{"id":42179,"date":"2024-09-30t18:47:07","date_gmt":"2024-09-30t18:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/?p=42179"},"modified":"2024-09-30t20:39:49","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30t20:39:49","slug":"4-tips-eating-sustainably","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/4-tips-eating-sustainably\/","title":{"rendered":"ask pf | 4 tips for eating sustainably"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

this morning, while making my staple breakfast (a yogurt and granola bowl), i glanced at my container of strawberries and noticed the label. the label read, \u201cproduct of usa\u201d and in smaller letters, \u201cwatsonville, ca\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

this immediately caught my attention because watsonville is a mere 30 miles from where my parents live in california, and where i was residing before moving to d.c. over the summer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

not only did the homesickness kick in with the realization that these strawberries had come from only a near distance from my family, but it also raised my awareness of the environmental implications of the strawberries i was about to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

these strawberries had traveled nearly 2,900 miles from watsonville, ca to washington, d.c. in order for me to enjoy in my breakfast. <\/p>\n\n\n

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my package of strawberries that were grown in watsonville, california. (sarah banholzer)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

you may be thinking, \u201cwhile that is an awfully long distance for fruit to travel, why does this matter in terms of environmental sustainability?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i\u2019ll tell you why. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

the cross-country road trip my strawberries had taken to end up in my local trader joe\u2019s for me to purchase and eat produces a ghastly amount of carbon emissions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cfood miles\u201d have been defined as the distance from where the food is produced to where it is consumed, according to carbon brief<\/a>. studies have found that yearly, food miles produce 3bn tonnes of carbon emissions<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

if, like me, you aren\u2019t a science-minded person and this metric doesn\u2019t make sense to you, note that in the same study, the transport of fruit and vegetables was responsible for twice the amount of greenhouse gas<\/a> than was emitted to actually grow them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

while the implications of \u201cfood miles\u201d are serious and concerning, there are ways we can all cut down our \u201cfood miles\u201d and help the climate fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with that, here\u2019s my guide to eating sustainably!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. eat local<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

the first tactic to decrease the \u201cfood miles\u201d of your produce is to eat locally grown foods. shopping at farmers\u2019 markets is the number one way to do this. farmers\u2019 markets are a great way to ensure that your produce has been grown locally and to support local farmers in your community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

produce from farmers\u2019 markets not only has fewer \u201cfood miles\u201d but also tends to be more nutritious and flavorful than store-bought produce. due to the great distances that store-bought produce has to travel before it\u2019s eaten, such produce tends to be harvested before peak ripeness and stored in coolers to preserve its freshness. however, this process strips the produce of its natural nutrients and flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

shopping at farmers\u2019 markets can also cut down on your single-use plastic consumption. instead of buying fruit in plastic clamshell containers, bring your reusable bags to the farmers\u2019 market and buy produce straight from the producer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

for help finding farmers\u2019 markets near you, use the usda\u2019s local foods directory<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. eat seasonally<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

the next tactic can be slightly more difficult. eating seasonally means eating fruits and vegetables during the months that they are in peak harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

while harvest months for produce vary widely from region to region, a rough guide to the foods that are in peak harvest in large swaths of the u.s. during the year is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

summer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n