The Earth-Friendly Diet

There’s no doubt about it: What we eat has a serious ecological impact. With food production accounting for almost 20 percent of our fossil-fuel use in the United States, we have to alter our approach to mealtime if we want to reverse climate change. 

The strategy? A collective diet, one that focuses less on curbing carbs and calories and more on cutting carbon. 

With these simple steps and easy-to-make recipes, you’ll be shedding carbon pounds before you know it (you might shed a few real pounds, too).

EAT LOCALLY, ORGANICALLY AND SEASONALLY

The debate continues over which is better for the earth, local or organic. Both have eco-friendly benefits to offer. Buying local mitigates the carbon costs of packaging and shipping to the consumer — for instance, when you purchase apples from the farm down the road instead of from the supermarket, which imports them all the way from Mexico. Local can also mean fresher, as nutrients get lost as soon as fruits and vegetables are harvested. 

But some argue that local doesn’t address other eco and health issues. “Who cares if it’s locally grown if they’re using methyl bromide on their strawberries?” asks Theresa Marquez, chief marketing executive for the Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP) Cooperative and Organic Valley Family of Farms. When it comes down to it, buying local and organic provides the most earth-friendly impact. 

An important part of buying local includes eating what’s in season in your area, which minimizes the miles your food has to travel and ensures that you get the freshest ingredients. “Sure, you can go to Whole Foods in February or March and get ingredients for a caprese salad,” explains Ann Cooper, author of Bitter Harvest and founder of the Food Family Farming Foundation, “but it’s not as delicious, and it’s not what you should be buying.”

By sticking to the produce that grows fresh in your area, whether it’s butternut squash in autumn or ramps in the spring, you’ll do better by the planet.

Of course, not everyone has access to year-round local organic food, so that’s where personal decisions come in. Toward that end, remember that organic is always better than conventional, according to Diane Hatz, founder of Sustainable Table, an online resource that educates consumers about making better food choices. Given the vast benefits of supporting your community farmer, local food from a small family farm is better than conventional, too.

GROW YOUR OWN 

It doesn’t get more local than this. Sure, you’re probably not going to grow enough food to feed your family every night. But if you have a wee bit of outdoor space or a windowsill, you can grow something.

Start simply and look to culinary staples, such as basil and rosemary. It’s more satisfying to walk a few feet and pluck leaves for dinner than to drive to the store for herbs grown thousands of miles away and encased in plastic. Other relatively easy items to grow at home include tomatoes, beans and salad greens. (You may want to try starting with tomato starter plants from the nursery before advancing to seed sowing, as they take a fair amount of time to grow.)

CHOOSE YOUR DRINKS WISELY 

It’s not just what you eat that matters. All those pesticides and chemical fertilizers used to produce food also go into making your juice, milk, coffee, tea, wine and cocktails. On top of that, coffee often grows on land where rainforests once thrived. (Clear-cutting allows the sun to reach the plants so they’ll grow faster.) By destroying rainforests, we’re not only increasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, but also potentially sending half of all bird species in those areas into extinction.

Luckily, we now have access to a range of planet-friendly beverages, including organic and shade-grown coffee — and they have a huge ecological impact. For instance, if half of North America’s 15 million college students chose organic, shade-grown coffee, they would prevent 3,885 tons of chemical fertilizers and 660 tons of pesticides from poisoning the earth. 

Take note, however: Some “shade-grown-coffee” companies cultivate their beans under a monoculture of a single heavily pruned tree species, which offers little habitat for birds and other wildlife. To ensure your bag of Joe promotes honest biodiversity, look for one that sports the Rainforest Alliance or Bird Friendly seal.

If you enjoy a glass of wine from time to time, ask your local wine store about organic options. With increasing demand for eco-friendly red and white wines — according to the Wine Market Council, organic wine sales jumped 29 percent in 2007 from the previous year — the shop should have a selection. 

You might see USDA-certified bottles as well as those that say “Made with organic grapes” on display. The main difference? The former can’t contain any added sulfites — a controversial requirement, as wines produced without added sulfites are less stable and more prone to spoiling unless stored at a constant 55 degrees. But consumers with allergies to these preservatives do better going organic. Other alcohols, including beer and vodka, have entered the organic market, making this yet another realm of organics that’s enjoying a rise in popularity.