Maybe it’s the result of an economy that requires a skill for penny pinching or maybe it’s just a renewed love of food, but whatever the reasons behind it, amateur involvement in culinary culture is happening big time, bringing the power of being a foodie into the hands of everyone who wants a taste. Call it indie, call it DIY, but this trend is simply expanding on something we’ve done for centuries: create sustenance.

Independent food markets are taking place more frequently in underground economies, providing an outlet for small-time food vendors to take a stab at doing what they’re best at and at the same time turn a profit. In places like these, a friend’s, “Mmm… that’s delicious, you should sell it!” is no longer just a compliment, it’s motivation for business.

In Brooklyn, $20 gets you a six-foot folding table at the Greenpoint Food Market, where you’re welcome to sell whatever concoctions you wish. “Some of my vendors just sell granola bars wrapped in saran wrap or foil and that’s about as far as they want to go,” market founder Joan Kim told Chow.

In San Francisco, kumbucha is pitted against jam in a competitive audition to get into the Underground Farmers Market. So far, there have only been a handful of the markets hosted, but interest is at a high, feeding both people’s desire to sell something they’ve made themselves, and also, to buy homemade goods that don’t have a commercial flair.

Independent markets like these give people with a penchant for crafting creative edibles the opportunity to try their hand at the food industry, but with very low barriers to entry. The result is a diverse array of foods, with something to please every taste, that is as empowering as it is cutting-edge.

But even those not willing to devote late nights to baking up a storm and hauling the goods to the local market early on a Saturday morning are still taking part in the changing food movement.

At Forage in Los Angeles, the restaurant depends on connecting with its customers to provide seasonal fare at a reasonable prices. When a chef is on the lookout for a special ingredient, they don’t turn to a distributor, they turn to urban foragers, depending on the restaurants clientele to bring them the taste of the day – be it lavender or bundles of citrus fruit. Chefs sample and select which produce will make it to the restaurant’s palate. The concept is aptly named Harvest Call.

The result is a menu that is inherently more local, but also more communal with various clientele getting to take part in deciding what they eat. Taking the idea of urban foraging to a new level, restaurants like Forage encourage interaction with food, not just a passive experience of it.

This idea of gastronomic equality, making everyone an equal part in the food process, may just be an edgy passing fad – people do in fact still love the occasional 5 star experience – but in the meantime, it’s truly changing how we think about food and our relationship to it. And encouraging all of us, no matter what our foodie level, to get more involved with what we eat.

Editor’s note: This is the debut of Anna Brones’s new column at EcoSalon, Foodie Underground. Each week, Anna will be taking a look at something new and different that’s taking place in the underground food movement, from supper clubs to mini markets to culinary avant garde.

Images: ginnerobot, Greenpoint Food Market, R Stanek

How much time did you spend in your car last week? Ten hours? Fifteen maybe? Wow, that sounds like a lot. But it's still probably an underestimate: As it turns out, the average American now spends 21 hours per week stuck inside a mobile metal box.

No wonder the drive-thru is so appealing. All those hours spent in traffic leaves scarcely any time to sit and eat. Add to that the stress of daily life and the desire to feel like you're accomplishing something while you drive, and you've got a pretty good case for turning the center console into a dining table.

But that convenience comes at a cost. A 15-year study published in the British journal Lancet found that those who ate fast food two or more times per week gained an average of 10 more pounds than those who ate fast food less than once a week. But it doesn't have to be this way. In my latest book, The Eat This, Not That! No-Diet Diet, I teach you how to navigate fast-food menus and make sure the meal coming at you through your car window won't necessitate a loosening of your seatbelt. The first step: Avoid the 5 foods on this list.

1. WORST SIDE DISH
Taco John’s Potato Ole’s (Large)
770 calories
46 g fat (6 g saturated, 1 g trans)
2,200 mg sodium

Interspersed throughout the menu in various permutations, these glorified tater tots pack a serious one-two punch. The combination of saturated fat and sodium puts a heavy strain on your heart, and the 770 calories test the durability of your belt buckle. Not even the indulgent Meat and Potato Burrito touts numbers this abysmal. Instead, opt for a side of Refried Beans. Order it without cheese and you'll cut 60 calories, but you'll hold on to the amazing 11 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein.

Eat This Instead!
Taco John’s Refried Beans (without cheese)
260 calories
1.5 g fat (0.5 trans)
940 mg sodium

DID YOU KNOW? Grocery cart handles are dirtier than bathrooms, and half of them carry E. coli, says a new University of Arizona study. Discover more shocking health, nutrition, and weight loss secrets like this by following me on Twitter right here (where I'm giving a FREE iPad2 to a lucky follower) or by signing up for our FREE Eat This, Not That! newsletter.

2. WORST DESSERT
Dairy Queen Double Fudge Cookie Dough Blizzard (Large)
1,350 calories
58 g fat (28 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)
133 g sugars 

This dessert ought to be served with a life insurance application. The problem is, the rest of the Blizzards aren't much better—even the smalls tend to hover around 500 calories. Splitting one of those isn't so bad, but if you prefer to have your own treat, go for a sundae instead. The best approach is to pick the ice-cream flavor of the Blizzard you wanted, and then ask to have that topping added to your sundae. That way you get all the flavor, none of the belly.

