Did you know that sustainable eating and weight loss behaviors can help save the planet? Every year on April 22nd, millions of people come together to celebrate our planet and its gifts. However, Earth Day is also about discussing how to protect the planet and its valuable but finite resources. One way to be conscious of this is by practicing sustainable eating habits, something that might not be very well understood, but that has a great impact on overall sustainability. Keep reading to learn how sustainable eating is good for your weight loss and the planet by reducing your carbon footprint.
The connection between your diet and climate change isn’t always obvious. Here are a couple of factors to consider when you evaluate the sustainability of your eating habits:
- Food processing – processed foods require a lot more energy to produce than unprocessed food products contributing more emissions.
- Animal products – raising livestock also contributes a large number of emissions to the greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere.
- Non-organic – non-organic foods tend to be grown using synthetic chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers, which pollute the environment.
- Imported foods – importing food products requires a large amount of energy and results in emissions associated with their transportation.
You might be wondering what you can do to reduce your environmental impact through your food choices. The good news is that while making food choices that are healthy for the planet, you’ll also be improving your own individual health. Based on what we listed above, here are a couple of habits you could implement:
- Choose unprocessed foods over highly processed foods. You’ll be getting more nutritious food with fewer additives and a lower environmental cost of production.
- Eat a more balanced diet by reducing the animal products you consume. This will also help reduce your intake of saturated fats that are found in meat and dairy.
- Buy organic whenever possible to minimize your exposure to chemical pesticides, consume fresher food, and reduce pollution.
- Shop locally-grown produce that is more fresh and nutritious and also reduces the environmental impact associated with food transportation (read more in our post on seasonal produce).
Taking steps like these not only helps the environment and improves your health, but they can also support your weight loss. By incorporating more unprocessed, local, organic plant-based foods into your diet you can decrease your intake of saturated fats as well as your overall calories. This type of diet would also be higher in fiber and essential micronutrients. Overall, you’d be eating fewer calories from fat and more nutrients that support healthy digestion and metabolism, leading to success on your weight loss journey.
To recap, your food choices ultimately have a great impact on our environment and the health of our planet. Choosing to eat more sustainably by buying less processed foods and animal products, while shopping local organic foods will help reduce the negative environmental impact, improve your health, and help you lose weight all at the same time. To get started, first, examine your own carbon footprint and see how you compare to the average emissions from other American households based on information about transportation, utilities, and food choices. Then, read the generated suggestions for reducing your environmental impact and take action.
Resources:
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sustainable Diets for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2010. http://www.fao.org/3/i5640e/i5640e.pdf. Accessed April 13, 2023.
Gordon Food Service. How Food Choices Affect the Environment. Gordon Food Service website. https://gfs.com/en-us/ideas/how-food-choices-affect-environment/. Accessed April 13, 2023.
Natural Resources Defense Council. Eating Green. Natural Resources Defense Council website. https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/eatgreenfs_feb2010.pdf. Published February 2010. Accessed April 13, 2023.
The Nature Conservancy. Carbon Footprint Calculator. The Nature Conservancy website. https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/. Accessed April 13, 2023.
World Wildlife Fund. Eating for Our Planet. World Wildlife Fund website. https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/eating-for-our-planet. Accessed April 13, 2023.
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Kay Loughrey, MPH, RDN, LDN
Transformational Speaker, Breakthrough Coach, Nutritionist-Dietitian
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