How to be eco-friendly with your diet?

#vegan #healthydiet #ecofriendly #healthyeating #eatgreen #organicfood #greenfood #organicmeats #fruits #salad

How to green your eating habit? That’s easy for us to make a change that you can decide what you eat every day. Environmentally friendly eating diets benefit not only the planet but your health. Making a few simple shifts in the way we eat and purchase our foods can have a good impact on the food system and the environment.

EAT GREEN, LESS MEAT

A growing number of studies has drawn attention to the impact livestock are having on climate change. Take cows as an example, their digestive system produces methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. Moreover, they require a higher amount of feed per unit, and the land needed to produce that feed also have a carbon cost associated with it.

That’s why eating less meat can help to reduce carbon emissions and lower our dependence on fossil fuels. Meanwhile, consuming a planet-forward diet that is rich in vegetables like leafy green, fruits, whole grains and nuts are low-fat and have a relatively small carbon footprint. Forming a green eating habit doesn’t mean that you have to become a vegetarian or vegan, but you can reposition meat as a side dish that is eaten once a day, once a week, or even once a month.

FOOD CHOICES

When choosing organic green food, buy fruits and vegetables from farmers that do not contain harmful pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. Try to eat raw food if possible, many vegetables such as arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, can be eaten raw which saves energy on gas.

When purchasing meat, also try the organic one. The United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program for example recommend organic meats that come from animals raised free of chemical, antibiotic, and hormone they are considered to be healthier and fresher. Learning to choose sustainable seafood such as ensuring they are not endangered and / or over fished also reduce the harm to the ocean ecosystem.

Try to support locally grown produce and eat food that are in season. Local food doesn’t create large carbon footprints and transportation costs through overseas plane travel or long truck trips. In order words, it cuts down on fuel consumption and air pollution. Local foods also promote a safer food supply. The more steps there are between you and your food’s source the more chances there are for contamination. Food grown in distant locations has the potential for food safety issues at harvesting, washing, shipping and distribution. What’s more? You can get more nutrients from local food. As there is shorter time between harvest and our home, and it is less likely that the nutrient value has decreased.