Eat your words — 5 easy ways to keep a green tongue in ‘09
January 5th, 2009 by Brian Ries in Food and Drink
Last week, US News and World Report green blogger Mara Judkis came out with this list of ways to make your food consumption more planet-friendly in the coming year. Think you don’t have the time to transform yourself into a green eater? You’re wrong. Again.
Even if you take out the time consuming options — growing your own food, composting — there are so many simple things to do that you could drastically lower your impact with little effort. Here are five things to try out in the coming months that will make a bigger difference that you think.
1. Always carry a stocked, re-usable bag.
Sure, you grab those flimsy canvas bags when you go into the grocery store, but how about when you hit the drive-through, or grab some take-out? Fill it with clean plastic containers and give those to the restaurant when you place your order or start packing up doggy bags. Also, throw in a travel mug for all your coffee purchases and a water bottle to refill as necessary. Think urban survival gear. No styro, no plastic, no fuss besides a little dishwashing.
2. Cut out the meat one night a week.
Meat production — especially beef — is one of the most carbon-intensive varieties of food production and accounts for as much as 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Just replace that burger or steak every so often and you’ll be trimming both greenhouse gasses and and fat from your diet. Treat meat like your grandfather did and keep it as an occasional treat or a celebration and not a nightly feast.
3. Only buy fruits and veggies from North America.
Whenever you reach for an apple or onion, check the little sticker or the supermarket tag. If it isn’t from this continent, put it back and find a substitute. That bundle of winter asparagus from Peru had to travel further than you’ve been on vacation, utilizing a massive amount of often highly-polluting energy to do so. Think of a map like a bullseye centered on your house — the closer you get to the center, the better you are.
4. Cook your fridge.
Stop throwing away ingredients. When you’re thinking about dinner, think about what you have available, and try to use the oldest food first. It may tax your culinary skills, but you’ll likely eat healthier because of it, and you’ll definitely not waste $500 in produce each year like the average American family.
5. Buy organic when possible.
Although not as important as buying local, organic food production usually uses drastically less energy than conventional production. Just don’t start buying organic fare from Australia. That’s counter-productive.
(Photo courtesy PeterGriffin/flickr.)
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