We’re faced with infinite choices as consumers, but many of our products are tied to earth’s finite resources. For example, have you ever considered the environmental impact of your food choices? And what exactly are eco-friendly foods? If climate change is one of your priorities, here’s how you can make little adjustments that affect the world’s big picture.
Consider these eight earth-friendly foods to put on your plate.
Lentils: small but mighty
These little legumes impact the earth, and our diet, in a big way! In fact, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) say tiny lentils are the top “climate-friendly” protein. That’s because lentils require very little water during the growing process, and farmers regularly rotate lentil crops into their fields because they naturally enrich the soil. Nutritionally, they’re considered one of the top choices for plant-based protein.
Peas: green, earth-friendly goodness
The top-rated eco-friendly food by One Green Planet—”a platform for conscious consumers”—is appropriately enough, a green one. Peas are earth-friendly powerhouses, because as the veggies grow, they fix nitrogen into the soil, both eliminating the need for fertilizers and actually enriching the soil. Plus, since peas are grown in cool climates, they use less water than warm-climate crops.
Oranges: eco-friendly fruit
Of all fruits, oranges require the lowest amount of water to grow and maintain—just 55 gallons per pound. To purchase even more eco-friendly oranges, look for those labeled organic, especially Florida oranges, since they would be geographically-closest to the Susquehanna Valley. One of the ultimate stamps of eco-friendly approval comes from the nonprofit Rainforest Alliance. Orange you glad you know about eco-friendly oranges?
Tomatoes: sustainable summer staples
The healthiest and tastiest tomatoes are local, summertime staples from farmers’ markets. That’s because locally-grown, in-season tomatoes have a low carbon footprint. If you grow them in your own backyard, you’re even more of an eco-foodie! Nutrient-dense tomatoes also have flavonoids—antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. Studies show that organic tomatoes contain more flavonoids!
Salmon: swimmingly sustainable
The nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund maintains a handy online “Seafood Selector” (seafood.edf.org) that explains which varieties are eco-friendly and healthy, versus those that are over-fished, or produced by troubled fisheries. One of their top choices is wild Alaskan salmon. That’s because they’re from highly-regarded fisheries, plus low in contaminants.
Blue Mussels: flexing their eco- friendly muscles
While aquafarming practices are often criticized, shellfish aquaculture is considered a sustainable practice with environmental benefits. One example involves mussels grown on ropes submerged in coastal waters. These little shellfish superheroes each filter up to 10 gallons of water daily, reducing toxins, chemicals, and greenhouse gasses. Plus, mussels are packed with big nutrients, including Vitamin B-12, iron and zinc.
Fair Trade Teas and Coffees: cheers to an eco-cup o’ joe
The majority of Americans—62%—enjoy at least one cup of coffee every day. And across the globe, coffee is the second most traded commodity (behind crude oil). So how do coffee lovers wake up and smell the eco-friendly coffee? One of the best guidelines is to look for the fair trade certification, which ensures your cup of joe meets the highest environmental standards and socio-economic growing conditions.
Hershey’s Simply 5 Chocolate Syrup: a sweet, sustainable selection
If you need your chocolate fix, then this is one of the most earth-friendly choices. GreenChoice—a handy app that evaluates foods based on environmental impact, food safety, nutrition, and processing—gives Hershey’s Simply 5 a rating of 81 (any product scoring 80 or more is in the app’s top-rated category).
