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Environmental Nutrition: 12 tips for eating green

By Matthew Kadey, M.S., R.D. on

Environmental Nutrition

It's the perfect time of year to put Mother Nature back into our thoughts and actions. And one of the most important ways you can flex your green muscle is by making a few simple changes in your diet. Use these eat-eco ideas to boost the planet's health, while staying well-fed.

1. Embrace Meatless Monday.

According to a United Nations report, raising livestock and bringing meat to market generates a significant amount of greenhouse gases. "Choosing healthy meatless options, such as lentils, beans or tofu, more often provides high-quality protein with fewer environmental pitfalls of animal-based proteins," says Chris Vogliano, M.S., R.D.N. Studies show this eating style can also slash disease risk and help with weight loss. "It's an easy win to go meatless, even if it's just one day a week," notes Vogliano.

2. Find a great catch.

You shouldn't be eating overfished Bluefin tuna or polluting Asian-farmed shrimp, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of greener choices in the sea that help you net heart-healthy omega-3 fats. The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch (www.seafoodwatch.org) lists a boatload of sustainable swimmers, like rainbow trout and wild salmon.

 

3. Change your boiling point.

A plug-in electric kettle is about twice as efficient as boiling water in a pot or kettle on the stovetop. With a plug-in kettle, the heat is in direct contact with the water for fast boiling. In addition to tea, use it to jumpstart your water when making pasta, soup, grains and even steamed vegetables.

4. Invest in green gadgets.

To trim your energy usage, try outfitting your kitchen with a pressure cooker, which cooks items like dried beans and whole grains much faster than on a stovetop. Also consider using a rice cooker. "It's quick, efficient, and makes an enormous amount of rice at once with less energy usage," says Vogliano. A toaster oven takes less time to come to temperature than a full-blown oven, and loses less of its heat in the cooking process. So use it when you're cooking just a few chicken breasts, fish fillets or baked potatoes.

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