I want to eat, eat, eat, apples or bananas?

Pick your Produce Wisely

It is fairly obvious by now that eating lower down on the food chain will save energy and fossil fuels, thus reducing your overall carbon footprint. A mass movement to vegetarianism would do wonders for the prevention of further global warming. But in today’s world of industrial agriculture, are all veggies equal in terms of their impacts on the planet? Of course not! Even a diet consisting solely of produce will produce a significant environmental impact because of the pesticides, fertilizers, and water that went into growing these foods. Each crop differs in the amounts of these inputs it demands. So now that you have increased the proportion of plants in your diet, it is time to consider which plants to eat and which to avoid.

In terms of fertilizer consumption, bananas are the worst villain, followed by beets and citrus fruits. Growing bananas requires 427 pounds of NPK fertilizer per acre compared to just 35 pounds per acre for beans and other nitrogen-fixing legumes. Legumes have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in their roots that allows them to absorb N2 from the air and convert it into nitrate that they can use to make proteins. Thus, beans do not require much extra nitrogen to be added in the form of inorganic fertilizers. In fact, they actually fertilize the soil themselves!

As for pesticides, raspberries are responsibly for the greatest volume of chemicals (10.2 pounds per acre), followed by carrots and strawberries. Avocados and citrus need significantly less pesticides, but still fall near the middle in the rankings. The absolute best crops to eat if you want to decrease your pesticide use include beans, grains, spinach, and broccoli. These data are based on the volume of pesticides used per acre in growing the crops, but has nothing to do with the amount of pesticide residue left on the produce when it reaches your mouth. According to studies done to determine the amounts of pesticides remaining on fruits and vegetables, the “dirty dozen”, as they are popularly called, include peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, and strawberries. These are foods that would be best to buy organic if you are worried about the possible negative effects of pesticide consumption on your personal health.

Next time you go shopping for your favorite produce, think about what it is that your food consumes before you decide what food you want to consume. Every seemingly insignificant little choice you make affects not only you but the people and environment all around you. So what will you have in your morning cereal today? Strawberries, peaches, or bananas? So many choices, so many consequences.

Sara

One Fish, Two Fish...

Saving the oceans from disaster, one fish at a time

Every day we hear more about the perils of global warming, and how rising ocean levels will wipe out coastal populations and decimate coral reefs. Yet, for as long as humans have been pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we have also been destroying or oceans in an even more obvious yet equally disruptive manner. Over the past few centuries, new technology and soaring population levels have both contributed to massive overharvesting of the world’s seafood. Currently scientists estimate that humans are responsible for removing 90% of all large fish. This has dramatically upset the delicately balanced food webs in marine ecosystems, and the consequences for all ocean life, as well as the humans that depend upon them, could be disastrous.

Besides the sheer number of fish being taken from the oceans each year, many fishing practices degrade the environment and harm non-target marine organisms. Practices such as bottom trawling, which involves dragging a fishing net across the ocean floor, dramatically disrupt benthic habitats, and may remove up to one quarter of all deep sea life in a single run. Also, since fishers have no way to magically attract only the fish species that are in highest demand, many additional fish species and even marine mammals are often caught in fishing nets. These non-target species are usually thrown back in the ocean, but they are usually injured or killed by the experience.

As three quarters of the world’s fisheries are either overexploited or have already collapsed, people have been turning more and more to aquaculture, or fish farming. These farms cause many of the same environmental and health problems as cattle feedlots, and for many of the same reasons. Concentrating so many animals in a relatively small volume leads to infections from pathogens, such as sea lice, and pollution to nearby waters. The spread of pathogens from fish farms have been shown to dramatically reduce the populations of wild fish living nearby, and water pollution from feces and antibiotics can affect all kinds of marine organisms as well as humans.

Now that you are probably exhausted after hearing all these sad facts about the poor state of our oceans, here is some good news: human populations worldwide are working to implement more sustainable methods of harvesting fish. Many fish farms are being certified for their sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and new rules are being enforced to prevent overfishing. The most powerful force behind these changes is you, the consumer. By buying only seafood that has been sustainably caught or raised, you can help save our ocean ecosystems from disaster. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has published guides explaining which seafood species are good to buy, and which should be avoided. They also have lists of chefs and restaurants that have pledged to only purchase sustainable seafood. Go to http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx to download your own handy pocket guide and become a savvy seafood shopper today!

Sara

Delight in your Dairy

Cinnamon Honey Yogurt

Make an individualized yogurt flavor suited to your exact flavor and sweetness preferences. Feel free to play with the recipe and use whatever ingredients you have on hand: honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, etc.

Ingredients:
4 cups (2 lbs) plain nonfat yogurt
2-3 tablespoons honey (or more if you so desire)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1. Mix the honey and cinnamon into the yogurt. I do this directly in the original container, so no bowls are needed.
2. Taste your concoction and add more honey or cinnamon if needed. Enjoy!

Hints:
• Mix in some chopped nuts, granola, Cheerios, graham cracker crumbs, or whatever else you can think of, along with chopped fruits and berries for a comforting breakfast parfait.
• Another suggestion for sweetening plain yogurt is to add your favorite fruits preserves or jams. That way, you can control the sweetness and avoid yogurts full of refined sugars and corn syrup.
• For another twist, try adding a couple teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa powder instead of the cinnamon. Chocolate yogurt is one of my personal all-time comfort foods.