Chipotle's "Back to The Start Video" Gets National Attention During the Grammy Awards

Did you see the advertisement for Chipotle Mexican Grill during the Grammy Awards? If not, here's your chance to go Back to the Start.

Coldplay’s haunting classic “The Scientist” is performed by country music legend Willie Nelson for the soundtrack of the short film entitled “Back to the Start.” The film, by film-maker Johnny Kelly, depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system.

The video has had immediate effects.  Hurst, a former hog farmer who is now president of the Missouri Farm Bureau, notes that “The day after it ran, McDonald’s announced that it would require its pork suppliers to end the use of gestation crates.” And then Bon Appétit Management Company announced a comprehensive animal welfare policy that phases out gestation crates by 2015.

McDonald's one of largest fast food chains has been the headlines lately about their food supply practices. First the "Pink Slime" and now gestation crates. This goes to show the power of the internet and social media. Large corporations can longer hide behind a corporate veil like they once did. Companies are now forced to be more transparent which means better products and services for us the consumers.

Let's go back to start by educating ourselves about our food and where it comes from. Chipotle has shown us that consumers are willing to pay for a more sustainable food system. We shouldn't be willing to compromise our health and food system by putting more profit in the pockets of companies that care nothing our wellness or the wellbeing of animals.

Chili’s Grill & Bar Introduces Lighter Choices Menu Featuring Delicious, Lighter Entrees With the Same Bold Chili’s Taste

Chili’s® Grill & Bar introduces a new Lighter Choices menu with seven bold entrees that, in addition to being delicious, also happen to be nutritious and flavorful. The featured Lighter Choice items have less than 750 calories, 25 grams fat and 8 grams saturated fat.

Seven menu items complete the Lighter Choices menu – three of which are new – and satisfy the needs for health-conscious guests, while maintaining the bold, Southwestern flavors they’ve come to expect from Chili’s entrees. Chili’s listened to guest feedback about providing healthier options on the menus. 

I commend Chilli's for listening to their guests about featuring healthier menu options. The only concern I have is there's too much emphasis on calories and fat rather than overall nutrition that comes from whole foods without artificial colors, preservatives, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats. A menu item can be low in calories and fat, yet not contain the nutrition our bodies need to fight health disease.

When we concentrate on eating more whole foods, it becomes easier for us to cut trans and saturated fats from our diet because these fats are often added to processed foods and fast food. Plus, whole foods include fewer extras to help reduce calorie intake. For example, it is virtually impossible to eat enough fruits and vegetables to equal the calories in just one hamburger with fries.

Quite simply, in terms of our health, whole foods are the best options, compared with processed foods. Therefore, I recommend looking for menu items that contain real food in its whole form like beans, fruits, vegetables, whole grain, nuts, seeds, chicken without the skin, and unprocessed lean meats. The only way to make sure that we are receiving all the nutrients possible is to eat more plant foods and meats in the least processed form possible.