Written by: Nicole Pazdziorko, RDN, LDN, Food City Registered Dietitian

For over fifty years, Americans have celebrated Earth Day on April 22nd to bring awareness about the health of our planet, and it’s a good time for us to take stock of the ways in which our stewardship of the earth can affect the world around us. The source, type, and manner in which we prepare the food we consume can make a big difference. 

One of the ways we can make an impact is by reducing our food waste. It is estimated that in the United States each year 108 billion pounds of food is wasted, or about 30-40% of the food supply. When this food is wasted, so are the resources and energy used in its production, processing, and transportation. Furthermore, waste that ends up in a landfill produces the greenhouse gas methane. 

Reducing food waste isn’t the only way to promote a healthier planet. Since animal-sourced food require more land, water, and contribute greater greenhouse gas emissions than plant sources, cutting back on our meat consumption is another way to reduce our carbon footprint. 

Consider the following earth-friendly kitchen tips:

- Make one day per week meatless. Fill your plate with lots of vegetables and fruits. Add beans or tofu to balance your meal with a plant-based protein.  

- Reduce portion sizes. Smaller portion sizes mean fewer resources used, so aim to stick to a 3–4-ounce portion of protein.

- Eat seasonally. Eating produce in season can mean a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, since seasonal produce can be sourced closer to home. Look for our partnerships with local growers in your Food City. 

- Pack your lunch. Bringing your own lunch from home cuts down on food and packaging waste.

- Freeze herbs. If you have fresh herbs that you are afraid will go bad before you can use them, place in olive oil in ice cube trays and freeze for later use.

- Buy in bulk. Not only can this be a great way to save some money, but it cuts down on packaging. Instead of buying individually portioned convenience snacks, buy the family bag and portion into reusable containers.

- Use all edible parts. When cooking beet root, save the beet greens to sauté and add to an omelet. Add carrot greens to a soup. Puree kale and broccoli stalks.