Go Green for Earth Day!

Let's celebrate Earth Day (April 22) today and every day! Do your part every day to maintain a clean and healthy environment for future generations. Food production, consumption, and waste all play major roles in maintaining a healthy environment.  It is important to be mindful of what we eat and how our food choices can make a harmful impact the world around us. 

Below are some ways you can help protect our planet:

• Practice sustainable eating by shopping locally! By buying foods that were grown locally, it reduces the amount of fuel needed to transport the food to your grocery store. You can even try growing some of your own food, such as planting an herb and vegetable garden!
• Prioritize plants and minimize meats!  Incorporate meatless Mondays into your week to reduce your consumption of meat (which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation) and increase your consumption of healthy plant proteins.  By eating more plant-based foods such as legumes, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, we can help reduce the environmental impact of meat production.
• Reduce your food waste! On average, a person wastes about a pound of food a day. Shop in your refrigerator first and cook what you already have before you go shopping again. Techniques such as safely and properly canning and freezing can ensure your surplus food lasts longer.
• Reuse!  One easy change you can make is to drink from a reusable water bottle instead of drinking bottled water every day.  In addition, when grocery shopping, don’t forget to bring reusable produce and carryout bags!  This can help to cut down on plastic usage.
• Recycle! Instead of throwing away your food in the trash, create a compost bin for your fruit and vegetable scraps.  If you have a backyard garden, composting adds valuable nutrients and improves the quality of your soil.

Make an impact in your community and be more eco-friendly! To learn more about what else you can do to celebrate Earth Day, visit https://www.earthday.org .