Green Nutrition

We all want to be healthy and look our best, but what is the best way to achieve that? We have all seen the diets on TV with the amazing before and after pictures, but that is not the solution to our problem. Having food shipped to you or taking a pill and being able to eat whatever you want may seem like the dream. But think about what that is really doing to your body and the environment. All of the gas that it takes for the food to get to you is 17 times more than if your diet had come from local farms. This could be one of the solutions, and it is known as the 100-mile diet in which you eat all locally grown food. This does not guarantee sustainability, but it may help reduce wastes.

From April to September Oxford has a Mid-town Farmers’ Market. Vendors at the farmers’ market have a variety of locally-grown fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy items, baked goods, and herbs. The market also features weekly musical entertainment and monthly children's activities. Making nutrition fun is what it is all about. Once you enjoy getting your food and understand what you should eat, being healthy is not as bad as you thought. Another idea is being a member of a community garden. Oxford is currently in the making of one located at the Old National Guard Armory on University Avenue. It was founded last March and will be ready for gardening March of 2010. It costs ten dollars to become a member, and there is an annual fee of five to fifteen dollars. More information is available at www.oxfordcga.org.

Another downfall of the food most commonly eaten by our generation is that it contains so many chemicals and preservatives that are not only not good for us, but they are not good for the environment. Going organic could be a solution for this. To be healthy, you need a balance of whole, natural foods and a limited amount of processed food.

Eating lower on the food chain is a good way to think of it. The average US household’s climate impact of food is roughly equal to driving 2 vehicles with a 25 mpg fuel efficiency a total of 12,000 miles per year. This is the average amount most people drive, so think of how much your family drives each year. Imagine that as how much impact your food is having on the environment. Replacing red meat with chicken, fish, or eggs one day per week decreases the impact by 760 miles per year. Replacing red meat with a vegan diet once per week decreases the impact by 1160 miles per year.

A more unconventional approach to this problem could be giving the gift of animals through Heifer International. You can donate money to give an animal in honor of someone to help families all over the world become self-reliant. This organization teaches holistic approaches to becoming a more sustainable community. Through this gift, the environmental impact is reduced because these animals are providing food and income and reducing land use. They are “working with an integrated system of plant and animal production practices to satisfy human food needs, enhance environmental quality and natural resources, and make the most of on-farm and renewable resources.” Check out www.heifer.org to learn more about this amazing opportunity to combat hunger while building a sustainable environment.

In summary, to be more green when choosing meals, try to buy local to decrease fuel use, eat organics to steer away from the use of chemicals, and eat lower on the food chain to conserve our resources.

Sarah Gehring, GSIP Intern, sophomore dietetics major

References:
www.eatright.org
Christopher Weber, Matthews HS. Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States. Enviro Sci Technol. 2008;42:3508-3513
Emmy Parkes
www.heifer.org