Want to have a lighter impact on the environment and still eat delicious food? Find delicious recipes for green produce like kale, zucchini and cucumbers, plus simple ways to start gardening or composting and how to reduce your kitchen waste.
**In This Article**
Eat More Plant-Based Meals
Reap the Health Benefits of Green Produce
Get Into Gardening
I'll share seven here and hope that no matter what your values are or what access to resources you have, you can find inspiration in one or more of these areas to help you eat green.
Eat More Plant-Based Meals:
One food-related way we're trying to do better by the environment is to prioritize plants over animal products. Meat is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Plus a 2022 study by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital found that people who followed healthy plant-based diets not only had a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease but their eating patterns contributed less to greenhouse gas emissions. Knowing how beneficial it is to both our health and the health of the planet, we eat mostly vegan and vegetarian dinners each week. Beans and tofu are our favorite meatless protein sources. Falafel, mujadara, lentil soups, cauliflower tacos and crispy tofu are some of my go-to recipes—
Reap the Health Benefits of Green Produce:
The gorgeous recipes we developed specifically for this feature, like Caprese Salad with Basil & Tarragon Chimichurri and Caramelized Broccolini and White Beans, are more than amazing recipes that are beautiful to look at. Eating more plants—particularly those dark leafy greens, like the kale my family loves so much—comes with a whole host of healthy benefits. "Eating more greens is not only sustainable for the environment, but also can improve your health," says EatingWell's Pinterest Editor Annie Nguyen, M.A., RD. "Fruits and vegetables are full of fiber, antioxidants and vitamins which have so many health benefits and anti-inflammatory properties. Following a plant-based diet could stimulate better digestion, may improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and might promote weight loss. If you're wanting to transition to a more plant-based diet, slowly add more fruits and vegetables in your diet, as a significant change in fiber intake can cause some GI distress," Nguyen recommends.
Get Into Gardening
When our garden is in full swing (and not just full of weeds), we get a lot of food from it. And that means lots of green things—from crisp lettuces and dark leafy greens (we can't seem to grow enough kale) to the first crunchy snap of snap peas and a plethora of fresh herbs I adore blending into these Green Goddess Farro Bowls. As the season progresses, zucchini will make its way into sweet and savory dishes—and always to the grill for Marinated & Grilled Zucchini Planks, our family's favorite way to eat it. Our daughter has been making cucumber salads on repeat, so she'll be out harvesting cukes when the time comes (this Cucumber & Celery Salad is oh-so crunchy and refreshing!). And once fall rolls around, we'll trim the alien-looking stalks of Brussels sprouts to roast, smash or shred to include in Kale & Brussels Sprouts with Avocado Caesar Dressing.
If you want to grow your own food but don't have the space, time or interest for a big garden, think small! If you have a sunny spot on a deck or in your yard, tomatoes are easy to grow in containers and often taste so much better than what you can get at the store. Salad greens are a big source of food waste but do well in containers—you can even grow them in a sunny spot indoors. Or try a pot of herbs you cook with often—basil, cilantro and mint are a few good ones to start with.
