How Can We Practice More Sustainable Eating

If not organic, can we at least try to eat more sustainably? And how can we do that? Sustainability to reduce climate change comes in so many forms. As individuals we may not be able to dramatically make changes, but collectively we can radically transform the food system and land management to not only reduce greenhouse gases and slow climate change, but sustain the soil that we depend on to sustain us.

Many of the things that we can do to support sustainability are really very simple. Some of the changes in our eating lifestyle take a little more work to accomplish, but we just all need to start. To do better. To make continuous improvements. You might also be quite surprised at the difference some of these changes can make in your health and vitality. Commit to yourself to tackle these changes, one at a time, slowly but surely.

• Eat a variety of foods. The world is losing biodiversity in so many ways, but big agriculture is our biggest contributor to loss of forest and biodiversity. Diverse, smaller, sustainable farming needs to be supported.

• Eat lots of plants. Sustainably farmed, plants are much kinder to the environment than animal products in general. Vegetables and beans as well as nuts can provide dense nutrition and plenty of protein as well as a great variety of flavor. Especially try some ethnic foods and spices from regions around the world that thrive on plant based diets.

• Buy local Eliminate the long chain of distribution and handling that is contributing to climate change. There are more opportunities than ever to buy direct through community food shares, coops and farmers markets. And some retail grocers are taking supply direct from local farms.

• Quit wasting food. We waste so much food. It has already impacted the earth to produce so wasting it is intolerable. Don’t buy so much that it goes bad before you can eat it. Don’t cook so much at once or cook only large batches of foods that can be frozen. Find a way locally to feed the hungry with excess produce especially. Make soup or a frittata, just about any leftover can go in there. Or just roll up leftovers in a tortilla. Get creative. Compost.

• Eat a variety of seafood. Most of us tend to eat limited types of seafood, but that is leading to over fishing in some cases. There is an enormous variety of seafood out there, perhaps it is time to try something new!

• Learn about the meat you eat. Eating meat is not necessarily bad in moderation. It is not especially healthy to load your diet with meat anyway, but when we do eat meat it is important to know how the meat was raised and processed. For example grass fed beef may be more tasty and natural than grain fed, but is not necessarily better for the environment. Do you know it takes about eight pounds of grain to produces a pound of meat? Free range poultry may have some advantages for a number of reasons. Farm raised seafood is full of potential pitfalls. The important thing to know is the farm situation and production as well as the processing and chain of distribution.

Certainly all of these things are important. But reducing our meat consumption is critical as the production of meat is the greatest contributor to climate change. We really need to aim for just a few ounces of red meat per week. A bit more pork, chicken or fish each week is acceptable since they are each less damaging to the environment than beef.

Eat Wise. Eat Healthy. Eat Sustainably.