Eat Like at Eco-Tourist; Concessioner
Offers Tips
Xanterra
Offers Tips for Earth-Friendly Dining
at Home
DENVER, Nov. 29, 2006
- Restaurants around the country are catching
on to the health, economic and environmental
benefits of offering more locally grown
foods, organic cuisine, sustainable seafood,
fair trade coffee and other forms of sustainable
cuisine. Eating green, however, doesn't
have to mean eating out, according to
Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
The operator of lodges, restaurants and
activities in national and state parks
and resorts has introduced a variety of
innovative sustainable cuisine offerings
in its restaurants, and its earth-friendly
menus are becoming increasingly popular
with guests.
"Operating a sustainable home kitchen
starts with a few simple steps that anyone
can take, even people living in areas
that don't have easy access to farmer's
markets and grocery stores with organic
food selections," said Tim Stein,
director of food and beverage for Xanterra.
"The ultimate goal in our hotel kitchens
is to choose foods with the lowest-possible
impact on the Earth's finite resources,
and many of us who work at Xanterra have
the same goal in our home kitchens."
Stein, a registered dietician, offered
the following tips for operating earth-friendly
kitchens:
-Eat closer to the ground. Increase consumption
of foods that are minimally processed,
fresh or raw. It takes a great deal of
energy to plant, grow, harvest, process,
distribute, store and serve a ready-to-eat
convenience food product.
-Eat a variety of foods. Variety is the
spice of the earth's life. The United
States Department of Agriculture recommends
you eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods
for optimal nutritional balance. By doing
so, you can also have an environmental
impact by encouraging wider bio-diversity
of plants and animals, a key to our future
existence, according to Stein.
-Buy locally. By purchasing locally produced
foods and ordering local specialties in
restaurants, people help reduce transportation-related
carbon dioxide emissions and energy for
food storage, minimize the use of packing
materials and support family-owned farming
operations. For example, in Xanterra's
Yellowstone restaurants, locally grown,
all natural, Montana Legend Angus Beef
or Country Natural Beef is served. Local
farmer's markets are a great way to support
local farms and getting the freshest produce.
A good way to support local growers is
to join a community supported agrigulture
program (more information: http://www.localharvest.org/csa.jsp
).
These programs are intended to connect
local farmers with local consumers, develop
a regional supply and strong local economy,
encourage land stewardship and support
growers and producers working with small
farms.
-Buy in-season. Buy produce that is in
season to ensure the freshest and tastiest
food.
-Grow your own. Nothing is quite as good
as a home-grown tomato or freshly clipped
herbs. Even if you don't have a garden-friendly
yard, it's easy to grow produce and herbs
in pots. Herbs can be grown year-round
in pots placed on a sunny windowsill.
-Buy organic. Organic food is good for
the earth because it reduces use of pesticides
and chemical fertilizers, improves the
fertility of topsoil, decreases reliance
on petroleum and protects air and water
resources. And if those reasons aren't
enough, organic food also tastes better
and may provide higher levels of nutrients.
-Help save the seas. Today, many species
of ocean-caught fish continue to be over-harvested,
leading to their endangerment. As a general
rule of thumb, use the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Seafood Watch program as a guide. For
more information, visit http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp.
The site includes printable pocket guides
listing regional seafood recommendations.
Xanterra has become recognized for its
commitment to offering only seafood that
is raised in environmentally sustainable
ways. Xanterra is the only foodservice
company in the U.S. to receive the Marine
Stewardship Council's "chain of custody"
certification, which provides traceability
of its salmon back to the source and assures
customers the seafood is from a certified
fishery.
-Eat less meat. On average, it takes seven
pounds of grain to produce one pound of
beef. A disproportionate part of the earth's
agricultural and water resources are dedicated
to raising livestock instead of people.
All of Xanterra's restaurants offer vegetarian
or vegan meal options.
-Support fair trade. By purchasing food
grown by small farmers at a fair price,
you are helping to protect the earth as
well as the livelihood of small farmers.
Fair Trade CertifiedR farmers implement
integrated crop management and environmental
protection plans. Through price incentives,
producers are encouraged to work towards
organic production. In partnership with
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc.,
Xanterra offers organic Fair Trade Certified
coffee in many of its restaurants. Farmers
protect wildlife and migratory bird habitats
as well as rainforests by avoiding harsh
pesticides and using "shade-growing"
agricultural practices. The Fair Trade
certificate means the coffee is purchased
from local farmers at a fair price.
-Waste not. Buy only what you can eat
and make a commitment to recycling food.
"Previous generations were much better
about eating leftovers," said Stein.
"Make an effort to incorporate last
night's leftover food into today's lunch.
Better yet, learn to buy and prepare only
what your family will eat in one meal."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates
that 25 percent of all food is discarded
uneaten in the U.S. - nearly 100 billion
pounds of food annually.
-Bulk up. As any warehouse club member
knows, buying food and other products
in bulk can save money. But it can also
help the environment because bulk packaging
reduces waste. Xanterra restaurants buy
and serve bulk condiments and many other
products.
Xanterra Parks & Resorts (consisting
of Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc.
and Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.) operates
lodges, restaurants and other concessions
at national parks and state parks and
resorts. Xanterra Parks & Resorts
is the country's largest national park
concessioner. Xanterra operates concessions
in the following locations: Yellowstone,
the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon,
Zion, Crater Lake, Death Valley and Petrified
Forest National Parks, and Mount Rushmore
National Memorial; and at the Silverado
Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam
Resort and Spa in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
and eight Ohio State Parks. Its affiliate
Xanterra South Rim, L.L. C. operates concessions
at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Long committed to the preservation and
protection of the environment, Ecologix,
Xanterra Parks & Resorts' environmental
program, includes a variety of proactive
environmental stewardship programs in
each location. Xanterra has been repeatedly
recognized for its environmental leadership
in the hospitality industry and is the
recipient of many honors, including major
awards from the U.S. Department of the
Interior, Environmental Protection Agency,
Travel Industry Association, Colorado
Department of Public Health, State of
Arizona and Utah Department of Environmental
Quality.
For more information about Xanterra, links
to individual properties and reservations
numbers, visit www.xanterra.com.