How To Eat a More Sustainable Diet
A well-balanced diet gives our body the energy it needs on a daily basis and supports a healthy immune system. Even though we’re consuming food every day – often many times per day – it’s easily taken for granted. However, the food you consume not only impacts your well-being, but it can have a profound impact on the environment, too.
All dietary choices have an environmental footprint, but some are better than others. A sustainable diet is one that has a minimal impact on the environment, including the effects of land use, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and more. Fortunately, you can eat more sustainably in a number of ways, from consuming more plants to being mindful about the seafood you source.
If you’ve ever tried to “go on a diet,” you know that making changes to your dietary choices can be difficult, if not seemingly impossible. But unlike counting calories or completely cutting out certain food groups, eating a more sustainable diet means making a conscious effort to reduce the impact of your diet through small changes that can turn into sustainable habits over time.
Keep reading to learn how you can eat a more sustainable diet in a way that works best for you!
Photo by Anna Pelzer
Different diets around the world
A “diet” is defined simply as “food and drink regularly provided or consumed.”
More precisely, diets are usually determined by nutritional needs and the foods available in a geographical region. However, they can also be determined by cultural factors, such as religious beliefs, personal health values, and concerns for animal welfare or the environment.
For example, in Hinduism a concept called ahimsa – the virtue of nonviolence to all living beings – is reflected in the fact that a proportion of Hindus choose to be vegetarian. Even those that do eat meat will not eat beef because cattle are considered sacred. There are countless other examples of how religion has impacted various human diets, which you can learn more about here.
There are also many non-religious values that impact dietary choices. Notably, the rise of animal rights movements influenced many people to become vegetarian: a diet that avoids meat and fish. Similarly, the vegan diet (no animal products whatsoever) has also gained popularity in the last decades. The top three reasons for becoming vegan are: animal welfare concerns, personal health, and environmental concerns.
What makes a diet sustainable?
While the vegan or plant-based diet has indeed been found to be the best diet for mitigating climate change, a diet can still be sustainable even with the consumption of some animal products. When evaluating the sustainability of your diet, it’s best to start by asking yourself the following questions:
What impact does the production of the foods I eat have on the ecosystem (biodiversity, natural resources, etc.)?
What are the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of my diet, taking into account both production and transportation?
Is my diet nutritionally sound and affordable?
Ultimately, a sustainable diet should have minimal environmental impact, low total emissions, and be equitable.
Why eat more sustainably?
The food choices that determine the sustainability of your diet also impact your health. It might seem obvious, but crafting a sustainable diet can help mitigate climate change and also have a tremendous impact on your health.
It’s good for your health
Many of the things that make a diet more sustainable, such as eating more plant-based, are also good for your health. According to the UN’s report Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, health benefits of eating more sustainably include “lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and reducing mortality from diet-related non-communicable diseases.”
In other words, eating a well-balanced, sustainable diet helps prevent disease and makes sure you live a healthy life where you’re capable of doing all of the things you love!
It’s good for the planet
As you’ll see below, taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of your diet is good for the planet, too. For example, studies have found that eating more plant-based (i.e. eating less meat) is associated with far fewer greenhouse gas emissions. That’s because animal products generally require more resources to be produced.
But eating less meat isn’t the only thing you can do to make your diet more sustainable. Supporting agriculture that takes steps to protect the environment is another good way to make sure the food you eat isn’t negatively impacting the climate. That means sourcing food that’s been grown/raised according to organic or regenerative practices, for instance.
But as you can see, it’s not particularly straightforward. So let’s dive into what exactly makes a diet more sustainable!
8 ways to make your diet more sustainable
Here at This Green Lifestyle we believe that the key to leading a sustainable life is by taking small steps. As you’ll see below, there are numerous ways to lower the environmental impact of your diet. We encourage you to choose what works best for you, and go from there.
Eat more plants, consume less meat and dairy
Arguably the most significant change you can make to your diet to make it more sustainable is to shift the focus away from animal products – such as meat, dairy, and eggs – and towards plants. In other words, eat more plant-based foods.
Keep in mind that most health organizations already recommend filling at least half of your plate with fruits and vegetables for an optimal diet. And if the CDC is right, only 1 in 10 American adults meet the federal fruit and vegetable recommendations to begin with!
Now, we’re not suggesting everyone should go vegetarian or vegan, as we understand that’s not a feasible or desirable option for everyone. But even cutting meat consumption by 25% could significantly lower GHG emissions, as found by a recent study.
It’s not just the emissions that have a negative impact on the environment, however. Other important environmental impacts of animal husbandry include: water usage, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and more.
For instance, beef is the most resource-intensive animal product to raise, due largely to slow growth and reproduction rates of cattle. The World Resources Institute helps put this into perspective: “beef requires 20 times more land and emits 20 times more GHG emissions per gram of edible protein than common plant proteins, such as beans.”
If you’re not sure where to start, consider trying Meatless Mondays. If that seems doable, upgrade to two days a week, or more! To go the extra mile, try to focus as much as possible on whole foods, not processed foods. A french fry may be made from a potato, but it’s been processed and cooked in oil, so is it really that good for you or the planet?
Be mindful about seafood
It may not be obvious, but protecting the ocean is just as important as taking care of the earth’s land and freshwater resources. Not only does the ocean help regulate global temperatures, but it’s responsible for fixing roughly 25% of the world’s carbon.
While seafood might seem more sustainable because it’s not raised on land, it comes with its own host of environmental issues:
Roughly 10% of the plastic pollution found in the oceans is made up of “ghost fishing gear” that’s been discarded, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear such as nets. Not only is it deadly to many forms of marine life, but it can cause significant damage to habitats such as coral reefs.
