Larabar Bought By General Mills [Raw Food News]

Larabar Purchased by General Mills, How Will this Affect the Raw Food World?

In a press release from June 10th, 2008 it was announced that Denver based company LÄRABAR has been bought out by Minnesota based General Mills.

General Mills is one of the largest companies of Minnesota, and it owns a variety of brands under the company called Small Planet Foods, including organic brands like Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen.

If you are not familiar with Larabar, it is a dehydrated raw food bar made from a base of dates and almonds and comes in a wide variety of flavors. Here is a good description of the history of the LÄRABAR company from the official press release from General Mills:

"Humm Foods was founded in 2003 by Lara Merriken, whose idea for her namesake LÄRABAR came to her while she was hiking in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Her vision was to create a business centered on delivering an all-natural nutrition bar made of fruit and nuts, with unique flavors and few ingredients. The business has grown dramatically under her leadership to a category-leading position in the single-serve natural health bar segment."

According to the press release, Larabar has been a growing company. From the release:

“LÄRABAR is an exceptional brand that is experiencing rapid growth because of the quality and uniqueness of LÄRABAR products. We are especially pleased that Lara Merriken, the founder of LÄRABAR, will continue with the business. Lara is clearly the brand champion of LÄRABAR, and we are thrilled to have her join us as we grow the business together.”

Lara is planning to continue as Creative Director of the LÄRABAR company.


Will this Change the Quality of LÄRABAR?

General Mills and LÄRABAR - a good match or a disaster?

We are a little taken aback, and just like Mike Meyers in SNL's Coffee Talk, we're a little verklempt.

Talk amongst yourselves.


This Purchase Raises Some Interesting Questions for the Raw Food World

Here are some ideas of things to talk about to get you started:

• What do you think about a big company like General Mills buying a smaller, raw food company like Larabar?
  
  
• Do you plan to still eat LÄRABARs now that they are owned by General Mills?
  
  
• Is this going to change the quality of existing LÄRABARS
  
  
• Is this good or bad for the raw food community?
  
  
• Anything else you want to say?
  

Now that General Mills is investing in a raw food related company, will they be willing to step up to the plate and help get raw almonds to be truly raw, and stop the almond pasteurization act? Are they purchasing it for the growing raw food world, or are they actually becoming more conscious?

These are all very interesting questions, and as we see the raw food world grow, it will be interesting to see how larger companies are reacting to it.

We would like to thank our friends Vince and Jinelle from Fortina Chocolate for sending us the scoop.

~ Heidi and Justin from Raw Food Right Now

P.S. Additional Coffee Talk Discussion: Would any of the hosts of Coffee Talk actually eat LÄRABARS? Discuss.

Comment Moderation has been turned off to facilitate this discussion. Please be nice.

RFRN: State of the Blog Address

What's up with RFRN?

We know things have been a bit slow around here for awhile.

To be honest, we have been so backlogged with so many things to share with you that...well, we've been swamped.

Here is a classic RFRN-style list of what's up with RFRN and what's up-and-coming in the next few months.

State of the Blog Address. Presented by JS Ohlander:

• We are finally ready to catch up, and then some. We've been sent so many books, incredible products, and other raw stuff to review, that we have a large pile that may take us months to catch up on. Raw book publishers: your reviews are coming. Purveyors of raw goods: your reviews are coming.
  
  
• We will answer your emails. If you have been waiting to hear back from us via email, we will answer you as soon as we can. We cannot answer everyone. We literally have hundreds and hundreds of emails to go through. Thank you for your patience.
  
  
• New blog content coming. I've just looked at our list of posts to write, and we're nearing 50 backlogged post ideas. This does not include reviews. We've got some incredible and helpful content coming up for you.
  
  
• Site improvements. We've got some great site upgrades we are working on that we'd like to see come to fruition in the next few months.
  
  
• Products and free goods. Heidi and I want to find more and more ways to support the off-the-wall demand the current raw food movement has for information and help. We've got both free information as well as some cool products that we'd like to get out to our audience this year. RFRN has been Heidi's main profession over the past year, and now we are making this into a full-time business this year.
  
