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What to eat to help the planet thrive

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Here are 6 Simple Ways You Can Eat to Help Our Planet Thrive

By Sara Siskind

  1. Add more plant-based protein into your diet. Industrial farmed meat has a higher impact on the environment than any other food group. For a healthier and more environmentally friendly protein, try beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds instead. Lentil soup is an excellent source of protein and fiber and is simple to make. I also top my homemade salads with Setton Farm Pistachios and Pistachio Chewy Bites, which are filled with heart healthy fats and protein to keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Another thing I like to do is add tahini to my roasted vegetables to turn a side dish into a meal.
  2. Eat foods that are grown locally (or at least made in the U.S.A.) Eating locally grown food is possibly the best way to lower your carbon footprint when it comes to consuming food. An added bonus to eating locally grown crops means that the food is typically fresher and perhaps even taste better compared to foods that are shipped across the globe.
  3. Look for foods with the least amount of packaging. Have you noticed that some of your foods come in large boxes or wrapped in plastic? Yes, this might keep your food fresh and protected, however the excess packaging only ends up in landfills and adds more pollution to our land. Try buying produce that is not in a package.
  4. Eat foods when they are raw and in season. Chomping down on celery and carrots is not only the best way to get all the hydration and nutrients that these veggies contain, but it also saves energy that otherwise would have been used by power cooking appliances. Eating seasonally also means eating locally and you already know the benefits of that!
  5. Cook once, eat twice! Not only does this save you time, it also saves the planet by using less energy. Although you might need to reheat the food, the overall time and power energy saved is tremendous!
  6. Stay clear of plastic water bottles. Bottled water doesn’t necessarily mean its cleaner or better for you than tap water. Look for a filter system to install in your kitchen sink or even a water pitcher filter will work well. The less plastic bottles we use, the cleaner our planet can be. Luckily there are several insulated and safe reusable water bottles on the market to choose from such as Hydro Flask, S'well, or Klean Kanteen.

Sara Siskind is a Certified Nutritional Health Counselor and the founder of Hands On Healthy, cooking classes for adults, families and teens based in New York. Sara has dedicated her career to educating clients on how food and lifestyle choices affect health, and how to make the right choices to look and feel your best each day. www.sarasiskind.com


 

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