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Buy Locally Grown Foods

Local foods haven’t been trucked all over the country or shipped all over the world, so they contribute less to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Buying locally supports the farmers in your area as well as the small businesses who sell their food. Grocers now label foods that have been “grown locally,” making it easier to choose local foods. Fresh foods require country of origin labels, so you can choose fruits and veggies grown in your own country. Many top restaurants now also advertise their use of local ingredients.

Buy Seasonal Foods

A lot of fuel and electricity is saved when purchasing foods that are in-season, because they haven’t been kept in cold storage for months, or shipped in from various parts of the world where they are in season. Many top chefs love to change their menus with the season to take advantage of the freshest foods available at each time of year. Try hearty stews with potatoes and root vegetables in the winter and leafy greens and fruits in the summer.

Buy Foods Grown in Eco-Friendly Conditions

Fewer pesticides and herbicides are used to keep organically-grown foods pest- and weed-free, and they don’t use large amounts of fertilizer either. That way, the amount of chemicals poured into the soil, onto the food, and washed into water sources is reduced. Look for foods that have been certified as organic or free-range. Animal products labeled “free-range” are better for the animals’ health, and in turn yours, since the animals have fewer “stress hormones”.

Buy Foods with Less Packaging

Do your tomatoes really need to be shrink-wrapped and placed on a plastic tray? Just bring reusable plastic produce bags and reusable shopping bags and buy package-free tomatoes instead. Does fresh pasta, margarine, or frozen meatballs really need to be sold in plastic tubs, trays, or bags with fancy cardboard wrapping? Try looking for the same products sold in only necessary packaging. Extra packaging often increases the price of the product too.

Prepare Your Own Food

Preparing your own meals means using less packaging and more locally-grown ingredients. Instead of microwaveable frozen entrées with disposable plastic trays and cardboard, you can prepare a large portion of your own entrée, divide it up into your own reusable containers, and freeze them. Not only do you save landfills from packaging but it’s both cheaper and healthier to prepare your own food. You may not have the time to make meals every day, but even doing it once a week will make a difference.

Making a few simple changes and reading a few labels when you shop can help you become an eco-eater. People often wonder if paying more for food just because it's produced close to home or without the use of chemicals, antibiotics and hormones is worth the effort. And while buying organic or local isn't always better or feasible, we should be more aware of where our food is coming from and the impact our choices have on the environment. We think it’s worth a look!

In a dish dilemma? Email her neera.chaudhary@anokhimagazine.com

Neera Chaudhary (MHSc PhD (c) RD) is a registered dietitian, foodie, culinary goddess and all-around fabulous girl in the kitchen. www.dietitian.ca

BY: NEERA CHAUDHARY EDITOR, HEALTH & WELLNESS
(PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHISH ALANG)