20 February 2023

Presidents' Day officially honors Washington and Lincoln, but I'd like to mention another President. Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation during WWI calling for Meatless Tuesdays, setting a personal example in the White House and encouraging citizens to additionally go meatless for one meal per day. At the time, the United States Food Administration campaigned on the idea that "food will win the war." Today, we have a different challenge with climate change, but the slogan stands!

Now let’s talk about that pineapple logo!  A pineapple is not a particularly sustainable food source (in fact, it’s been noted on a list of “top 7 least sustainable fruits,” due to its status as a monoculture crop contributing to deforestation).  Part of my mission is creating mindful consideration of our planet when choosing the foods that we consume.  So why the pineapple?

It all started with a hat!  

Working on the campus of the Pleasantville Cottage School, I wanted a way for the residents to instantly recognize me and what I do (and make nutrition a little more fun), so I purchased this hat on Amazon.

It worked!  Then, when I took on a job with Westchester Arc teaching developmentally disabled adults cooking and nutrition, I kept the hat, and found a new identity as “the pineapple lady” (coined by a client).

Sadly, the original hat was lost along the way, and that style was no longer available, so I purchased a new (and possibly better) pineapple hat.  It still helps people recognize me, and, perhaps more importantly, keeps my hair out of the food when I'm cooking!

I founded Green Bites™ to educate and inspire people to make food choices that nurture their personal wellbeing and the nature of the world around them.  It’s important for me to help clients do so from any starting point; little steps can often have a bigger impact, when considering sustainability (and here, I’m using that term to mean “ability to maintain” a new habit). In creating my Green Bites™ logo, I wanted to convey a sense of inclusion - what better than the pineapple, symbol of welcome?  With my pineapple, I’m saying to you: All eaters welcome!  Let’s cook together.

Stay healthy, eat well!