How to Green Your Meals
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 10.30.06
What’s the Big Deal?
The dailies? You know - milk, bread, eggs - the dailies. These are the things that you find yourself running out each week (or each day) to purchase. Now, you spend a lot of money on these purchases because of their purchasing frequency, so its important that something worth so much money is chosen carefully.Guide Navigation
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1. The Big O
When you eat organic, don’t just picture the healthy food you are putting in your body, picture the healthy ecosystems which produced that food, the workers who are safer from chemicals, the land, water, and air that is being protected, and the wildlife that is being allowed to thrive. Organic vegetables, fruits, grains, juice, dairy, eggs, and meat (and don’t forget the organic wine and beer), are grown and processed in ways that support healthy people and a healthy planet. (While you may not be able to find or afford organic options for everything you need, certain fruits and vegetables are more pesticidy than others.) For details on the meaning of organic, see the USDA Organics homepage.
2. Fair fare
Fair trade certified food ensures a proper wage and working conditions for those who harvest and handle it. But fair trade is green for the environment as well. TransFair, the only fair trade certifier in the US, has strong environmental standards built into its certification process that protect watersheds and virgin forests, help prevent erosion, promote natural soil fertility and water conservation, and prohibit GMOs and many synthetic chemicals. TransFair claims that their environmental standards are the most stringent in the industry, second only to USDA organic certification.
3. Go local
Buying seasonal, local food is a boon for the environment for a lot of reasons. Since most food travels many miles to reach your table (1,500 miles, on average), locally sourced food cuts back on the climate-change impacts of transportation. Local food also generally uses less packaging, is fresher and tastier, and comes in more varieties. It also supports small local growers and lets them get more for their produce by not having to spend so much on packing, processing, refrigeration, marketing, and shipping. The best way to track down local food is at farmers markets or through community supported agriculture (CSA), which often offer home delivery.
4. Don’t follow the pack
Instead of buying foods that come in extensive packaging (most of which is petroleum-based plastics) look for unpackaged or minimally packaged foods, experiment with bringing your own containers and buying in bulk, or pick brands that use bio-based plastic packing. And of course try and recycle or reuse any packaging you end up with. [Trader Joe, we love you but it’s a packaging nightmare in there]
5. Compost the leftovers
Greening your meals isn’t just about the food that winds up on the plate—it’s the entire process, the whole lifecycle shebang. Composting leftovers will ease the burden on the landfill, give you great soil, and keep your kitchen waste basket from smelling. Apartment dwellers and yardless wonders can do it too! And yes, a composting toilet can be part of the miraculous cycle as well. (see below for more resources)
6. Grow your own
In the garden, in the greenhouse, in the window box, or something fancier. Even urbanites can get quite a bit of good eats from not much space.
7. To and from
7. Just as buying locally grown food cuts on “miles per calorie,” buying from local sellers cuts back on emissions, fuel consumption, and unnecessary traffic.
8. Just enough
8. Put some extra planning into the amount of food you cook will cut back on waste. If it’s something that will spoil quickly, try to avoid making more than you or your family can eat. If you’ve got extra, make a friend happy with a home cooked surprise. If it’s a bigger affair, give the leftovers to those who may need it more.
9. Raw
Many people swear by the benefits of eating raw. Whatever the health advantages may be, preparing raw food consumes less energy and because raw food is usually fresh by definition, it is more likely to be locally grown.
10. Ease up on the meat
Meat is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single most green move a person makes. Producing meat requires huge amounts of water, grain, land, and other inputs including hormones and antibiotics, and leads to pollution of soil, air, and water. A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce, compared to 60 gallons for a pound of potatoes. If you’re a meat eater, for starters, try cutting out a serving of meat each week. Going vegetarian or vegan is a profoundly meaningful environmental choice, and it’s done wonders for Chris Martin and Prince.Back To Top Λ
1. Co-op-eration
Organize a local food coop or farmers market in your area. This will provide people in the area a convenient and readily available source of local food, plus help support area farmers.
2. Think like a squirrel
Purchase extra fruits during the summer and practice drying and canning them. Then they will be available year-round, even when they’re not in season.
3. Cooking with the sun
Solar ovens really work, even with dim sun. They can cook a huge variety of foods and don’t require any fuel other than our friendly local stellar nuclear reactor. What’s more, the basic design is so simple, most do-it-yourselfers can make one for very low cast. (Some ovens we’ve covered in the past are here, here, here, and here.)
