Sustainability and Nutrition

Trying to eat nutritious foods and sustainable foods can be uber overwhelming. Luckily, these two goals can go hand in hand. In this post, I’ll explain how eating sustainably can help you eat more nutritiously.   

You’ll eat more fruits and vegetables

We all know fruits and veggies are the foundation for a healthy diet. They are packed with essentials like water, fiber, potassium, calcium, folic acid, vitamins and more. Eating these nutrients can help lower blood cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against infections, maintain healthy blood pressure and basically keep your whole body in working order. 

Eating sustainably typically involves buying food with less packaging and buying local food. Both of these sustainability goals can lead to eating more fruits and veg. This is because fruits and vegetables are usually not packaged at all, especially if you buy them from a local farm or farmers market. Many local vendors also primarily stock fruits and vegetables, so buying locally will automatically help you eat more fruits and veggies. 

You’ll eat less red meat

Eating tons of red meat is pretty terrible for the human body. Too much red meat can lead to high levels of blood cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Some researchers have even found connections between red meat consumption and several types of cancer. The US Government suggests limiting red meat intake in favor of lean meats, fish and other plant-based protein sources. 

Red meat isn't just bad for our bods- it's also pretty awful for the planet. All animal products are super inefficient at transferring nutrients when compared to plant proteins. In other words, we need to use more energy (read: release more GHGs) to get the same amount of calories and nutrients from meat as we would get from plants using that same amount of energy. Animal agriculture, and especially raising cattle, is also associated with land and water pollution, soil degradation and methane emissions. 

You’ll buy fewer packaged foods

Many packaged foods contain an unnecessary amount of added sugars, questionable additives, sodium, saturated fats and other nutritional no-nos. The US Government recommends limiting sugars, sodium and saturated fats to avoid heart disease, type 2 diabetes and unhealthy weight gain. 

An essential element of sustainable eating is reducing packaging waste. If you aim to reduce your foods' packaging, you'll be more likely to pick up foods like fruits, vegetables and bulk bin grains, which are more nutrient-dense than many packaged foods like granola bars, chips and heavily processed meats. 

You’ll eat more diverse nutrients

Our bodies need a wide variety of nutrients to function healthily. From trace minerals like iodine, iron, selenium and zinc to other micronutrients like B vitamins, vitamin K and vitamin A, there are a ton of nutritional essentials besides the carbs, proteins and fats that are familiar to most people. To get a wide variety of micronutrients, the US Gov recommends eating diets with a lot of variation. 

Depending on your location, eating sustainably usually requires changing your diet as different produce becomes available locally. Eating based on which foods are available locally can help you eat a wide variety of foods every week. Another important element of sustainability is encouraging biodiversity and the growth of native species. Buying unusual native fruits and vegetables from local farmers can not only help the planet but also can help you eat a more widespread blend of micronutrients.