We have recently come across a new sustainable company that sells organic acai (açaí ) products called Sambazon. Sambazon’s mission is to help locals in the Amazon create a more sustainable environment for themselves and their land by harvesting acai instead of continuing to clear-cut their tropical forests. This mission helps save the rainforest and provides a stronger economic situation for the indigenous people of the Amazon.

To help promote their goals, Sambazon started the The Sustainable Amazon Partnership with private and public groups to help develop sustainable management throughout Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. Beyond saving the rainforest, their efforts include educating the local farmers, giving the women more opportunities for work, and establish organic standards in farming. You can even donate to The Sustainable Amazon Partnership at NYCharities.org.

As for their products, they sell all things acai. Acai is a berry with great nutritional properties. This purple berry contains numerous antioxidants, omega fats, protein, and dietary fiber, and is known to provide a natural energy boost without caffeine. We have acai all the time in smoothies, and our favorite recipe: The Rio Bowl (a very popular acai dish from Brazil). Check out their products. Our favorite product to purchase is their Organic Acai Smoothie Packs which we use to make smoothies and The Rio Bowl with bananas, strawberries, and granola! You can buy organic acai at various retailers including Whole Foods and Publix or directly from Sambazon.

Support a great company and help promote sustainability in the Amazon Rainforests of Brazil and enjoy the nutricious organic acai berry!

We have finally found a yogurt we absolutely love. This yogurt is Stonyfield Farm’s organic probiotic fat free yogurt. Stonyfield Farm, a company that uses only organic products and purchases its ingredients from local organic farms, makes 2 flavors of this yogurt: Strawberry and French Vanilla. We love that the yogurt is organic and has probiotics which help to regulate our digestive systems. Stonyfield Farm helps take care of our environment too! They use solar panels to develop clean energy, they offset their carbon emissions, and they have developed a charity to help fight global warming. See what else Stonyfield Farm does for the environment here. Stonyfield also sells numerous other products, from ice cream and frozen yogurt, to smoothies and organic milk. Check out their coupons for some great deals.

Our favorite way to have this yogurt is with a berry smoothie! We mix the organic probiotic yogurt with some frozen fruit and orange juice in our blender. You can freeze your own organic berries and buy Simply Orange Juice (no preservatives, not from concentrate) to have a truly eco-friendly smoothie experience.

Check out the Stonyfield Farm sweepstakes. Take their Home Energy Quiz and you will be entered to win $10,000 in ENERGY STAR appliances from Kenmore!

We have drank many brands of organic milk over the years, and we have finally determined our favorite brand: The Organic Cow.

The Organic Cow is based out of Vermont, but is made from milk from over 100 farms in New England. The Organic Cow has helped these farms become completely organic. These farms do not use antibiotics, growth hormones, or cloning on their cows. Their cows are also fed an all organic diet, and the fields are pesticide free. Most importantly, no matter where you are in New England, this milk is still within 500 miles and considered local!

What made us appreciate The Organic Cow the most was the flavor, and how long the good flavor lasted. In our area, the two other most popular brands that we see are Horizon Organic and Nature’s Promise. We realized that these brands were sour tasting quite quickly after opening. The Organic Cow has a solid week of good flavor when refrigerated.

In addition to their milk being eco-friendly, their cartons are made out of recycled paper or plastic and are all recyclable! We give The Organic Cow a green thumbs up for being earth and animal friendly, and for tasting good!

Check out their Fun Facts for Kids page to learn more about cows and milk!

We all know that organic vegetables are better for us and for the environment, but organic pastas are too. Our favorite natural and organic pasta maker is Annie’s, Inc. . 

Annie’s is a great company for its food and its values. Their macaroni and cheese (believe it or not) is absolutely delicious and tastes a lot better than your standard mac and cheese products from Kraft and local supermarket chains. They even sell cereal and snacks. You can find Annie’s products at their online store or at any supermarket in your area. The online site even has recipes to make your mac and cheese or snacks even better.

Annie’s is a socially responsible and environmentally friendly company. To learn more about Annie’s check out their About page. To support green living and organic foods, you can even request free bumper stickers from Annie’s.

Since Annie’s is celebrating their 20th year, they are having a great contest that we can’t keep a secret. With the purchase of one Annie’s product, you can enter a sweepstakes to win a year’s supply of Annie’s products. For every entry into the sweepstakes, Annie’s will donate 20 cents to Sustainable Harvest International to help support 20 village school programs.

So to be green, just eat mac and cheese and shop Annie’s products! Now that is a tasty, easy, and affordable way to eat organic.

We have found a very cool product that gives you organic vegetables and fruits on the go. ToGoBrands.com has a product that will give you your recommended 6 servings of fruits and vegetables per day with a single packet and a glass of water. The best part: each packet is made with 15 certified organic fruits and vegetables. You can even receive a money saving coupon by emailing info@ToGoBrands.com! It is available at RiteAid GNCs and at the ToGoBrands.com on-line store.

Check out their other products like their Acai Energy Boost for a more natural energy kick.

EcoYourself reviews Just Be.

Just Be is an on-line apparel and accessories store based out of New Hampshire. What makes Just Be different is that it is about a philosophy, a state of mind. Just Be offers many t-shirt designs (for babies, toddlers, and adults) that can help each person express how they are, or who they want to be.

Why is EcoYourself writing about Just Be? Just Be has organic apparel! Through a Twitter contest, we won a t-shirt of our choice. We chose the “Just Be Natural” t-shirt and it is not only designed well, but is quite flattering! These shirts are only $24 for adults. If you shop organic much, you know that is a great deal. Just Be organic apparel also comes with phrases such as “Just Be Green” and “Just Be Organic.”

We love the Just Be t-shirts and are thinking we found a new website for gift shopping! Check out the organic apparel at the Just Be… Shop today!

Many food market chains now offer a selection of natural and organic products, usually taking up about an isle of space. However, there is one chain that has made natural and organic products its mission: Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods only provides natural and organic products. There are no artificially made products in the store. From organic fruits and vegetables to naturally made soaps, Whole Foods has all your supermarket merchandise, including a seasonal isle. You may wonder: How will shopping for all organic and natural products be affordable? We have some tips.

• Check out the 365 Everday Value and Whole Foods Markets brand at the store.
• Search “The Whole Deal” guide on-line or in the store for coupons and budget friendly recipes.
• Find the closest Whole Food Market by entering in your zip code on the Whole Foods Market webpage. Also look for stores in Canada and the UK.
• Check out the “Locally Grown” section at your local Whole Foods Market. Where there is less cost for transportation, the price of the product will decrease.

Other fun tips:

• Purchase products with the “Whole Trade Guarantee.” 1% of the retail price will go to Whole Planet Foundation.
• Bring your reusable shopping bags, or purchase Whole Foods’ “A Better Bag.”

Now that you have had an introduction to Whole Foods Market and how to make your shopping experience greener, search the Whole Foods Market website for great recipes and go shopping today!

Know other great organic/natural markets? Let us know!

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Looking at the prices for Organic food can sometimes make the argument to shop organic difficult. However, certain foods retain pesticides and hormones much more than others. See below for a list of food to buy organic and a list of food to not from thedailygreen.com. Some of them may surprise you.

Buy these products organic: Meat, Milk, Coffee, Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Strawberries, Leafy Greens, Grapes, Potatoes, and Tomatoes

Don’t buy these products organic: Asparagus, Avocado, Bananas, Broccoli, Cabbage, Kiwi, Mango, Onions, Papaya, and Pineapple

Keep this list on you when you go grocery shopping and save money while living greener!

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