4. The 100-Mile Diet
For many, eating local is a novel concept. The 100-mile diet is an idea that challenges people to source food from within a hundred mile radius of where they live. The idea has even caught on among restaurateurs and comes in website form, too. Also see the TreeHugger 100-Mile Thanksgiving Challenge
1. Shipping a pound of apples from a farm in Iowa to a market in Washington requires 30% more fuel and releases 30% more greenhouse gases than shipping those apples to a local market in Iowa. 2. The average US meal comes from five different nations. 3. Food today travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to market. That’s 25% farther than it traveled two decades ago. 4. It is estimated that a making a liter of orange juice requires 958 liters of water for irrigation, and 2 liters of fuel for tractors, water-pumping, pesticide spraying, and the occasional electric heater to ward off frost. 5. A study found that to gather all of the ingredients needed to make strawberry yogurt in Germany, 8,000 km worth of travel were required to bring everything into one place. 1.More on composting A pile of kitchen leftovers in a simple bin will do a pretty decent job of breaking down, but for those looking for more advanced means of decomposition, there are options that can work faster, yield richer soil, and even work indoors. Bokashi is an indoor method developed in Japan for apartment dwellers. A healthy community of worms in your compost will break down organic matter fast and can be kept in an enclosed bin. Electronically controlled compost systems are hitting the market that promise a faster, sweeter smelling breakdown and can sit in the kitchen like an appliance. 2. Growing your own Hydroponics, aeroponics, and just plain nifty devises are making it easier to grow more in less space. Some are downright stylin’. (see below for more) 3. What is The Omnivore’s Dilemma? The Omnivore’s Dilemma is a book written by Michael Pollan, which looks at the current state of food production through the industrial chain, organic, and the hunter/gatherer chains. Pollan brings up tough decisions, like whether organic produce flown in from halfway around the world is better than the local produce with pesticides. Industrial food also brings in a list of questions over all of the ingredients that go into modern food, and the chemicals, fertilizers and other ingredients that go into the production of food. Treehugger.com has been a leader in promoting the green lifestyle and has numerous resources on how others have done just that. For more information, you can begin by checking out the food section on Treehugger.com. 1. For growing your own fresh vegetables and herbs in a limited amount of space, see some systems and methods we’ve covered in the past: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 2. One wild tip on how to keep those veggies fresher longer is to use an Ethylene Gas Guardian, which removes gas buildup from your fridge which would otherwise cause your veggies to spoil faster. 3. Ahh, that eternal burning question: paper or plastic? TreeHugger tackles the issue and suggests an alternative. 4. Pollan. Mackey. Two names getting a lot of attention in lately for their views on produce and where it’s grown. Read more on the debate. 5. Earthtalk discusses more on the fine art of eating local on TreeHugger. 6. TreeHugger TV zooms in on How to Find Green Fish and Milk. 7. A solid look at how to choose your fish wisely. 8. A trove of delectable dishes can be found throughout TreeHugger’s Recipe of the Week. The following links are resources developed to promote sustainability and help you get started greening your food staples. A cornucopia of food resources can be found on Care2’s Green Kitchen section. Want local food but don’t know how to get it? The GreenLeaf Market is for you. This resource is a network of local farmers and where to find them. Trying to eat locally grown food can be a challenge, especially from the get go. More resources can be found at the Eat Local Challenge. The ever-astounding Worldwatch Institute has several studies on the impacts of locally grown, organic, and factory-farmed food. The Sustainable Table offers helpful tips on buying local and sustainable, and for promoting sustainable food in schools. Eat the Seasons is a UK-based website showing which foods are in season each week, the health benefits of those foods, and how long they are in season, among other helpful facts. A North American based site will be launched soon.
Generally good tips, though "local" doesn't always mean "low emission". In some parts of the world, farming is so energy-inefficient that it's possible to grow produce on the other side of the world and ship it with less total emissions than growing it locally.
Here is good footnoted article for explaining why eating less meat is so important for the environment.
Meat production's environmental toll
"The world is experiencing a population explosion of farm animals. The combined weight of the world's 15 billion farm animals now surpasses the weight of the human population by over one and a half times. These animals have a huge appetite for feed crops and grazing land. The solution: a vegetarian diet requires only a half acre of land – seven times less land than a meat-based diet."
Bravo, TH, this is a fantastic resource I can direct my friends to. Well done.