Despite the increasing efficiency of fishing gear, there is always an amount of bycatch, or non-target species including dolphins, sea turtles, birds, and other endangered marine animals.
One of the most significant issues of the fishing industry is overfishing, which poses a huge risk of food insecurity and ecosystem collapse.
The act of fishing can cause physical damage to natural ecosystems, particularly fragile habitats on the ocean floor that are often destroyed by bottom trawling.
All seafood contains some level of mercury, which can affect the nervous system and kidneys, especially of developing fetuses and children.
While the above facts are scary, the good news is that fish can be part of a healthy diet, when eaten in moderation. Moreover, the sustainability of seafood depends largely on the species and the way in which it was caught or raised.
Several international and reputable organizations have come up with consumer guidelines and fishery standards to help minimize the impact of fishing around the world. For example:
The Marine Stewardship Council certifies sustainable fisheries. Look for the blue MSC label when selecting seafood.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch is a recommendation search tool that helps you find sustainable seafood and identify the species that are best avoided.
The Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector similarly compares different types of seafood and their eco-rating, mercury levels, and omega-3 content.
Source locally
Another way to reduce the environmental impact of your diet is to source locally whenever possible. Local foods are ones sold direct-to-consumer. Farmers markets, roadside stands, supermarkets, restaurants, and community supported agriculture (CSA) are all examples of ways producers can sell their food locally.
The most obvious benefit of buying food that has been grown or raised locally is the reduction of GHG emissions. Local food travels fewer miles, often requires less packaging, and consumes less resources and energy – such as through extended refrigeration.
While the reduction in emissions isn’t significant (about 4-5%), locally sourced food has other benefits, too. Sourcing local foods supports the local economy, connects consumers to the people that produce their food, and may result in fresher, riper produce.
If you don’t know how to go about sourcing food locally, you can start by checking if there’s a seasonal farmer’s market nearby. In many areas, farmers markets run through the spring and summer, but in warmer climates they may run year-round.
Also check for signs in grocery stores that indicate a product is local. You can even take the initiative to check out local farms directly, especially if they offer a CSA (community supported agriculture) program.
Shop in season
According to one study, seasonal produce can be defined two ways:
“Seasonality can be defined as either globally seasonal (i.e. produced in the natural production season but consumed anywhere in the world) or locally seasonal (i.e. produced in the natural production season and consumed within the same climatic zone).”
For the purposes of keeping things uncomplicated, we’ll focus on the benefits of shopping for locally seasonal produce. As with sourcing locally in general, shopping for seasonal produce has several benefits for you and the environment.
First, seasonal produce typically has traveled fewer miles to get to your plate, and therefore is linked to fewer GHG emissions. In addition, seasonal produce is typically fresher and harvested when ripe. As a result, seasonal food can even be tastier and more nutritious than out-of-season produce.
By contrast, food that is grown locally but out of season, such as with the aid of greenhouses, might require energy-intensive heating and lighting to grow. That said, there is definitely a place for growing produce year-round, as long as the growing set-up does not require significant fossil fuels. For example, check out this resource on energy-efficient deep winter greenhouses (DWGs).
Look for credible certifications
A sustainable diet should not only be healthy, but it should also be ethical. One way to make sure that the food you buy has been produced in compliance with known sustainability/ethics standards is to look for credible certifications.
For example, if a product is USDA certified organic, that means it’s been grown and/or processed “according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives.”
Other meaningful certifications to keep an eye out for include:
RSPCA Assured (UK)
RSPO (palm oil)
Buy bulk foods
Buying food in bulk whenever possible is a good way of reducing, above all, waste from packaging. More and more grocery stores are including bulk sections where you can take as much (or as little) food as you want. If you can bring your own reusable bags, or simply reuse the plastic bags they provide, you can reduce at least some amount of plastic waste.
However, don’t just buy all of your food from Costco just because they sell large amounts of food and other products. If you can’t use it, it’s still a waste (not to mention more expensive).
Another way to shop in bulk is to join or even start a Co-Op with friends or family; buy your food in bulk, and split it up accordingly. This can save massively on packaging, because instead of, say, 5 lbs of rice being packaged in 5 separate 1 lb plastic bags, it all comes in one bag.
On a similar note, try to shop for unpackaged produce. Plus, bring reusable mesh, cloth, or plastic bags to protect your produce instead of the single-use plastic bags provided at the store.
Grow food at home
If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, and you have some space, why not try growing some of your own food at home? Not only is gardening great for your physical and mental health, but it’s a unique way to connect with food right at the source. Plus, food grown at home is about as local as it gets!
There are many resources out there for learning how to garden. Here’s one that we recommend.
Waste less food
The USDA estimates that as much as 30-40% of the food supply gets wasted. Food waste occurs at every stage of the supply chain. For example, food that doesn’t meet quality standards gets tossed on farms or at sorting facilities. Problems also arise during processing and storage, as well as at the retail level.
While you don’t have much control over the food waste that happens before you even get to the grocery store, you can do your part to reduce food waste at home:
Plan your meals ahead and shop accordingly
Write the date on leftovers, and freeze them if you don’t think you’ll eat them in time
Use leftover ingredients in new dishes; soups, stews, and stir-fries are a good way to use all kinds of ingredients
Compost food scraps and even some leftovers. Learn more about composting at home here!
How do you take steps to make sure your diet is healthy and sustainable? Do you have any other tips or questions? Let us know!
