Eating Sustainably: Five Diet Tips for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet

25/07/2023

Corporate, Health & Nutrition

Living a healthy lifestyle by modifying our exercise habits and paying more attention to what goes into our food will not only improve your health and extend your life, it will also help the planet. Living more sustainably and being more conscious of finite natural resources has never been more important. Here are five tips to eat healthy and help reduce harm to the planet.

FIVE WAYS TO EAT HEALTHY AND HELP THE PLANET

1. EAT LESS MEAT

Global temperatures are on the rise and our species faces a crisis of epic proportions as we watch more wild species die off around us. Food production is the most significant single catalyst for wildlife destruction. Forests are cut down to provide grazing space for cattle and other livestock. Much of the meat and other animal products that come from cattle and other livestock such as chickens or pigs go to waste. If demand declines for meat and other animal products, such as dairy, the need to raise billions of animals used for their meat will lessen, leading to less destruction of natural habitats.

2. ELIMINATE OR REDUCE CONSUMPTION OF ULTRA-PROCESSED FOOD

The production, transportation, and mass consumption of ultra-processed foods contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, emitting methane, nitrous oxide, and large amounts of carbon dioxide, which comprises the largest portion of all greenhouse gases currently in the atmosphere (79%), according to the EPA. These foods include artificially sweetened beverages, oily or greasy snack foods like chips, and processed meats. Reducing consumption of these foods reduces supply, and will lead to better health outcomes for you.

3. TRY TO CUT FOOD WASTE

Processing and properly storing food waste contributes greatly to greenhouse gas emissions. You can do your part by safely storing perishable foods, and purchasing foods you intend to use soon after you purchase them.

4. EAT SEASONALLY

Eating foods that are easily acquirable in your local area according to time of year helps cut down on transportation costs and allows you to support your local food system, rather than relying on unsustainable practices to move unseasonal food to your local grocery store.