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Forget the low-carb lifestyle. Is it time you went on a low-carbon diet?
We all know that eating more fruits and vegetables, bypassing the chip aisle and shrinking the portions on our plate can improve our health. Now we're also getting a clue on how these and other little changes can improve the planet's health, too.
“With our food choices, we have a tremendous opportunity to reduce the overall greenhouse gases of any given meal,” says Robin Burton, Green Mission Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Region for of Whole Foods Markets.
While the phrase “low-carbon diet” can encompass all the changes we make to our overall lifestyle in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, food may be the best place to start, say Burton and other experts.
The average American creates 2.8 tons of carbon dioxide annually through eating, even more than the 2.2 tons created by driving, and one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to the food supply chain, according to the non-profit BAMCO Foundation, created by Bon Appétit Management Co. to help educate the public about how they can make more earth-friendly food choices.
In addition to CO2 released through food manufacturing and transportation, two other major greenhouse gases are also associated with food production. Livestock ranches are the largest producers of methane gas, while conventional agriculture methods produce substantial amounts of nitrous oxide, the foundation says.
Cutting down on the amount of greenhouse gases generated by your food choices doesn’t mean cutting out all your favorite treats or completely ignoring your cravings for chocolate or chips. Massive lifestyle changes that are impossible to sustain aren’t necessary for individuals to make a difference, says Maisie Greenawalt, vice president at Bon Appétit and the impetus behind the foundation.
“We really hope that being on something like the low-carbon diet is something people can do for the long run, so they have to be able to stick to it,” Greenawalt says.
7 small diet changes that add up to slash your carbon footprint
Just as taking smaller steps like walking up the stairs instead of riding the elevator can help us lose weight, there are many little things we can do to reduce greenhouse gases — helping to make change can be as simple as passing up cheese on a sandwich. And just like with weight loss, making changes we can live with makes it much more likely that we’ll stick with it.
Try making any or all of these seven changes to reduce your climate change impact.
1. If you buy it, eat it.
Many of us mistakenly believe that discarded food heading to landfills isn’t a big deal because it decomposes quickly. In reality, when landfills are covered over at night, the decomposition process produces large amounts of methane gas, Greenawalt says.
Shopping with a list and avoiding impulse buys at the grocery store are the key first step here. On the other end, save what you don’t eat in one sitting and eat up leftovers before they go bad in the fridge – this includes the contents of restaurant doggy bags.
Finally, if you have food that must be discarded, throw it on the compost heap rather than into the trash can, says Burton.
2. Practice portion control and seek restaurants that do the same.
This is one tip that anyone who has ever sought to lose weight knows well – start with less on your plate and you’ll end up with less on your hips. Turns out, this strategy for trimming the waistline is also key when seeking to reduce waste.
“There are a couple ways of looking at food waste,” Greenawalt says. “It’s definitely a high-carbon item, and no matter how low-carbon a food is, if you’re wasting it, it’s waste. That includes the amount we throw out, and it also means the amount we overconsume. Overconsumption, which has become part of the value proposition in many restaurants, is not good for the planet or our personal health.”
3. Eat local and in season.
This tip isn’t only good for the earth, as reducing "food miles" — the distance your food has to travel to get from farm to you — cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions, but it can also be great for your pocketbook when you decide to pass up exotic tropical fruits flown in from afar in favor of homegrown apples or oranges.
Shopping at farmers’ markets also ensures you’re buying locally grown foods and produce that's in season, and often they offer the best prices for produce. Community-supported agriculture farms, or CSAs, are a growing option for many – under these arrangements, you pay a set fee at the beginning of the growing season and, each week, receive a box of locally grown produce.
If you’re not sure about what foods are grown in your area, check out Eat Well Guide's seasonal food guide, which provides a state-by-state list of native local produce and a calendar showing when each is in season.
Also pay closer attention to the country of origin on the labels of packaged food, meats, fish and other foods that have a label. New COOL (country of origin labeling) requirements for food will help you slash your food miles and your carbon impact.
4. Go meatless and cheese-free more often.
Livestock emits methane and contributes about 18 percent of total greenhouse gases, according to one United Nations report. Locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains are healthier for both your body and the planet.
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Oct 26, 2008 2:53:58 PM