by Erin D Marion - Published 6 months ago

Sustainable Eating Guide

Mealtime is a great opportunity to consider your wellness goals. What you eat matters, but so does where it comes from. Sustainable eating provides numerous benefits for you and the environment, leading to improved overall health.

How Sustainable Diets Affect the Environment

Your dietary choices have an impact on the planet. Opting for a sustainable diet contributes to healthier soil, water, and air. Think of choosing sustainable foods as voting with your food dollars. By purchasing these foods, you signal your preference to food producers, encouraging them to prioritize sustainable food production and environmentally friendly practices.

Choosing organic or sustainable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and sustainably raised or harvested meats helps minimize harm to the environment.

Sustainable food production emphasizes using less water, energy, and chemicals. These producers recycle waste or utilize renewable energy sources. Consequently, they contribute less to soil erosion and water pollution. Some agricultural practices even create valuable wildlife habitats.

9 Tips for Sustainable Eating

Transitioning to sustainable eating habits can be challenging, but it's a worthwhile goal. Begin by cultivating the right mindset. Think of it like starting a fitness routine after an injury. You don't jump into strenuous exercises immediately. Instead, you start gradually, building your stamina and achieving the strength and flexibility you desire.

As you develop a sustainable mindset, you’ll start to view foods differently, wanting to learn about their origin and growing methods. Soon, you’ll become an expert in sustainable eating. Here are nine tips to guide you in making sustainable choices.

1. Eat More Plants

Eating more plant-based foods supports healthier agricultural practices. Research consistently shows that a diet rich in plant-based foods is gentler on the Earth.

Raising livestock and other animals for meat requires significant resources such as water, food, land, and even medicine. Many grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts require far fewer resources. This allows producers to cultivate more plant-based foods with less input.

Sustainable nutrition centers around producing (and consuming) eco-friendly foods to maintain health without harming the environment.

2. Grow Your Own Food

Whether you have a small yard, balcony, or simply a sunny spot near a window, you can grow delicious fruits and vegetables. It’s simple to introduce a planter box filled with nutrient-rich topsoil. Alternatively, if you’re up for a DIY challenge, you could build a custom-sized planter box.

Homegrown food offers numerous advantages. It brings satisfaction from nurturing plants and provides assurance that your fruits and vegetables are pesticide-free. Sustainable food production can begin in your backyard or balcony.

3. Buy Local and Seasonal

If you lack time for home gardening, don't worry! When grocery shopping, prioritize in-season produce. The United States Department of Agriculture provides a helpful guide to identify peak freshness throughout the year. Seasonal variations may occur based on your region.

Explore local farmers markets, which offer a wide variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other locally grown foods.

Shopping at farmers markets presents the opportunity to engage with local farmers and learn about their sustainable farming practices, which contribute to both food production and livelihoods.

4. Explore Red Meat Alternatives

Research indicates that meat-based diets have negative environmental impacts. For instance, livestock raising can contribute to:

Soil of inferior quality
Land without vegetation or areas cleared of trees
Increased release of greenhouse gases

When opting for alternatives to red meat, consider choices such as sustainably caught fish or chicken raised on pasture. These animal-based proteins provide nutritional benefits without contributing to extensive land grazing. Alternatively, explore flavorful vegetarian or vegan options, such as:

Minced mushrooms
Tofu
Tempeh

These plant-based proteins deliver a meaty texture and savory umami flavor without the inclusion of meat.

5. Choose Sustainable Seafood

Fishing can harm the environment. Overfishing, as described in this report, can decimate fish populations, some of which may not recover. When buying seafood, check where it was harvested and look for certifications like these:

Seafood is healthier than red meat, but the type of fish and its preparation matter. Fried fish, though tempting, should be consumed in moderation due to its potential to increase the risk of cardiovascular problems. Instead, prepare fish yourself.

Here are some flavorful seasonings to try:

Lemon juice
Herb marinades
Paprika
Dry mustard
Garlic
Olive oil
Toasted nuts

Additionally, some seafood, such as orange roughy, king mackerel, and bigeye tuna, contains higher levels of mercury, which pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid. Other individuals should limit their consumption of these types of seafood to once a week. Fish low in mercury, including salmon, cod, haddock, catfish, whitefish, and sole, are recommended to be enjoyed several times a week.

6. Choose foods with eco-friendly packaging

Single-use plastics and foam contribute significantly to ocean pollution and landfill waste. Many of these products are non-biodegradable, while others persist for centuries, releasing harmful chemicals. This food packaging also poses a threat to marine life that may accidentally ingest microplastics.

Chemicals found in plastic packaging can also disrupt your endocrine system, hormones, and other bodily cells.

Here are some ways to contribute to a healthier planet and improve your well-being:

Minimize plastic-packaged food, whether it's groceries or takeout containers.

Reach out to local organizations for grassroots initiatives. They might offer opportunities to advocate for plastic bans at local or state levels, or encourage food companies to reduce plastic packaging.

7. Compost Food Scraps

Check if your city or town has a food scraps collection service. These programs divert food waste from landfills, reducing methane emissions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nearly 60% of methane released from landfills comes from discarded food.

If your area lacks a food scrap program, create your own compost at home. This organic material enriches planter boxes and improves yard health. Sustainable food practices can generate compost for next season's crops.

For those without yards, odor-free composting systems can be set up in kitchens. Brands like EarthHero, SCD Probiotics, and Lomi offer indoor composters suitable for various home sizes.

8. Eat a Varied Diet

Even if you've switched to plant-based foods, you should eat a variety of foods to get all the essential nutrients.

To diversify your diet and focus on sustainability, eat seasonal foods. For example, root vegetables are ripe in the summer and fall, while stone fruits and berries ripen in the late spring and summer. Of course, your location can influence what grows. Some places have multiple growing seasons each year, while others, especially northern regions, only have one.

Diversifying your diet also helps your gut bacteria. Good gut health comes from eating healthy foods. These nutrients help your good bacteria protect the gastrointestinal tract from bad bacteria and other pathogens.

Eating a wide variety of colors also leads to a naturally diverse and greener diet that helps your body stay strong:

Purple and blue foods contain anthocyanin and polyphenol nutrients to boost your immune system, brain health, and mood.

Red foods have anthocyanins and red carotenoids for calming inflammation and supporting your immune health.

Orange and yellow foods are full of carotenoids and lutein to support your eye and gut health.

Green foods have vitamin K, folate, and other micronutrients to help improve your cardiovascular system.

9. Plan Meals to Reduce Waste

It's common to buy more food than you can eat before it goes bad, or end up with more leftovers than anticipated. Instead of dealing with food waste, take steps to prevent it. Meal planning is a great way to keep your meals interesting while only buying or preparing what you need.

The MyFitnessPal app provides a central location for your food insights. Meal planning allows you to customize meals that meet any dietary or calorie requirements. Additionally, it saves time on grocery shopping while still ensuring you have nutritious foods for the entire week.

Discover delicious recipes within the app and plan your meals for every day of the week. Leftovers can be transformed into new, sustainable meals with minimal preparation.

Explore Our Healthy and Eco-Friendly Eat Green Plan

Unsure about incorporating sustainability into your food choices? Tip: Utilize the Eat Green Plan in the MyFitnessPal app. It offers education on sustainable eating practices, provides recipes, and provides tips for reducing your carbon footprint. We are here to support you and the planet, let's embrace a healthier lifestyle together.