Top 5 Environmentally Friendly Ways to Eat Healthy

1. Americans eat way too much food. On average, we consume about 3,500 calories per day and most industrialized nations are close behind. All this food travels from a farm to your table and takes a huge amount of energy to produce, fertilize, harvest, slaughter and transport. While we all have a right to eat and enjoy our food, taking it overboard is bad for your health and the environment. All of these extra calories add to the obesity epidemic that is plaguing our country and puts a huge burden on the environment.

2. If you're looking to cut calories, eat less meat. Beef is a lot more energy intensive than crops and most cuts are high in saturated fat, which over time, could lead to cardiovascular disease. If you don't want to become a vegan, that's fine, but reducing your intake of meat can be beneficial to your health and the environment.

3. Buying produce from a farmers market saves huge amounts of energy. This produce has a much shorter distance to travel in comparison to a potato grown in Idaho. You can also try growing some of your fruits, vegetables and herbs in your own garden. When it's time to harvest, the food only needs to go from your backyard to your plate and uses zero gallons of gas. By growing produce yourself, you can also control what kinds of fertilizers, pesticides and other potentially harmful chemicals come in contact with your food.

4. Always try to buy fruits and vegetables while they're in season. Produce that is bought out of season must either be stored in huge warehouses or be transported greater distances which uses a lot more fuel. Eating in season produce is also healthier because the longer it is stored and the more distance it travels, the poorer the quality is when it finally reaches you.

5. Farmers that grow organic produce are restricted to certain practices. They are forbidden from using certain chemicals and therefore the finished product is much healthier and friendlier to the environment.

For more information on being healthy to your body while at the same time good to the planet, visit the Guide to Being Both Healthy and Environmentally Friendly (coming soon, use the newsletter for updates). You can also check out how others are trying to leave less of an impact on the environment at the diet forums.

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