  
• RFRN Podcast Interviews: We have interviews that we have recorded that we need to finish editing. Soon you will be able to enjoy listening to our latest raw food podcast! To those we have interviewed, thank you for your patience. To those wanting to be interviewed, thank you for your patience.
  
  
• Heidi is about to launch a new website. This is not a raw food website, per se, but will have some raw food content...and a lot of Heidi-like surprises and swag! As a bonus, Heidi will be announcing her latest raw food experiment on her new website. Stay tuned!
  
  
• JSOhlander.com. I launched my personal site under the radar in the last few months. Not much content on there currently, but I am detailing my Modified Juice Feast and an ambitious musical project I am about to really dig into called Public Album.
  

What would you like to see on RFRN?

Speaking of products, blog posts, and other goodies, we really want to know how we can help support you on your raw journey. Heidi and I have been looking into ways to conduct a large survey to our readers and mailing list subscribers to find out more about what you guys want.

If anyone out there knows of any good survey software (preferably online) that we can use to gather your feedback, please contact us.

Stay tuned as things begin to unfold.

Thank you for your continued support and interest.

~ JS Ohlander, Raw Food Right Now

P.S. It is our 5 year wedding anniversary today, June 21st. Heidi: I love you.

(Original photo credit: http://flickr.com/photos/rileyroxx/163717804/) Photo has been modified by us.

One Evening In Paris with Organic Vodka

Vodka and Peaches. One very naughty smoothie!

Last night, I had my first drink since 2002.


I drink lots of things. After all, just a few months ago, I was drinking all the time! OK, so all those "drinks" were actually the most nutritious drinks I have ever had in my entire life.

But last night, I had a drink. One with alcohol.

Why?

Well, I actually bought a bottle of organic vodka just a few days ago because I am working on something that relates to an upcoming raw food project, and I needed the vodka for it. What is this mystery project? I'll tell my secrets to you in the next three weeks. I'm really excited to tell you about it...but first I have to tell you about my night with vodka.

Buying the vodka showed me what a different world I live in since 2002. After all, I walked into a liquor store to buy this vodka. Liquor stores are now a very foreign place to me. I had to walk around the store in order to find the vodka. I forgot that I had to show my drivers license to buy this vodka. The entire experience was foreign to me. I was an outsider. I wondered if anyone knew I was raw. I wondered if anyone knew that I don't drink.

But I do drink. At least I did last night.

After years away from alcohol and now over four years on the raw food journey, I have been curious. Deeply curious. I needed to try it out after all these years.

Being with Justin has been different from all my previous relationships. Somehow alcohol was involved in every relationship I've had. Justin has never had a drink in his life. After we got together, I never had a drink again, besides one or two glasses of wine a year.

Last night I made myself a drink that is similar to a recipe found on this website, entitled Evening in Paris. Here is my version:

Raw Drink: Organic Evening in Paris

2 oz. organic vodka
4 oz. pineapple/orange/ginger juice*
juice of 1 lime
3 Tbs. agave nectar
one whole ripe organic peach
ice cubes, plus additional for garnish

Directions: Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass filled with ice.

* I stole this pineapple juice from Justin's juice feasting juice!

So? What happened after having one alcoholic drink?

I got a little tipsy. Inebriated. Buzzed.
My stomach got upset. It wasn't used to the alcohol. I had to eat something.
The buzz was pretty light, and I could feel it, but it was nothing special.

Was it worth it? One word: MEH. Meh Meh Meh.

Since going raw I have had so many exciting experiences that have been better than a night enhanced with alcohol. I feel buzzed in my own natural raw way most of the time.

The biggest discovery is that I can no longer tolerate the taste of alcohol. The drink was delicious, and I think it would be a great drink for someone who has alcohol on a regular basis, but perhaps I have lost the taste for alcohol because it has been so long.

Unlike most of our blog posts, this post doesn't have tips or tricks on how to go raw. This is just a personal service message here to let you know:

Raw food rocks.

