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Green Living Certification Chapter 4 - Simple Changes |
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Page 6 of 7 |
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4.5 Your Food |
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There are so many choices to make - do you eat out, or at home? Do you buy organic food only or can you save a few dollars and not do that? Do you refuse the take-out container and bring your own? The many decisions are enough to make you lose your appetite altogether. There are a few simple rules to think about when choosing your food: Make sure it's local, natural and as unpackaged as possible. Let's look at local. There's a reason why everyone talks these days about locally grown produce, about the superiority of buying from a farmer's market or local stand. But why? Even if you live in an agricultural area, there's a good chance your food is being delivered from many, if not thousands, of miles away. That tomato you added to your sandwich, for example, might have traveled across country before it got to you. That provides fresh emissions of fossil fuels into the environment and the chance that many people - some of whom might not be clean - have touched, breathed on and generally interacted with your tomato. When you purchase locally grown produce, it travels little to get from farm to you and if it's organic, there's less chance that it's been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals designed to make your tomato redder or your apple shinier. (Of course, since slugs, for example, are acceptable in organic farming, you should still clean your organic produce.) Once you have chosen your organic, locally grown foods, how should you package them? Stay away from plastics, since the manufacture of them sends dangerous chemicals into the air and can also leech chemicals into your food. For reheating, consider using glass dishes. If you're really trying to be a good Green resident of the world, you'll want to avoid buying take-out food as much as possible. The wrappers, boxes and containers are all bad for the environment, make their way into landfills at alarming rates and provide a real boon to that chemical release from landfills. Whenever possible, try to pack your lunch, again staying clear of plastic containers. Even plastic wrap is a bad choice, so use wax paper and aluminum foil (which can be recycled) whenever possible. Skip the water bottle or packaged drink and fill a thermos with your beverage.
Of course even the most diligent Green of us will need to eat take-out now and then. If you do, choose restaurants or take-out venues that provide cardboard containers, not plastic. Get things wrapped in paper not plastic. Skip the drink if you can. | |||
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