Nutrition for a Better Planet

According to an article in Science Daily, “an estimated 19 percent of total energy used in the United States is taken up in the production and supply of food.”  In the US alone, food consumption is projected to increase by as much as 20 percent by the year 2020. Here are some nourishing tips that will support your part in creating a greener, cleaner environment for future generations.

Eat Local 

According to the USDA a food is considered local if the distance that it was grown or produced is within 400 miles of your home. By choosing foods locally grown you choose to support a sustainable, dynamic food system where farmers benefit by receiving a fair price for their goods, local communities thrive and consumers are provided with healthy food and a better future.

Understand How Food is Packaged, Shipped and Prepared 

Food travels an average of 1500 miles from ground to table. The current systems of food transport are not supportive of the environment. The U.S. food system uses a great amount of energy and 20 percent of this energy goes towards food production, while 80 percent is used for processing, transport, refrigeration and preparation.

Excessive packaging of goods is currently putting a strain on the environment because so much trash is ending up in landfills. Trees are being cut, factories are consuming power, and toxic dyes are used to create eye catching advertising. If everyone decided to prepare, cook and eat at home more often, the abundant fossil fuel use would decrease dramatically. 

Support Clean Air

Shipping our food long distances and processing it contributes to air and water pollution. Importing foods by air burns an excessive amount of fuel. Air freight generates 10 to 30 times as much carbon emissions per mile as trucking. 

Shop Farmers Markets 

Farmers travel no more than a 50 mile radius to and from their farmers market. The amount of food they carry and sell is approximately 5 times more energy efficient than foods which were hauled to your local grocery store. Choose foods from your local market or those that arrived from a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

Eat Organic 

Organic foods have grown in popularity. A multi-article review in the Alternative Therapies journal compared nutritional content of organic vs. non-organic foods. Results showed that organic food was found to have “higher protein quality, higher levels of vitamin C and higher mineral levels.” 

According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, organic foods contain more antioxidant-rich flavonoids than conventionally grown foods. Organic food typically requires 30-50 percent less energy use and less waste production compared to typical farming practices. Organic farms release less synthetic pesticides into the environment and sustain diverse ecosystems.

Eat Less Processed

Processed foods require more energy to produce and more packaging than do whole foods. Processed foods may contain xenobiotics. Xenobiotics include pesticides, herbicides, bisphenol A, surfactants (which are used in food packaging, household chemicals and industrial chemicals), PCBs and dioxins, and heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. They are found in our food, our water and our air. Once in our body, they are not easily broken down and can lead to many illnesses resulting from DNA damage.

Choose Sustainable Foods

Buy in bulk. Most markets offer bins of bulk grains (flour, rice, pasta), snacks (crackers, nuts, chocolate) and liquids (oil, vinegar, honey). Bring a re-usable container to collect these items for your pantry.

Eat Low on the Food Chain 

Eat mostly plants and support “Meatless Monday.” This may be the single most effective way for individuals to lower their food-climate impact. Researchers estimate that adopting a 1 “meatless day” per week, we can reduce greenhouse emissions by 51 percent! 

Choose Grass-fed Beef

Organic meat, eggs and dairy products from pasture raised animals are healthy protein alternatives. Compared with commercial products, they provide you with healthy, anti-inflammatory fats. They are rich in antioxidants and they are free from added hormones and antibiotics.

Animals that thrive on a foraged diet require much less fossil fuel than a CAFO diet of corn and soy. Pasture-raised animals do their own fertilizing and harvesting. Confined animals who are fed grain crops may be consuming some fossil fuel-based fertilizers or those which contain pesticides.

Choose Small Fish

Ocean fisheries around the world are now fearful of the intense over-fishing, pollution and habitat destruction. Some species of fish are on the brink of extinction. These fish play key roles in complex ecosystems and their removal may affect ocean life in ways that we don’t yet even understand. Choose fish that are smaller than your dinner plate and leave the large fish for an occasional treat.

Brown Bag It 

Bring your lunch to work and store foods in reusable containers vs. plastic bags. Plastic packages are manufactured using oil and therefore are responsible for creating over 24,000 tons of greenhouse gas every year. Avoid using plastic sandwich bags, foil or cellophane. Bring your own silverware and glassware rather than the plastic silverware or cups from the cafeteria. About one-third of the waste in the United States consists of plastic packaging.

Carry Reusable Water Bottles Filled With Filtered Water 

Drinking filtered water removes many dangerous contaminants. Drinking filtered water is a more economical practice than drinking bottled water. The type of plastic in which water is usually sold holds a plastic description of #1—this is recommended for one time use only. Instead, choose a reusable water bottle and fill it with your own filtered water from home to keep many single-use bottles out of the landfill.

Compost 

Composting is a process through which microorganisms break down organic matter (kitchen vegetable scraps, yard waste, lawn clippings) and convert it into soil. Through this cycle, waste materials can become healthy, nutrient rich soil, which is perfect for replenishing your garden or potted plants.

Eat at Green Restaurants 

Log on to the GRA association before deciding on dinner tonight. The organization's goal was to help restaurants get certified as “green” as simply and effectively as possible. To do this, the restaurant has to meet certain environmental standards, such as basic green improvements, consulting, certification and green public relations. The company has an extensive database of environmental solutions for restaurants, so they can concentrate on the food and customers.

Living gently on the earth is possible anywhere. Making healthy choices close to home facilitates understanding about how and where your food is produced and shipped. Addressing issues of environmental damage can provide a range of benefits from biodiversity, health, pollution prevention and natural resource use.