Why isn't "Go Vegan" (or even vegetarian) first on this list? Going vegan is the largest single environmental action a person can take. As mentioned in Tip #10 and in Steve's comment, the production of meat and animal products extracts a horrific toll on the environment.
Going vegan is easy, it is free, it is true environmentalism, and that doesn't even begin to consider the positive health benefits!
You assert that even apartment-dwellers and yardless people can compost. Well, that's true - but you don't tell us what to do with that compost! Where are we supposed to put it once it's sat on our kitchen counter for a week or two?
Go vegan? no thanks. So you can't be a true environmentalist if you're not a vegan?
In some parts of the world, farming is so energy-inefficient that it's possible to grow produce on the other side of the world and ship it with less total emissions than growing it locally.
Malarky.
Malarky? What do you base that on?
What if the "local" meat, for example, is fed on imported grain, uses lots of fertiliser, and is raised partly indoors in an energy-intensive manner? All of that plays a part in the total emissions for the whole life-cycle of the product, but is ignored by the emphasis on food "miles". Transport is not the only use of energy or source of emissions to be considered, and in many cases all of the other factors can far exceed the contribution of "food miles".
Go Vegeterian!! Although I think you can be a great environmentalis without switching to the veg lifestyle, your body and the animals will thank you!! If the veg lifestyle isn't for you, at least try to buy organic, free range meats, which have not been fed hormones, or other foods contaminated with pesticides.
Composting inside is easily done using redworms. It is called vermicomposting and is amazingly effective. This can be done wihin a small indoor space the size of a cooler. Look into getting some worms people.
While going vegetarian decreases your footprint farther, you don't need to do so to reduce your environmental impact from meats. In addition to eating less or no meat you can purchase more environmentally friendly meats, like chicken.
Both pork and beef are much more environmentally unfriendly than other meats. The problem with pork is the manure is particularly bad for the water table and there's more of it than with many other animals. Cow farts contribute more toward global warming than cars.
Farmed fish (farmed in tanks) is sometimes a good idea to replace ocean caught fish. There is too much fishing going on in the oceans right now. If it's not farmed inland (in a tank or artificial pond as opposed in a lake, stream, or sea) I'd steer clear though, fish farms in the sea or in lakes and streams often farm non-native fish which escape and mess up local ecosystems. They're also breeding grounds for fish parasites, which infect nearby wild fish as well. Inland fish farms also have the advantage of growing the fish in cleaner water than wild fish, there's less worry about heavy metals.
What about supplements? how much of an impact does supplement manufacturing make?
Not eating meat (factory farmed or not) is not just an environmental choice ... it is a humane choice. Every time you are eating meat you are eating another sentient beings flesh. Do not be misguided into thinking that animals cannot feel pleasure or pain!
To add to this, everytime you are eating meat (factory farmed) you are eating the flesh of a being who has lived in the most horrific of conditions and who has been killed, for your tasting pleasure, in an inhumane way.
For those of you who think that eating organic meat ("sustainable" meat) is better because the animals were allowed to roam free, I would like to suggest that you do some research into:
1. how that organic meat was actually killed (some family farms do not have slaughter house facilities and their animals end up in larger slaughter houses in which the slaughter methods are horrific)
2. how much energy / grain / water it takes to raise one cow (these resources could be put to better uses like feeding people who are in need of the nutrition more than you are in need of tasting meat)
In my opinion not eating meat is both an environmental and humane choice.
To Anonymous who said "So you can't be a true environmentalist if you're not a vegan?" Have you done any reasearch into the massive environmental impacts that eating meat has? If you are eating meat and say you're concerned about the environment at leats have the guts to admit that you are a hypocrite. And by the way...organic / free range meat also impacts the environment far more than any vegetable will!
I was learned from my earth friendly friends years ago at college not to not use plastic bags for my veggies/fruits while shopping. I just plop them inot my basket or cart and then they all go into the bag at the end, which has actually been a harder thing for me to do, to remember to bring my canvas bag!! . Anyways, they get washed before eating and I think it's safe to say baskets are fairly clean. By now this is an old habit and I recommend it to anyone looking to reduce plastic bag use.
...when we try to figure out what is the best diet for the collective world...i think we have to ask ourselves which way of feeding the world is sustainable...being a hunter gatherer is the most environmentaly freindly life style...that is if the population wasn't to soon hit nine billion...if you are espousing a way of life...than you must imagine it being everyone's to live as well...the world can't sustain nine billion americans...can the environment sustain nine billion hunters...it seems to me the environment can handle nine billion vegans...
