3 meals per day, you'll eat over 87,000 meals in your lifetime. That's a
lot of food.Most of us are vaguely aware of the impact of food on the
environment, but it's not something we think about every day. It should be.
For Blog Action Day 2011, here are five simple ways to reduce your food's
environmental impact.1. Dine Out SustainablyWhen you go out to eat, choose
restaurants that serve sustainable food. Check to see if everything from
meats and cheeses to wines and produce come from local sources. Ask locals
about their experience with the restaurant, check reviews online, and scour
the restaurant's website for more information. Some questions to
investigate:
* Is the seafood sustainably sourced?
* Does the restaurant have relationships with local farms and producers?
* Are there organic options?
2. Grow Your Own FoodThere's something incredibly satisfying about walking
out your back door to pick basil and cherry tomatoes for your homemade
bruschetta. You'll feel so self-sufficient. Backyard gardening can save you
money, too. Organic produce is expensive to buy, but easy enough to grow. And
trust me, heirloom tomatoes taste much better when they're from your garden
and cost a fraction of what they would cost at the farmer's market. Getting
started isn't as intimidating as it sounds. To grow your garden:
1) Get vegetable starters from a local plant sale. This will require a small
up-front investment, but will pay off later.
2) Follow the instructions for planting and caring for your plants.
3) In just a few short weeks or months, you'll have a garden full of
herbs, fruits, and vegetables to munch on.
image credit: jlz3. Shop for Local FoodsThe shorter distance your food has to
travel, the better it is for the environment. Plus, you can rest easy knowing
that your meat came from a cow that was treated well at a local farm. And
your squash will taste much fresher if it didn't travel 3,000 miles to get
to you. Shop at the farmer's market or co-op to find a selection of
delicious, local foods.4. Go OrganicTake your commitment a step further and
go organic /and/ local. Eating organic foods doesn't have to be an
all-or-nothing deal. Some organic food can be quite pricey and it's fine to
buy the organic version of one type of produce and the conventionally grown
version of another. Environmental Working Group's free Shoppers Guide to
Pesticides in Produce can help you decide which fruits and veggies you should
prioritize and buy organic.5. Eat In SeasonIf you eat primarily food that's
in season, you'll significantly reduce your environmental impact. I'm the
first to admit that I crave avocados and bananas in January and I think
it's fine to indulge on occasion. But unless you live in Central or South
America, that avocado has to make a trip of thousands of miles to get to your
plate. Just be aware of your food's impact on the environment and make
educated choices.Each of us can lessen our environmental impact if we're
all just a bit more mindful of our eating habits. If want to be further
convinced of the effects of food on the environment, here's a brief
overview from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