Eat This Instead!
Dairy Queen Chocolate Sundae with Cookie Dough Topping (Small size)
360 calories
14 g fat (10.5 g saturated)
45 g sugars

Bonus Tip: Our take on dessert? Eat it! Just know what you're eating and limit your indulgence. You can find the best Eat This, Not That! options right here: 15 Desserts That Burn Fat!

3. WORST BURGER
Hardee’s 2/3 lb. Monster Thickburger
1,320 calories
95 g fat (36 g saturated)
3,020 mg sodium  

At one-third pound of beef, the original Thickburger offers plenty by way of gluttony, but compared to this thing it appears positively conservative. Mashed between beef and bun are 4 strips of bacon, 3 slices of cheese, and a big gob of mayonnaise. That's how it earns nearly twice the saturated fat you should consume in an entire day! Go with the Little Thick Cheeseburger to you'll eliminate 65 percent of the calories. 

Eat This Instead!
Hardee’s Little Thick Cheeseburger
450 calories
23 g fat (9 g saturated)
1,180 mg sodium

Bonus Tip: Some burgers are lean and healthy. Others are excessive and dangerous. See if any of your favorites made our list of The 15 Worst Burgers in America. And check out Cook This, Not That! to learn how to make delicious 400-calorie burgers (and hundreds of other delicious weight-loss meals) in minutes at home.

4. WORST BREAKFAST
McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Large Biscuit, Hotcakes, and syrup
1,330 calories
60 g fat (20 g saturated)
2,280 mg sodium
49 g sugars

This is the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink breakfast made popular by diners such as Denny's and IHOP. Consider these stats: This meal has as much saturated fat as 2 Sausage McGriddles, more sodium than 6.5 large orders of french fries, more sugar than 3.5 Hot Apple Pies, and more calories than 3 Double Cheeseburgers. We're all for eggs at breakfast, but not when they come flanked with pancakes, sausage, hash browns, and an oversized buttermilk biscuit. Pair a Parfait with an Egg McMuffin for 22 grams of belly-filling protein in fewer than 500 calories. Now that's a great way to start the day.

Eat This Instead!
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin with Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait
460 calories
14 g fat (6 g saturated)
905 mg sodium 
24 g sugars

Bonus Tip: Smart snacking can work wonders on your waistline, curbing your cravings so you order less at the drive-thru. The key is finding snacks that are low in sugar and high in protein and fiber. Try any of our 50 Best Snack Foods in America—they'll help keep you lean and full all day long!

 5. WORST SANDWICH
Quizno’s Large Tuna Melt
1,450 calories 
98 g fat (20 g saturated, 1 g trans)
1,910 mg sodium

Tuna ought to be a healthy source of lean protein, but Quizno's suffocates its with so much mayonnaise that the original fish has been relegated to a mere texturing agent amid a wet slurry of fat and calories. We've called Quizno's out for this sandwich before, and we'll keep at it until they decide trim back on the excesses. In the meantime, go with the Honey Bourbon Chicken Sub. For the regular-size sandwich, you could eat a dozen without hitting the fat load of the Large Tuna Melt. 

Eat This Instead!
Quizno’s Regular Honey Bourbon Chicken
520 calories
8 g fat (3 g saturated)
1,470 mg sodium

Bonus Tip: Learning which restaurants make it easiest to eat healthy can have a big impact on your body, and we've done the grunt work for you. Check out Eat This, Not That's list of America's Best and Worst Restaurants: 2011—and discover how to order your favorite foods, at your favorite restaurants, and still lose lots of weight without ever dieting again.

via health.yahoo.net

In recent years, rising obesity rates, a crushing disease burden, and the direct impact of what we eat on our health has moved food to the forefront of health discourse. Food nourishes and sustains us, but it also impacts our health, environment, and politics in critical ways. We are pleased to announce the public release of IFTF's 2007 map of The Future of Foodscapes, which explores the major trends shaping the future of food. 

We use the term "Foodscapes" to talk about the layers of global flows of people, technologies, ideas, money, and ethics that will play a role in shaping the future of food. The map is organized into four zones of change, which act as compass points forming the overall shape of the future of foodscapes. The zones of change are:

The Global Health Economy: People are turning to the broader marketplace—rather than just the traditional health care delivery system—for solutions to their health needs. The definition of healthy is expanding, and as we move toward a world of more healthy lifestyles, everything we eat and drink will be viewed through a health lens.

Trade and Finance: From fruit to coffee, consumers around the world expect to have a wide selection of food and beverage choices available to them at relatively low prices. Yet as demand grows for the global movement of food, livestock, and agricultural commodities, regulatory and infrastructural bottlenecks are emerging. Often-conflicting international public and private safety standards are proliferating and facing scrutiny in light of recent food scares. 

Technology: Technological developments are affecting how people make choices about what they eat and drink, as well as how food and beverages are produced and distributed. As mobile platforms advance, consumers will rely on both user-generated tagging and producer-generated labeling at the point of purchase to filter information and expose companies' production, transportation, and marketing practices. Technological advancements will radically change many of the social and cultural components of food production, consumption, and distribution. 

Sustainability: The politics of sustainability is a critical factor in understanding the intersection of food and health in our foolscap. New "footprints" that measure the environmental impact of food production are growing in importance in the eyes of consumers, governments, and corporations. This adds a new, qualitative dimension to food production beyond the quantitative measures of food we've seen in the past, leading everyone from governments to consumers to evaluate foods for their long-term sustainability. 

To learn more about IFTF's Global Food Outlook Program, contact Dawn Alva at dalva@iftf.org.