Let's talk about one of the easiest ways you can help green the planet, while benefiting yourself at the same time. Let's talk about making good food choices at the market!
Although eating is important (and we all do it several times a day), for many of us, the choices that we make about what to consume can be not all that informed, not all that important, or perhaps both. But as we get further away from understanding where our food comes from, the labor involved and manner in which it is grown, raised, produced or gathered, the more our bodies and our ecosystems suffer. We each need to take an interest in food and use our money in the market like a vote on a ballot.
Just moments ago, I scarfed down a snack of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, salt and pepper. Have you tried this? You simply stack a slice of mozzarella onto a slice of tomato, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and voila!--a sweet, salty, delicious and healthy treat that will bring with it the nostalgia of summer every time you indulge. And when I say indulge, I mean it. The joy of the sweet heirloom tomato is not available all year, and I've been waiting the entire summer for the perfect tomato to arrive.*
But my healthy snack was also deliciously cheap. For those of you who don't cook--either because you don't have time, were never introduced or given the opportunity to, feel intimidated by cooking, or are just plain bad at it--once you stop to think it through, you will wonder at the amount of fresh vegetables and fruit you can get for say, the cost of a frozen pizza. Wouldn't you know it? Vegetables are good for your health and your wallet! But which produce you buy and where you source those fresh ingredients from is just as important as the actual consumption of them. Remember folks, when we shop, we vote.
One of the easiest ways to do a planet good, is to shop seasonally. Oftentimes, seasonal fruits, vegetables and nuts are coming from nearby farms. Buying foods that have to be shipped and driven from thousands of miles away is casting a vote for unsustainable practices. And when we purchase from nearby farmers, they get to keep more money. (I haven't mentioned farmer's markets yet, but most big towns have them, and they're great! They are the best places to learn about where your food has been, they're not more expensive than the grocery store and they're the best place to shop to ensure that your local farmers are getting their deserved cut.) If you don't know what is seasonal in your area, it's definitely worth it to do some research. But to give you a little head-start, here's a list that should be appropriate for much of the U.S.:
Summer (that's right now!): corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, apricots, berries, cherries, walnuts, plums, peaches, nectarines, melons.
Fall (on it's way!): brussel sprouts, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, apples, limes, almonds, pears, melons.
Winter (think: holiday menus): squash, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, limes, walnuts, pears.
Spring: asparagus, limes, walnuts, and many early summer items start to get going in the spring.
All year: beets, carrots, mushrooms, onions.
*Try this dish with a basil leaf and a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The oil and vinegar make it a bit more expensive, but that's the beauty of becoming a preparer of at-home meals--once you've stocked your pantry with the tools of the trade, the more cheaply you can eat later on.
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