A New Way To Go Green!

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 364
Word Count: 428

Tuesday, January 15th

Kudos to you if you have been purchasing energy-saving light bulbs, taking non-plastic bags to the grocery store and recycling everything in your house. In the New Year, you may be looking for another way to save energy and the planet for future generations. As it turns out, you do not have to check the number on your plastic containers to save the world, you just need to buy the right foods at the store!

Foods like chips, burgers and fries (the ones you swore to stear clear of this year) should be consumed less because they are unhealthy for not only you, but our planet. According to Kate Ashford of Health Magazine, these foods have a very high carbon footprint. This means that there is a high amount of CO2 that is produced in the making and shipping of this food. That lingering CO2 traps heat in the Earth's atmosphere and contributes to global warming. You might be surprised to know what a recent University of Chicago study revealed. You actually produce more CO2 from the food choices you make compared to the car you drive! Maybe buying that Toyota Prius is not such a priority, but do not let this information prevent you from walking to Starbucks instead of driving.

What should be a priority is going greener at the grocery store. Here are some easy changes to make thanks to Kate Ashford.

Instead of:                                                                  Eat:
Beef burger patty (1/4 lb, 271 cal)                         Grilled Chicken Breast (4 oz, 165 cal)
French Wine (4 oz, 84 cal)                                     Domestic Wine (4 oz, 84 cal)
White Bread (2 slices, 129 cal)                              While Wheat Bread (2 slices 133 cal)
Brie Cheese (1 oz, 94 cal)                                        Domestic light Cheddar Cheese (1 oz, 70 cal)
Pineapple (1 cup, 70 cal)                                         Apples (1 cup, 57 cal)
Potato Chips (1 oz, 150 cal)                                    Potato salad w/o mayo (1 cup, 152 cal)
Imported Bottled Water                                            Domestic Bottled Water (such as Dasani)

The reasons for the above swaps include the following:
Smaller animals like Chickens produce much less CO2 than larger animals like Cows.
Buying local wine and or water will not change your caloric intake, but it will drastically cut down on shipping distance and CO2 production. If your tap water is lead free, stick with that.
The processing of white bread produces more CO2 than processing of whole wheat bread.
Tropical fruits are usually flown in from very far distances. Instead, look for locally grown fruit in season.

Saving the planet is easier than you thought and much better for you health!

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