Eating healthy and sustainably is easier than you think
March is National Nutrition Month, and this year’s theme is “Fuel for the Future,” the idea that eating sustainably to protect the environment is also a tasty and healthy way to nourish our bodies and minds.
Sometimes sustainable eating gets a bad rap for being expensive, time-consuming, and burdensome. However, with a few helpful tips, it’s easy to eat food that’s good for you and the planet, especially here on the Mendocino Coast where we’re fortunate to have an abundance of local food producers.
Eat more plants
If your goal is to eat healthier, more sustainably, or both, the biggest change you can make is to eat more plant-based foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. These foods are loaded with vitamins and nutrients, but they’re also affordable, simple to prepare, delicious, and produced in a much more planet-friendly manner than most animal products.
From an environmental perspective, raising livestock for human consumption generates nearly 15 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions while taking up 77 percent of agricultural land, leading to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water and air pollution, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
In addition to the environmental impact, animal products may contain saturated fats that increase the risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease. That doesn’t mean you have to quit eating animal products altogether. Just consider balancing them out by incorporating more plant-based options into your diet.
If you don’t have regular access to fresh fruits and vegetables, canned and frozen options can be just as healthy since they’re often preserved at the peak of freshness (when they contain the most nutrients). And if you’re worried about getting enough protein, many plant-based foods will do the trick, including beans, lentils, grains, quinoa, edamame, nuts, and soy milk.
If you happen to have a green thumb, now is a great time to plant a garden to grow your own fruits and vegetables. You don’t need a huge plot of land—you can always start with a potted plant or two!
Just remember that even small changes in the right direction can add up to big improvements, and you shouldn’t pressure yourself to completely transform your diet overnight. Start by trying a few new things and adding plantbased foods to your meal plan, and before long, you’ll be eating (and enjoying) more plants without a second thought.
Look for food that’s local and in-season
Buying food that’s produced locally—and there’s a lot of it here on the coast— is better for the environment because it doesn’t have to be transported, drastically reducing its carbon footprint. Local food also tends to be fresher and therefore more nutrient-dense. Keep an eye out for items that are in season, since those foods don’t have to be imported from afar and are more likely to be local.
Visiting local farmers markets, which accept CalFresh EBT cards, is a great way to find fruits and vegetables grown nearby. Our local markets even give EBT card users bonus tokens to spend when they make a withdrawal as part of the Market Match Program. We’re also lucky to have access to local seafood, meat, and eggs, not to mention a variety of farm stands, shops, and grocers that are great alternatives to national chains.
Change the way you shop
Try shopping in bulk for foods like beans, rice, and oats, which are often more affordable and come with the added bonus of being better for the environment since there’s no wasteful packaging. The foods you’ll find in the bulk section also tend to be healthier (all the candy and sugary items aside) than the ultra-processed packaged foods that occupy the majority of shelf space in grocery stores.
When you venture out to shop, remember to bring your own bags. Both reusable totes and old grocery bags work well. Some stores may even let you bring your own small bags to use when you fill up in the bulk section, further reducing your waste and carbon footprint. Just be sure to check with the store first.
When it comes to eating healthy and protecting the environment, it’s never too late to make a change. Start with small improvements to your diet. If you stay committed, those little changes will lead to bigger ones down the road, gradually making it easier to eat better and feel better every single day.