The Connection between Food Choices and Planet Health

April 22 is celebrated as Earth Day around the world. It’s planned as a day to raise awareness of how all the decisions we make impact the health of our planet as well as things we can do in our daily lives to fight for a clean environment.

Did you know that one of the top four things that impacts planet health are the food choices we make? Food choices, from shopping to preparing to eating to storing, can impact greenhouse gases produced and what ends up in landfills.

Consider the following tips for celebrating Earth Day and planet health on any day of the year!

• Buy fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce is one of the most common foods that gets wasted. When grocery shopping at your favorite Buehler’s, buy enough fresh produce for the next 2-3 days as well as produce items that last longer such as carrots and potatoes. Buy canned fruits and vegetables for use in soups, stews, stir fries, oatmeal bakes and yogurt parfaits later in the week. Choose frozen options, which are easily portioned out for smoothies or quick additions to lunch salads.
• Enjoy plant-forward meals more often. Plant-forward eating habits celebrate plants and emphasize them in meals and snacks. It doesn’t mean giving up meat, poultry and fish, just shifting the balance to enjoy more plant-based foods. Think about adding beautiful fruits and vegetables, hearty beans and whole grains, and crunchy nuts to daily eating habits. Try our make once, eat twice recipes for Plant-Powered Black Bean and Beef Blend, Mexican Lasagna, and Tuesday Tacos.  
• Use Buehler’s Healthy Living Vegan tags. Plant foods have a lower carbon footprint, and our Vegan Healthy Living tags throughout the store help you easily find these choices and add them to your shopping cart.
• Use the entire food item. Did you know that broccoli stalks, when peeled and sliced, make a great snack? Or that you can save carrots tops and ends, onion peels, and other trimmings from vegetables to make a great stock for use in soups and other recipes?
• Minimize food waste. Set aside one night each week for “Leftover Dinners.” Use leftover meat and veggies to make quesadillas. Cook down fruits which are looking sad as a sauce to have on pancakes, waffles, chicken or pork. If bread has gone stale, drizzle it with olive oil, smear with a cut tomato, and warm in the oven.

Do you have a favorite tip managing food waste? Share it with us on our Facebook page.