Today is Earth Day and what better way to celebrate the earth than to try and protect it? Sara Siskind, Certified Nutritional Health Counselor and founder of Hands On Healthy has come up with 6 ways to help our planet thrive by making small changes to our eating habits! Who knew we could help the environment by eating! No matter if you use these tips for cooking, or to keep your health and fitness goals alive, small daily changes = big impact!
See below for Sara’s tips
6 Simple Ways You Can Eat to Help Our Planet Thrive
1. Add more plant-based protein into your diet. Industrial farmed meat has a higher impact on the environment than any other food group. For a healthier and more environmentally friendly protein, try beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds instead. Lentil soup is an excellent source of protein and fiber and is simple to make. I also top my homemade salads with Setton Farm Pistachios and Pistachio Chewy Bites, which are filled with heart healthy fats and protein to keep your energy levels up throughout the day. Another thing I like to do is add tahini to my roasted vegetables to turn a side dish into a meal.
2. Eat foods that are grown locally (or at least made in the U.S.A.) Eating locally grown food is possibly the best way to lower your carbon footprint when it comes to consuming food. An added bonus to eating locally grown crops means that the food is typically fresher and perhaps even taste better compared to foods that are shipped across the globe.
3. Look for foods with the least amount of packaging. Have you noticed that some of your foods come in large boxes or wrapped in plastic? Yes, this might keep your food fresh and protected, however the excess packaging only ends up in landfills and adds more pollution to our land. Try buying produce that is not in a package.
4. Eat foods when they are raw and in season. Chomping down on celery and carrots is not only the best way to get all the hydration and nutrients that these veggies contain, but it also saves energy that otherwise would have been used by power cooking appliances. Eating seasonally also means eating locally and you already know the benefits of that!
5. Cook once, eat twice! Not only does this save you time, it also saves the planet by using less energy. Although you might need to reheat the food, the overall time and power energy saved is tremendous!
6. Stay clear of plastic water bottles. Bottled water doesn’t necessarily mean its cleaner or better for you than tap water. Look for a filter system to install in your kitchen sink or even a water pitcher filter will work well. The less plastic bottles we use, the cleaner our planet can be. Luckily there are several insulated and safe reusable water bottles on the market to choose from such as Hydro Flask, S’well, or Klean Kanteen.
Certified Nutritional Health Counselor, Sara Siskind is the founder of Hands On Healthy, cooking classes for adults, families. and teens based in New York. Sara has dedicated her career to educating clients on how food and lifestyle choices affect health, and how to make the right choices to look and feel your best each day. Sara translates the complexity of integrated nutrition into usable tools with easy-to-cook recipes that appeal to the entire family.
Sara counsels privately to offer highly customized health and nutrition plans for her clients. She also works with parents on shopping and cooking smarter to create healthier homes. In addition, she teaches beginner to gourmet cooking classes with her signature “toss it in” approach. In addition, Sara regularly works with corporations and non-profit organizations to lead workshops and lectures on healthy eating. Visit her Website at: www.sarasiskind.com
With two main ingredients, Pistachio Chewy Bites provide healthy snack lovers the amazing benefits of pistachios and cranberries in a delicious and nutritious bite-size bar. Pistachio Chewy Bites are heart-healthy, 100% all natural, gluten and dairy free, low in sodium, GMO free, vegan and a great on-the-go protein snack. They also have no cholesterol, zero trans-fat and are a good source of dietary fiber. Find it in major grocery store chains across the country and online at Amazon.com and Puritan.com.
Happy Earth Day!
wow thanks I pinterest this so I can save these great tips thanks for sharing this
As much as I love a good steak, I also love pistaschios; brazil nuts and sunflower seeds. All high protein and sometimes better than red meat, especially at my age.