• Overview
• Food
• Baby Care
• Hazards & Threats
• News
• Our Purpose
• Prevention
• Products
• Sustainability & Lifestyle
• All Articles
• All Videos

Blog

Despite what Kermit the Frog says, being green can be easy! Small changes in your everyday life can lead to big improvements in your expenses, your health and your planet. Thinking about what and how you eat is a great place to start.

• Appropriate portions:  Each time we waste food, we also waste the water needed to grow the food, the paper or plastic used to package it, and the gasoline necessary for transporting the food. Each step of the production, packaging and shipping adds to the current excess of greenhouse gases.  Appropriate portions also lead to good nutrition.  Children often accept smaller portions better as they are more manageable and don’t overwhelm the sensitive eater. For children who have issues with excessive weight, smaller portions will help them manage their weight better.

• Watch your meat consumption: Eighty percent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas production is caused by meat production. That includes transportation of livestock and their feed plus the methane produced by those livestock. The Lancet, a medical journal, reports that a reduction of the average meat consumption by just 10% would have a significant effect on global warming. Currently the average intake is about .6 lbs (or 9 1/2 oz.) of meat per day. A reduction to half that per day would not just help the environment but would also reduce intake of saturated fat and cholesterol which contribute to the development of heart disease.  So keep eating meat but add some extra beans, vegetables or grains. Think about meats as part of the meal such as in stir fry, spaghetti or chili rather than as the main dish.

• Consider organic for some of your foods:  Traditional farming relies on chemicals and fertilizers that are usually derived from petroleum (yes, oil). Many of these pesticides have not been tested in children and some are known to have negative effects on the developing nervous system. Organic products are becoming more mainstream and you can find them at traditional markets.  Vons carries the Organics line, Ralphs has Naturally Preferred and Private Selection lines of organic foods, and even Costco sells some organic products such as eggs. Organic produce can often be more expensive. Consider buying organic produce when purchasing the "dirty dozen", fruits and vegetables that tend to have the most pesticide residue. A complete list is available at Food News. 

• Tap water: Yes, tap water! Bottled water manufacturers do not have to follow the same rigorous standards that our city water districts do. In fact, bottled water has very few regulations in regards to contaminants.  Most bottled water is not fluoridated (they are available though) and fluoride, usually in city water, is essential for strong bones and teeth. The concern is not just what is inside those bottles but also those bottles! In 2006 Americans drank 167 bottles of water each. Of those only 24% are recycled. So what to do to instead? Consider buying a faucet filter (such as Pur) or a filter pitcher (such as Brita) and fill up reusable metal bottles such as Kleen Kanteen. Both of these are available online, camping stores or natural food markets. Look for metal reusable cups with straws by Thermos at Target.

• Think about lunchboxes:  Use metal or cloth lunchboxes. Keep those plastic containers from purchased food. Yogurt and cream cheese containers are a perfect size and reuse them in the lunchbox. Or consider an American-style bento box from Laptop Lunches, they make a great, portable, reusable lunch box with individual containers just the right size!

This post was reprinted with permission from Nicole Meadow, Registered Dietitian with NutritionWise.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of Healthy Child Healthy World.

Image Courtesy of Beth Stephens.

Print this page | Email a friend