Almost 20 years ago, my best friend and I launched the Environmental Club at our high school. We sold Earth Day T-shirts to raise money for the Amazon rainforest and started the recycling program in our school. Since then, I’ve become increasingly moved by Earth Day. Because of our early high school activism, I was inspired to launch a business that was founded upon environmental values.

Two years ago, before my restaurant opened, we had the chance to serve our Amanda’s Organic Apple “Fries” to students at UC Berkeley. Last year we had a celebration at my restaurant. And this year, Earth Day feels more special than Christmas or Passover to me. Since it is the 40th Earth Day, there is a lot going on:
* Berkeley’s Ecology Center is celebrating their 40th anniversary
* My restaurant, Amanda’s Feel Good Fresh Food, is holding a panel today from from 5-6pm on “Sustainable Sourcing for Fast Food” where we continue to improve our committment to the environment
* The City of Berkeley is celebrating Earth Day with a Festival on Saturday from 12-5pm in Downtown Berkeley’s Civic Center Park.

Finally, my high school best friend is having her second baby boy today, an Earth Baby!

It’s true what they say: time flies when you’re having fun. This past year has been a joyous mix of introducing ourselves to Berkeley, meeting new people, and helping to build a healthy community. We are proud to announce that Amanda’s Feel Good Fresh Food Restaurant will be celebrating our one year anniversary!

As the assistant general manager of Amanda’s for the past year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in helping Amanda’s Restaurant through our first year. From our incredible team, to our wonderful customers, to the unfailingly supportive Berkeley community, it has truly been a group effort.

On Saturday 25 July, 2009, we will be throwing an all-day party (from noon to 8pm) to commemorate our first year. We will be giving out samples of our delicious food throughout the day. We’ll have several different musicians performing in the front of the restaurant. You could also win prizes to Almare Gelato, the Oakland Zoo, Parrot Cellular, Juice Appeal, Jupiter, Comic Relief, Meridian, Half Price Books, OCSC Sailing, Pegasus Books, Marjorie Majenti Acupuncture, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, YMCA, Aurora Theatre Company, Backyard Food Project, Shotgun Players, Bobby G’s Pizzeria, Hotel Shattuck Plaza, Carsala, and The Bread Project during our raffle. So bring the kids, friends, and family down to Amanda’s Restaurant on 25 July for a day of fun, food, music and prizes! See you then!

For another gift of a free freshly made soda with purchase of a grilled item, bring in a non-perishable food item for our drive for the Alameda County Food Bank.

Look forward to seeing you in a few weeks! - Peter

Join the twitter culture and read the twitters of food writers or restaurateurs. The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported about foodies in the “twitterverse”. You can follow Amanda’s twitters here.

Hello Feel Good Fast Food folks! I’m going to be on View from the Bay Today 3-4pm PT showing how to make a wholesome, balanced, tasty meal at home. This meal is under $20 for 4 and under 450 calories. You can watch it live here today or check it out online later in the show archive.

The East Bay Green Tour, from Rasa Travel (Nov 11th, 9am-5pm), offers a look inside some of the most pioneering of green businesses. From restaurants to housing to entertainment to manufacturing, these unique businesses are able to turn a profit while benefiting society and the environment.

San Francisco’s East Bay, also known as the “Green Corridor,” has been home to a number of the most influential and innovative of green certified businesses since the 1960’s.  The Green Tour scours the “Corridor,” providing an insider’s perspective of a movement that has captured the attention of the world, and promises to truly alter the face of the planet.

Amanda’s will be a lunchtime destination for the excursion, as well as the morning rendezvous and registration location.

For more information, visit the Rasa Travel blog.

Amanda’s Restaurant is now open in Downtown Berkeley from 11am-9pm daily.

We serve picnic-fresh and naturally delicious food that is easy on your schedule, wallet, and conscious. Please stop by to try our freshly made salads, naturally-raised burgers, freshly stirred sodas and milks, and healthy snacks.

After working on this blog and planning our restaurant for several years, I am so pleased to be able to welcome you in for a feel good meal or a snack.

If you’re like me and need to have snacks throughout your busy day or if you just love to snack, there now exists a feel good treat called Popchips.

These chips are not what you typically find in stores. First the cooking process does not involve baking or frying. Rather it involves popping the potato, corn, or whole grain brown rice-based snack. There are nine flavors altogether including original potato and wasabi rice. Also, one serving of any flavor contains only 120 calories and less than 5 grams of fat!

From your local grocery store to Jamba Juice to even Amazon.com, getting a bag of Popchips is easy making this snack truly feel good fast food. Tell us about your favorite flavor and about any other feel good snacks you enjoy.

Health Food Hut, Inc. is an upcoming healthy and green quick-service restaurant. According to QSRmagazine.com, founder James M. Sleighter has signed a deal with 1 Smart Duck Management Group, LLC to eventually construct 182 restaurants based on 1 Smart Duck’s iBuilding concept.

The iBuilding is an “environmentally friendly, technology-based, media driven concept” designed for quick service restaurants. The building includes a wind and sun energy converter for electricity, the latest water retention devices, and remote-controlled lighting. The first building is set to be constructed Spring 2008 in Denver, Colorado with hopes of  attracting more developers.

 In addition to being green, Health Food Hut will serve fresh organic dishes for lunch and dinner. Founder Sleighter was inspired when he was diagnosed with high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholestoral back in 2004. Many of the restaurant’s dishes will resemble the non-processed, low fat meals Sleighter himself consumed and were part of his pH-based weight loss and diet program. In fact, this menu plan helped Sleighter gain control of his health.

 And yet I’m curious to know how this restaurant will hold up. Dishes such as Bison burger, Mahi Mahi macadamia and coconut crusted filet sandwich, and raw key lime pie are not dishes many would call “quick”. Another is pricing. Currently one smoothie of three fruits costs $5.75 and has the option of “Super Greens” for an additional $2.00. Furthermore since this news release and the signing of the agreement, there still is not an operating location to be found.

 Either way, another restaurant with feel good fast food goals in mind is something positive and a step in the right direction.

With a resounding “wow, these are the bomb”, the Amanda’s team unveiled our Freshly Sliced Raw Organic Apple “fries” for Earth Week on Wednesday. We participated in the Green Picnic on UC Berkeley’s Memorial Glade where we joined other organic and local producers, including Saint Benoit yogurt.

If you missed the Green Picnic, you can come by the Berkeley City College at 2050 Center Street this Sunday from 12-5 to try our Raw Organic Apple “Fries”.

Health.Com has released a list of the the healthiest fast-food restaurants in the
nation.

Here are some of the restaurants that made the list:

1. Noodles & Company
Noodles & Company has a great selection of noodles, from Asian to Mediterranean.
2. Chipotle
Chipotle serves healthy gourmet burrito that have meat that are
naturally and antibiotic-free.
3. Cosi
Cosi is home to tasty hearth baked entrees from sandwiches to smores

What do you think about these restaurants?