People have already started to think more seriously about how their food is produced, where it comes from, and what effects it has on the environment. The release and press coverage of the President’s Cancer Panel report, is another large step towards increasing public awareness and demand for organic produce. By supporting local food producers, such as Fosterbauer Family Natural Food Farm, it builds a “give-and-take” relationship with our surroundings, where we can work towards reducing our impact and overall, create a healthier living environment.

Written in collaboration with Jill McDowell and Nicole O’Byrne, of the UBC Dietetic Program

Treehugger, a leading online one-stop shop for green news, solutions, and product information in honor of Earth Month and the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day, introduce their second annual Best of Green Awards, which highlight the individuals and organizations that are pushing the green movement forward. Click out this year winners for the Best of Green 2010 Food and Health!

Top choices that are ‘Good for You & Good for Our Earth’

1. Eat less red meat and dairy
Research shows that a diet high in red meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer. The raising of livestock for human consumption is also responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. On average, red meat is around 150% more greenhouse-gas intensive than chicken or fish.

When eating red meat and dairy:
⇒    Buy organic, local or grass-fed meat and dairy whenever possible and choose the leanest meat and trim any visible fat before cooking
⇒    Limit the amount of red meat you eat each week to 3 servings. A serving is 85 grams (3 ounces) when cooked – this is smaller than   a   deck of cards
⇒    Choose  low or fat-free dairy products

2. Reduce your intake of processed and packaged foods

The majority of processed foods are filled with additives, high in sugar, fat, salt, and stripped of nutrients. Processed meats have a high level of sodium nitrate (salt), considered by many to be carcinogenic (causes cancer). Not only that, packaged food is extremely resource intense. Snack foods, most juices, even veggie burgers (prepared, boxed, frozen and transported) often consume much more energy through processing and packaging than non-packaged foods.

3. Pass on the air miles

Often we think ‘Eating Local’ is the best thing we can do for the environment. In reality 80 per cent of the energy used to get food from the farm to the table occurs during food production. Transportation accounts for 10% -15 %. The best thing about eating local is actually the quality of the food and supporting your local economy. Even when the highest post-harvest handling standards are met, foods grown far away spend significant time on the road, and therefore, have more time to lose nutrients before reaching the marketplace.  When shopping for foods that perish quickly, look for sustainable locally grown foods — your body and the earth will thank you for it.

4.  Say NO to supersize

The more food you pile on your plate, the more likely you are to eat it. Ordering larger portion sizes often causes over-consumption of food, and this can have a negative impact on weight. In addition, every time a person takes more then he or she can eat, what is left on the plate causes our landfills to also grow in size. As this wasted food rots in landfills, it generates methane gas that contributes to global warming. Worldwide, 1/2 of the food produced is wasted. Wasted food is wasted energy. Warm your heart, not the earth. Eat whole food and think twice before asking for that second helping.