Thoughts on Food

Change #1: Food

First, my eating habits.

What I do right:
· I buy locally grown and organic food from farmer’s markets as often as possible.
· In my backyard there is an organic garden with peas, potatoes, herbs, ten types of salad greens, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, carrots, parsnips, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, edible flowers, sunflowers (sunflower seeds), squash, zucchini, pumpkins and more.
· We don’t use any pesticides and we compost as much food waste as possible, using the rich soil to help our garden grow.

But there is one very easy step I can take to decrease my carbon emissions even more.
Go vegetarian for at least one meal a day. As a former vegan I know it can be difficult for people to give up their meat. You enjoy it, heck, I enjoyed it. But by eating a vegetarian meal once a day, whether that means cereal for breakfast instead of bacon and eggs, or peanut-butter and jelly instead of turkey, it’s not too difficult.

Raising animals, including their feed, their shelter, transporting them to slaughter, packaging the meat and finally cooking it at home takes far more energy than it takes to grow crops. Fewer animals raised for meat means less grain for the cows and more grain for us, meaning more people will have something to eat.

What are some of my favorite vegetarian dishes?
Chili – take out the ground beef or turkey and you still have the flavor but it’s better for the environment.
Risotto – though it takes a couple times to get used to the non-stop stirring, it is well worth the 20 minutes. Risotto is thick and creamy but still has a nice texture from the rice. Just buy Arborro rice from the grocery store, a container of vegetable stock or no-chicken chicken broth (trust me it tastes almost the same), and whatever ingredients you like. I usually get an assortment of Greek olives (salty and delicious), some feta cheese and broccoli. An easy to make, one-pot meal that is super filling and tastes just as good reheated for lunch the next day.
Smoothies – ice, fresh or frozen organic fruits (I like strawberries and blackberries), a little juice, a blender and presto! You can also add yogurt, any type of milk (cow, soy, rice), protein powder, even peanut butter for different consistencies and taste preferences.

My goal: get back into my vegetarian and hopefully vegan lifestyle by the end of the summer.

But don’t worry, that’s not for everyone. Start small. One green meal a day will go a long way to lowering that carbon footprint.
Food Continued…

So we covered the type of food you’re going to try to eat, but how else can our eating habits changed to help save the world? Let’s get back our 3 R’s; reduce, reuse, recycle.
Reduce: You’re eating less meat and animal products. You’re purchasing from farmer’s markets, aren’t those strawberries incredible? You’re even trying to eat organic whenever possible. What else can you do?
· Be aware of packaging. Instead of buying those shrink-wrapped bell peppers, buy loose peppers. You can go even further and reuse your produce bags multiple times. Eliminating excess plastic and Styrofoam trays.
· Bring your reusable bags! Many grocery stores now offer discounts to customers who bring their own bags. Whether it’s a ratty old canvas bag like my father’s or a cute b.happybag from one of our stores, it will be perfect for your market adventures.
*If you do forget your bag, get paper bags whenever possible. You can immediately put them in the recycling bin. While the plastic bags can be collected and recycled, they can also fly around in the wind, get caught in trees, and even contribute to potholes.

Another green idea? Bring a waste-free lunch to work or school every day.
· Use a canvas bag, an insulated lunch sack, or a classic Beatles lunchbox.
· Get a reusable drink bottle, stainless steel is my favorite, but I even have a student who uses an empty glass jar with a screw top. Talk about reusing!
· Instead of using plastic baggies, cling wrap, and aluminum foil use stainless steel, BPA-free plastic, glass, or cloth containers.

Come into The Did You Know Store and check out our entire area of lunch essentials and water bottles.
Reuse: Like my student with the glass drink bottle, try to reuse things whenever possible.
· Use glass cooking trays instead of disposable.
· Use yogurt cups that can’t be recycled for children’s art projects (paint water and sculptures), or for starting seeds inside. Put a couple holes in the bottom of the cup for drainage, fill with organic or composted soil, add some seeds, water and sunlight and you’ve got seedlings! The start of your very own organic garden.
Recycle: Of course recycle as much packaging as possible. But there is another way to reuse/recycle. COMPOST!!!! Composting is easy. Any food scraps except for fats and meats can be added to your compost bucket or pile, so it’s less waste, and it makes nutrient-rich soil for your growing yard and garden.

Stay tuned for more information about composting. Or come by one of our stores in East Greenwich and Wakefield and check out our compost buckets, bags and books.