covered by Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations.” So much for technicalities.

What I found is an operation that everyone who appreciates knowing how food is prepared will love hearing. The place is stainless steel spotless and stacked with dehydrators all over. Their munchies, which they call “Right Carbs,” are dehydrated and made from organic vegetables, seeds, and nuts. Their “raw” foods selections are the most imaginative creations ranging from veggie burgers, dips, dressings, omelettes, pasta, salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and soups. There also are desserts, snacks, and breads. The best part about Awesome Foods is that they contain all the nutrition and enzymes Nature puts into wholesome organically grown foods.

Awesome Foods are produced from as many organic ingredients as possible, given availability and market pricing. Product labels identify organic ingredients.

While I was there, I saw various stages of production, including one of their most popular items being made—the Collard Wrap. Currently, Bruce and his wife Marsha, who is quality control officer and must approve all new products, are figuring out how to make more types of wraps. In June 2013, they introduced their latest product, “Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie.” Their “Green Smoothie” is extremely popular.

During our discussions, Bruce explained how he tries to get locally-grown organic veggies from Pennsylvania and Maryland. Off season, he buys from two large organic suppliers. Some, not too much, are imported organics.One ingredient Bruce does not include in any recipe is nutritional yeast, which other raw food and dehydrated food makers use. Bruce got into raw foods because of poor health. He had to clear his body of candida from having taken too many antibiotics, he says. He leaves out nutritional yeast, so he can eat his own products. Personally, I told him that nutritional yeast missing from the ingredient label caught my attention, since I’m not into nutritional yeast either.

After being totally impressed with the quality of nutrition and taste of the raw and dehydrated foods they produce, I asked Bruce why he got into the raw food business, and how did he get it down to such an efficient process. His answer was that his health problems led him and his wife into opening a health food store in Willow Grove in 1992, but his work experience in the largest wholesale plumbing supply business in the area that his family owned, really honed his operation and management skills.

Why am I sharing my find with my readers? Because I think you would like to know about organic, nutritious, and raw “fast foods” that are available and which your taste buds will love. You can have nutritious snacks for work, on the road, or entertaining. 

Frankly, I cannot explain how their Kale Tempuraw literally melts in my mouth and tastes like the best marriage of cheese, which there is none, and the most tender, sweet tasting, crisp kale and lemon, garlic, dill, parsley. OMG! You can’t stop eating it; it’s like peanuts, popcorn, or potato chips, but so much more healthy, organic, and no GMOs. I asked Bruce what’s the secret. He said the kale is marinated overnight, but wouldn’t share any more.

Bruce was quite taken aback that I would want to write an article about Awesome Foods. I told him I thought people should know there are snack foods that are nutritious, organic, and contain no GMOs. He was pleased and maybe even flattered that I would do that. He asked if he could make a special offer to my readers, and here it is: For the entire month of July 2013, there will be a 10% Discount coupon on the Awesome Foods website. The special code to get the discount at checkout is “save10”. Here’s a reminder: Fresh foods are subject to special handling and shipping charges, which are explained on www.awesomefoods.com. Enjoy!

Bruce said, “FDA says we can’t use the word healthy, but we can use ‘right carb’.” So there you have it. It seems even the U.S. FDA recognizes something good.

Notes:

[1] http://www.awesomefoods.com/locations.asp 

[2] http://www.awesomefoods.com/shoppingcart.asp?category=burgers 

Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies.

Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.

Catherine’s latest book, A Cancer Answer, Holistic BREAST Cancer Management, A Guide to Effective & Non-Toxic Treatments, is available on Amazon.com and as a Kindle eBook.

Two of Catherine’s more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008).

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