Mom's Favorite Place To Eat Just Got Better!

Have you guys ever been to this place? Mom loves it so much that she could eat there every day, but of course she doesn't. I've never been there because Mom tells me it's not dog friendly. I'm not sure what that means but maybe it means they serve food that I don't like. Right! There's nothing I don't like so I think maybe Mom is lying to me. Maybe she just doesn't want to share her food with me!

For those of you that are familiar with Chipotle, you know that even though it's fast food, it's fast food with a conscience. But what exactly does that mean? Great question! Chipotle just launched a new marketing campaign Food With Integrity to educate consumers about where the food they eat at Chipotle comes from. And let me tell you, this new campaign is very cool. But first things first.

This is one of our local Chipotle restaurants and yes that's a wind turbine you see behind it. This restaurant in Gurnee, right outside of the Gurnee Mills shopping mall, is one of only two LEED certified Chipotle restaurants. But what does that mean? So many things! The wind turbine provides 5% of the store's electricity and while this might not sound like much, every little bit helps. 5% from wind power is 5% that doesn't come from fossil fuels. It all adds up!

There are high-efficiency air conditioning units and that's good news because it's sooooo hot here. Rain water is collected from the roof and used to irrigate the native landscape, just like Mom does with her rain barrel. The debris from the construction of the building was sorting and recycled so that it didn't end up in a landfill.

And the greening continues on the inside of the restaurant. High-efficiency plumbing fixtures save water while green housekeeping reduces the toxic chemicals used. High-efficiency appliances save energy and an energy management system monitors ventilation and turns off lights when it's sunny outside. How cool is that? From using recycled drywall and barn metal, to LED lighting, this restaurant shows just how committed Chipotle is to sustainability.

Mom always gets a vegetarian burrito when she goes to Chipotle and most of the time it looks just like this. Sometimes she'll add a little cheese and some hot sauce if she's feeling really crazy. And did I mention how much she loves this burrito? She loves it not only because it tastes good but also because of the Food With Integrity campaign. Mom was aware of Chipotle's commitment to sustainability but this new campaign put aside any doubts she had about eating there compared to eating at their competitor Qdoba. And this commitment is what separates them from all their competitors. So go "under the foil" to find out where their food grows and where their meats come from.

They source most of their food from right here in the good old U.S.A. Some of their food occasionally comes from Mexico, Peru, and Chile but they definitely have a leg up on most fast food chains. Does Burger King talk about where their food comes from? And don't get me started about McDonalds faux locally sourced campaign. Talk about greenwashing!

Their interactive site is so cool. You can see, by region and season, where all their food comes from. Here in the midwest, everything from corn to tomatoes to bell peppers to lettuce and more are grown locally in the summer which not only cuts down on energy resources but also supports local economies. They prefer purchasing from family farms and from farmers who farm responsibly and sustainably, but aren't certified organic. But what about Mom's favorite, the black bean? 40% of Chipotle's beans are certified organic.

Most of the meat they serve is from the U.S., too. They started purchasing naturally raised beef in 1999 and 60% of their meat is from naturally raised farms. Can any other fast food chain make this claim? 100% of the chicken they serve are raised naturally, without the use of antibiotics. And if you haven't see the movie Food, Inc. yet, please put it on your must see list. Chipotle and one of their pork farmers, Joel Salatin, are featured in the movie. They have been serving 100% naturally raised pork since 2001. Oh, and don't forget to watch the cute video at the bottom of the website. It's short, sweet, and to the point.

So head on over to the Chipotle website and go "under the foil" by pulling on the cord at the bottom of the page. And while you're there, click on the investor tab to learn how you can help provide nutritious cafeteria meals to school children simply by sending Chipotle your junk mail.