{"id":340,"date":"2019-07-31T20:56:06","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T20:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/?p=340"},"modified":"2020-08-13T14:20:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T14:20:51","slug":"seedz-innovative-plant-based-provisions-at-the-local-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/content.principia.edu\/sites\/sustainablefood\/2019\/07\/31\/seedz-innovative-plant-based-provisions-at-the-local-level\/","title":{"rendered":"Seedz: Innovative Plant-Based Provisions at the Local Level"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Jolee Keplinger (C’20)
Principia Center for Sustainability
Dining Services Liaison Officer<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Tucked in the historic DeMun neighborhood of St. Louis are two spots that are beautifully embracing local, organic, and plant-based food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recent popularity of plant-forward dining is not a trend, but rather, a shift which has exploded throughout the St. Louis area within the past couple of years.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What initially inspired me to visit Seedz Cafe<\/a>, (and the separate store, Seedz Provisions) was it\u2019s healthy plant-based fare. Seedz stands out because it\u2019s not simply a delicious plant-based, sit-down restaurant. Just a few steps away, from the cafe at Seedz Provisions, you\u2019ll find a plethora of fresh baked goods, locally produced food products, handmade gifts, and a selection of espresso and elixir options. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Power of Plant-Forward Cuisine<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

All of the food served at Seedz Cafe and Seedz Provisions is vegan, meaning everything is of 100% plant origin, so no meat, dairy or any other animal derived ingredients are used. (The terms vegan and plant-based are often used interchangeably.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As someone who enjoys dining at a variety of restaurants, I\u2019ve noticed that plant-based\/vegan restaurants tend to be my favorite due to the innovative nature of the food and high likelihood of sustainable operations. In general, I\u2019ve noticed that plant-based restaurants are highly conscious of where their ingredients come from, and very intentional in how they prepare them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, eating foods which are organically grown, unprocessed, and plant-based foods can reduce one\u2019s ecological footprint and promote health. As you probably know, the U.S. food system is not set up in a way that makes healthy eating easy. As a result, only 9.3%<\/a> of Americans are meeting the recommended intake of three cups of vegetables per day! Fortunately, plant-based restaurants like Seedz Cafe offer a variety of healthy, delicious, and aesthetically pleasing foods packed with fresh produce, whole grains, and healthy fats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fun fact:<\/a> Seedz Cafe is one of the top 10 healthiest restaurants in St. Louis! Click here<\/a> to see their menu.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ingredients: <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Since Seedz is clearly going above and beyond what most restaurants are doing, I wanted to learn more about the business in-depth. Even though the website and Instagram<\/a> account are informative, I wanted to specifically learn about Seedz in terms of the local food movement. I met with Cara Schloss, an incredibly inspiring owner and self-taught culinary artist and learned quite a bit of valuable background information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Seedz sources approximately 40% of its ingredients locally. Since there is no official definition of local food, it\u2019s important to know how a businesses defines its local ingredients. At Seedz, a local ingredient must be located within about a 200 mile radius.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their produce comes from Williford Family Garden which is St. Clair Missouri. This small farm went through the EarthDance apprenticeship program<\/a>, and it specifically grows ingredients for Seedz. In addition, about 60-80% of the restaurant\u2019s ingredients are grown organically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cara mentioned organic ingredients are a lot more expensive, but emphasized they are a priority. Even if a farm isn\u2019t USDA certified organic (such as Three Rivers Community Farm<\/a> which I previously highlighted), the food can still be grown using organic principles. Ultimately, what matters the most is how<\/strong> food is grown, not whether it flashes a fancy label. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few examples of where they source their food:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n