And to remind you that if you choose to drink, do your best to use organic alcohol. It really makes a difference. Even though it has been years since I've had vodka, I could taste the purity of the organic vodka. If you are going to drink, you might as well drink the healthiest alcohol for you. I don't even want to know how some alcohol is made, and what it's made out of.

No matter what you are drinking, drink responsibly. Even if that is 2 quarts of beet juice. (Please, don't try to drink 2 quarts of beet juice at one time! Your liver will thank you!)

~ Heidi
Raw Food Right Now

P.S. What organic vodka did I buy? I actually found a local brand produced here in Minnesota called Prairie Vodka. They have one crazy website. Be sure to check it out!

10 Ways to Cope When Salmonella Outbreaks Happen

Raw plum tomatoes

First it was the spinach. Raw, conventional spinach.

This year it is tomatoes. Raw, conventional tomatoes.

Right now there is an outbreak of salmonella in certain types of raw tomatoes.

Since a similar situation like this happened two years ago with raw conventional spinach, and now with something as innocent as tomatoes, here are some tips on how to keep you and your family safe.

10 Ways to Cope When Salmonella and E.Coli Outbreaks Happen

1. Get all the facts first. We have received worried emails from individuals who were frightened that they had tomatoes recently. When reports like this happen, try to get a basic handle on the situation. Read news reports from major media sources. Avoid reading reports from places that tend to over-exaggerate these situations. Get the facts first.
   
   
2. Avoid buying the produce in question for a short time until facts are found. At the time of this article, even the FDA doesn't know exactly what types of tomatoes are causing the problem, but they believe it is only roma and large round tomatoes. When there is so little information out there, you might want to stay away from that one type of produce for a week or so until things are taken care of. This doesn't mean you need to avoid spinach or tomatoes forever...just focus your attention on the hundreds of varieties of greens and fruits and vegetables out there. Take a few weeks to discover the wide variety of foods to choose from.
   
   
3. Buy local, preferably organic. Despite the media frenzy of Earthbound Farm having the E.Coli outbreak of organic spinach, it turns out it was conventional Dole Farm spinach instead. As far as we know, there has not been any salmonella or E.Coli contamination coming from organic produce. Organic and biodynamic is usually safer.
   
   And don't forget to buy local. When you buy from local farmers, you tend to avoid the situations where these crises can occur. Salmonella and e.coli outbreaks usually happen due to large animal farms being near where the produce is grown. When you buy from smaller farms, you can know where your produce is coming from. You may even be able to visit the farm where you buy your food, or at least be able to meet the farmer that grows your food. For more information on buying local, check out localharvest.org.
   
   
4. The more raw food you eat, the healthier you tend to be. Although this has not been scientifically proven, it seems that long term raw foodists tend to be healthier when it comes to food poisoning. Raw foodists may be healthier due to the amount of hydrochloric acid in their digestive systems.
   
   Raw foodists also tend to avoid food poisoning from salmonella and E.Coli because the foods they eat rarely come in contact with foods that cause salmonella and E.Coli. Food poisoning is usually related to meat, and occasionally dairy products. By not consuming these products raw foodists have a low chance of encountering food-borne illness.
   
   Note: This is not a suggestion to go out and blindly eat food that is considered contaminated with salmonella or e.coli. This is just pointing out the fact that raw foodists tend to be less affected by food poisoning.
   
   
5. Grow your own food. This is a very do-it-yourself kind of tip. If you have a balcony to grow some herbs in pots, or a small plot of land in your back yard to grow greens and vegetables, go for it. This option is not for everyone, but if you have the time and the resources, growing your own food is a great way to know exactly where your food is coming from.
   
   
6. Eat at home. Whenever possible, eat at home. Food poisoning in the form of salmonella, e.coli or other contaminants tends to happen at restaurants. This is usually not an issue for raw foodists who eat at home most of the time. For those people that do eat out, perhaps non-raw family members, they can take precautions by avoiding dishes with the produce involved and follow the other steps outlined in this article.
   
