Eating Green
What does it mean to eat green? Well, I'm not talking about foods that are the color green though they are extremely healthy for you, but rather, I'm talking about the carbon footprint we create when we eat.
I'm currently reading a book entitled "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" about this one family's journey of eating foods they themselves grow on their farm. I've also recently gotten into the t.v. channel "planet green." It is a channel dedicated to helping our planet. It has some very interesting shows about household carbon footprints and practical ways to decrease that footprint, Ed Begely Jr has a show which, he must be one of the greenest Americans around...and a host of other shows I have yet to dive into. I'm so new to this station.
Anyway, as a dietitian, I not only strive to have people eat more healthfully for themselves, but by eating healthier they can help save the planet.
I had previously written a blog about being a locavore, someone who eats close to home. I still want to emphasize the importance of eating close to home.
By eating foods that have been grown as few miles away as possible, you are saving tens of thousands of pounds of fossil fuels per meal. If conventionally, it requires 20 calories of fuel to create 1 calorie of food, this includes traveling costs, production costs, etc, then if you're eating a 500 calorie meal, you're requiring 10,000 calories of fossil fuels to create that meal. If however, you're eating food that was grown say 20 miles from you, allowing a calorie use of only 2 calories to create each 1 calorie of food by doing the same calculation you may only be using 100 calories of fossil fuels to create that meal.
That is not only a savings fuel, but it's good for the world. Also, typically, foods that are grown and sold very close to the farm that made it, require less fertilization and may in fact be grown in an organic manner without being certified for a hefty cost.
Government standardizations for organics is liberalizing constantly because big agribusines does not want so many restrictions. Therefore, even if the food you are eating says it's organic, it doesn't mean it is necessarily any better for you...you can ask the local farmer their farming practices when you see them.
I truly do everything I can to be green...I try to buy local fruits and vegetables when I can, in-season fruits and vegetables. I try to buy sustainable fish that have been wild-caught, I walk to work every day (in L.A. mind you, where nearly everyone drives.) I have a bicycle which I occasionally take out. I have reusable shopping bags. I recycle everything that can be recycled and encourage others to do the same.
My biggest eco-vice unfortunately is probably my frequent plane travel to visit family and my boyfriend all of who live in different states...but I do try.
I urge everyone else to eat green, recycle, reuse, and decrease your carbon footprint.
Check out www.planetgreen.com It's so cool!
I'm currently reading a book entitled "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" about this one family's journey of eating foods they themselves grow on their farm. I've also recently gotten into the t.v. channel "planet green." It is a channel dedicated to helping our planet. It has some very interesting shows about household carbon footprints and practical ways to decrease that footprint, Ed Begely Jr has a show which, he must be one of the greenest Americans around...and a host of other shows I have yet to dive into. I'm so new to this station.
Anyway, as a dietitian, I not only strive to have people eat more healthfully for themselves, but by eating healthier they can help save the planet.
I had previously written a blog about being a locavore, someone who eats close to home. I still want to emphasize the importance of eating close to home.
By eating foods that have been grown as few miles away as possible, you are saving tens of thousands of pounds of fossil fuels per meal. If conventionally, it requires 20 calories of fuel to create 1 calorie of food, this includes traveling costs, production costs, etc, then if you're eating a 500 calorie meal, you're requiring 10,000 calories of fossil fuels to create that meal. If however, you're eating food that was grown say 20 miles from you, allowing a calorie use of only 2 calories to create each 1 calorie of food by doing the same calculation you may only be using 100 calories of fossil fuels to create that meal.
That is not only a savings fuel, but it's good for the world. Also, typically, foods that are grown and sold very close to the farm that made it, require less fertilization and may in fact be grown in an organic manner without being certified for a hefty cost.
Government standardizations for organics is liberalizing constantly because big agribusines does not want so many restrictions. Therefore, even if the food you are eating says it's organic, it doesn't mean it is necessarily any better for you...you can ask the local farmer their farming practices when you see them.
I truly do everything I can to be green...I try to buy local fruits and vegetables when I can, in-season fruits and vegetables. I try to buy sustainable fish that have been wild-caught, I walk to work every day (in L.A. mind you, where nearly everyone drives.) I have a bicycle which I occasionally take out. I have reusable shopping bags. I recycle everything that can be recycled and encourage others to do the same.
My biggest eco-vice unfortunately is probably my frequent plane travel to visit family and my boyfriend all of who live in different states...but I do try.
I urge everyone else to eat green, recycle, reuse, and decrease your carbon footprint.
Check out www.planetgreen.com It's so cool!
posted by Dana M. Ellis, MPH, R.D. @ 8:20 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home