Vegans are good. But they'l never convince me to never grill a steak or hamburger again. At least i grow the vegitables that go on the side.
you either care about animals and other beings on the planet, or you don't.
All the vegan recipes in the world will not convince someone who doesn't think outside the self.
People say they care about the environment, but sometimes forget that animals are all a part of it too, and that they also DESERVE the freedom we have.
tihs is retarted going vegan to save energy this is completly pointless there isnt such thing as global warming. But GOING VEGAN that is the dumbest thing ever what is a chicken or a cow supposed to do but get eaten do they do any thing else but eat grass? no all they do is get killed and eaten or give milk and egs so and i bet all of you are democrats well im not im a republican and i support the war in Iraq and i support bush but i dont belive a thing about global warming and that inconvienient trunth that is aa big lie al gore is a fake are you really going to belive a guy whi said he invented the internet? answer me that
mr. "global warming isnt real" begs a question: Did you RTFA? It answers ALL of your charges. Also, you're drawing a very poor image, establishing a strong link between Republicanism and bad grammar. And for the record, I don't believe anything a politician says. Ever. Supporting wars with no end, and placing blind faith in people you've never met, is a poor lifestyle choice. Worse even, than veganism. Ha! That should offend...just...about...everyone.
Here's my vote to move # 10 (ease up on the meat) a little higher on the list.
Though eating vegan keeps large animals like cows, pigs, etc... from being killed; the use of large farm equipment to harvest grains and produce eaten by vegans, does kill small animals. One can't win for losing. Unfortunatly, unless your growing your own garden, your food consumption is probably still killing animals in a way you wouldn't have thought.
Being vegan is great, but lets not thump folks over the head with it, lest the pot call the kettle black.
If you've taken steps to help the enviornment, from eating animals from our horrific meat industry, and to improve your health, KUDOS TO YOU!!! Keep up the good work. Let's be an encouragement to eachother.
To me, it's really irrelivent wither global warming is real or not. We are trashing the planet, and I have but to look out my door to see it. It is in our face every day from plastic bags in the trees, to the trashed beaches we vacation at. We will reap what we sew, be it global warming or something else. It makes practical and logical sence to take steps to stop it, regardless of what politics you subscribe to. The issue is not political, it's a human issue.
I disbelieve all of you. vegans will be the death of us
tim is right. this stuff will kill everything that eats it.
I would rather eat me a nice, juicey, steak. yummy
I can't believe what I've read in the comments section, from the illiterate Republican to the very last 3 posts...it is very disheartening to know that a site called Treehugger can not be free from the closed-minded idiots that are a main cause of irresponsibility and the complete lack of accountability that exists in today's world - especially here in the States where "we" think we are above all others!
And the statement that "vegans will be the death of us" has left me speechless...that individual obviously doesn't believe in evolution, which has changed the once plant-based human diet to one that "allows" animal products - with a high human-health cost of course!
And although I agree with YISSKAH that we should be encouraging other environmentalists, I know for a fact that switching to a plant-based diet is the #1 greatest reduction of greenhouse gases that one can do...as they say "Cows cause more than cars" and no car emits methane or nitrous oxide!
I also agree that #10 should be listed as the first step an individual can make...at the very least a 10% reduction in meat intake should be the norm for someone calling themselves an environmentalist!
The whole go veg for the environment issue is a lot more complex than many environmenalists would like to believe. Its very easy to sit in an office surrounded by concrete, with the obligatory indoor plant, munch on some lentils and tofu or whatever and proclaim that if only everyone else was as enlightened as yourself, the world could be saved.
Nobody here has even considered the concept of protein requirements. Have any vegans ever stopped to think about the wholesale destruction of natural ecosystems on arable land that would be required to grow enough plant-based protein sources to meet human needs? Meat may be energy inefficient, but along with dairy it is a vital and irreplaceable source of protein.
And don't even get me started on food miles - that has to be one of the most over-simplified issues ever. Think about the size of a super-cargo ship travelling across, say the atlantic. It is enormous, and uses vastly more fuel than a truck. But think about how much more food it can carry so much further for proportionally far less ghg emissions- economies of scale.
I'm sure these issues are raised with the very best of intentions, and i commend treehugger on what it is trying to achieve, but please guys, don't oversimplify just to make it easy