   
7. The media tends to exaggerate things. Keep in mind that the media tends to go overboard with the news coverage of these sorts of events. There have been outbreaks of e.coli and salmonella in other types of produce in the past, but they are usually smaller isolated events in one state. Sometimes the media reports that these outbreaks are nationwide, when in reality they affect a small geographic area. That is why it is important to get the facts first.
   
   Right now the FDA is reporting that tomatoes grown in 18 states and 7 countries have not been associated with the outbreak. To look at the list of unaffected growing locations and types of tomatoes that appear to be safe, click here.
   
   
8. Don't panic. Fear creates more fear. We have talked with people and received emails from others that they will never eat raw spinach again after the E.coli outbreak from 2006. Raw spinach no longer seems to be a problem, yet for some people, they will never eat these foods again because of fear. If you buy into the fear you may never be able to eat anything again. The list of "contaminated foods" will just keep growing and growing. Try to remain calm and continue with the rest of your life. Eat foods that you feel are safe, like ones grown from your garden or that you bought from the local farmers market. Do the best you can, and try to not overreact to these situations as they happen.
   
   
9. If you have food poisoning symptoms, get medical attention immediately.
   
   "Not everyone who ingests salmonella bacteria will become ill." - KidsHealth.org
   
   Food poisoning from salmonella and E.Coli tend to affect very young children, the elderly, and those with a lowered immune system due to cancer or HIV/AIDS. If you or someone you love becomes ill from salmonella, e.coli or other food contaminants, get help. Determine if your symptoms match the descriptions of food-borne illness. Food poisoning can be dangerous but can be treated if caught early. Here are links to how to diagnose Salmonella and E.Coli:
   
   Symptoms and Treatment of Salmonella
   Symptoms and Treatment of E.Coli
   
   
10. Keep Eating Raw Food. After all is said and done, we are all going to keep eating raw food. Even those who don't consider themselves to be raw foodists (aka "cooked foodists"). These outbreaks are not going to make the entire American public eat only food that comes out of a can. These outbreaks are a symptom of a larger issue of the growing and handling of produce, both here in the U.S. and around the world. These outbreaks will not last forever. Changes will be made. Improvements will be made. And we will all continue to eat raw food.
    

- Heidi Ohlander
Raw Food Right Now

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Carol Alt to Pose For Playboy Magazine - in the Raw!

Carol Alt posing for Sports Illustrated

Want to see raw food get really sexy?

Carol recently was in the final three of the Celebrity Apprentice, and now she is going to be doing something she has never done before - Playboy Magazine!

In a press release dated April 30th on Carol's website, it was announced that Carol has reached an agreement with Playboy to pose nude in a future issue of the magazine.

Despite her many years of modeling, including Sports Illustrated, this will be Carol's first nude pictorial - ever!

What is most exciting about this photo shoot is that raw food is going to be the focus!

Here's the skinny from the press release:

"The photo layout will be entitled “Carol Alt In The Raw – The Body That Raw Built”. Carol is very excited about the underlying theme of the shoot, which is to show how healthy eating – and in particular, raw, natural foods – can benefit any woman (and of course any man, for that matter), at any age."

Will Nudity Bring More Interest in the Raw Food Diet?

A focus on raw food in Playboy Magazine. Can you imagine how many people are going to be positively affected by this? Especially the people who claim to only read the articles of Playboy? Who is going to get turned onto raw food next?

What does Carol have to say about this opportunity? As Carol recently wrote on her blog:

“What was interesting to me at this moment in my life is not just my age…very few women my age do this…but I am a raw foodist and the only reason I look the way I do right now is because I changed my diet and started eating healthy, living foods, which are unprepared and unprocessed foods, the closest they can go from God to me”, she laughed. “That’s what I eat and my body shows it.”

It has not yet been determined on what issue the photo shoot will appear in Playboy, but we here at Raw Food Right Now will let you know when we find out!

You Go Carol!

- Raw Food Right Now