A new leaf
What you can do to eat more sustainably
How green is your salad? Well, it depends. Are the veggies local or are they flown in from Peru? If they’re grown hydroponically, up to 90 percent less water is required—but grow lights can consume a lot of power. If they come from an organic farm, you’re helping reduce groundwater pollution and increase biodiversity—but the yield is lower. The steak you pair your salad with might even have a smaller carbon footprint (if it comes from a local organic farm and the lettuce is imported). To cut through the conflicting information, Evan Fraser, a Canada Research Chair in global food security, has this simple advice: “When possible, cook it yourself, eat mostly plants and not too much.” It helps to think of what you can add into your diet more often. Here are some easy ways to get started.
Spring Greens Salad
Serves 4
Prep 20 min; total 20 min
1 bunch baby asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally in 2-in. pieces
1 cup fresh peas or Crisp Roasted Chickpeas with Cricket Powder (recipe follows)
6 baby cucumbers, peeled in thin ribbons
6 red or watermelon radishes, thinly sliced
1 head butter or Boston lettuce, leaves separated
1 cup mint leaves Vinaigrette
1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
11⁄2 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1⁄2 tsp minced garlic
1⁄3 cup sunflower oil
11⁄2 tbsp chopped dill
11⁄2 tbsp chopped mint
11⁄2 tbsp chopped chives
1⁄2 tsp salt
1⁄4 tsp pepper
1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt, then asparagus. Cook until tendercrisp, 1 to 2 min. Add peas halfway through. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pat dry with paper towel. 2. Combine cucumbers, radishes, peas, asparagus and lettuce on four plates. 3. Vinaigrette: Whirl vinegar with honey, Dijon and garlic in a blender. Gradually pour oil through the spout while blending, until smooth. Add dill, mint, chives, salt and pepper, and blend until combined. Drizzle over salad and toss until coated. Top with chickpeas and mint. Per serving 301 calories, 6 g protein, 19 g carbs, 23 g fat, 6 g fibre, 605 mg sodium. Kitchen Tip If you’d prefer fresh peas over chickpeas, add ½ tsp of cricket powder to the vinaigrette for a touch of umami.
Crisp Roasted Chickpeas with Cricket Powder
Serves 4
Prep 5 min; total 30 min
540 mL can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 tbsp cricket powder, such as President’s Choice
1⁄4 tsp salt
1. Position rack in centre of oven, then preheat to 400F. Pat chickpeas dry with paper towel.
2. Whisk oil with cricket powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in chickpeas until well-coated. Spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
3. Roast, gently shaking sheet halfway through, until golden and crisp, 25 to 30 min. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly. Per serving 176 calories, 7 g protein, 18 g carbs, 9 g fat, 5 g fibre, 313 mg sodium. One tablespoon of cricket powder has 5.2 grams of protein and it has more vitamins than traditional meat.