You can benefit your health while doing the environment a favor. What a win/win situation!

Recent data from the UN shows what many of us already knew -- meat production emits significant greenhouse gases. In fact, meat production emits more greenhouse gases than transportation. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that it counts for about 18% of greenhouse emissions.

So take a tip from the UN Climate Chief and serve up more vegetarian meals. To further reduce your impact on the environment, purchase only locally-grown produce. AOL Food has a wide variety of vegetarian recipes to choose from. Enjoy!

[via GreenDaily]

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One of my favorite things about visiting the farmers' market is seeing the changes in the products they offer as the growing season progresses. Where I live, local peaches are starting to show up. I'm so glad, because in addition to enjoying plenty of fresh peaches, I'm going to slice and freeze quite a few. They're just delicious when they're still partially frozen. I also love grilling peaches and then sprinkling them with some cinnamon and serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (I know, I know... the ice cream is bad. But it's oh so good!)

Self Magazine posted some new healthy recipes for products you might find in the farmers' market now. Their recipe for roasted plums and greek yogurt sounds delicious. Perhaps it will be a healthier substitution for my grilled peaches and ice cream.

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Not too long ago my son and I were grocery shopping. He pointed to a particular treat that he wanted to try, but instead of asking for it he said "That looks really good, but it creates too much container waste." I had to chuckle a bit. His statement either means I'm doing a good job of teaching him environmental responsibility or I'm a little over the top about it all.

Our nutrition habits are one area where we can reduce our impact on the environment. Healthcastle.com recently posted about five changes you can make for a lower carbon diet:

• Buy local. Visit your local farmer's market, but be sure to ask where the produce is from. (I know at the farmer's market near me there is at least one booth that ships produce in from around the country.)
• Go seasonal. Buying off-season means your produce was either shipped from a faraway locale or it was grown in a hot house.
  
• Avoid high carbon foods. Even if they're produced locally, meat and dairy are high carbon foods. Reduce your intact by minimizing portion sizes and serving vegetarian meals more often.
• Use fewer packaged foods. Not only are packaged foods big waste creators, they often have additives and artificial ingredients that aren't nutritionally beneficial.
  
• Bring home leftovers. If you've got leftovers at a restaurant, don't leave them behind -- it creates unnecessary waste and is a waste of money, too.

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Summer is the season for locavores, consumers who consciously commit to eating foods produced closer to home. Beyond lessening their carbon footprint by paying attention to the origin of foods, they also enjoy fresher fare and support local farmers. 'Locavore' was even named the 2007 Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary!

Some locavores stick within a narrow 100-mile radius -- inspired by a Vancouver couple who wrote a book on their year-long 100-mile diet -- while others widen the net and eat regional foods or keep it simple and choose a handful of available foods to consistently purchase locally. I guess you could say there are no strict rules when it comes to being a locavore.

If that's the case, how about wearing a locavore hat for a meal or two this month? Head to your local farmer's market and buy ingredients for a locally-grown meal. Maybe a spring mix salad with veggies, sweet potatoes and slices of melon? You can also patronize a restaurant featuring locally-sourced meals, a new trend as chefs head to farmer's markets to purchase local foods to feature on the menu. Finally, don't miss the many tips and articles from writers nationwide over at the Eat Local Challenge blog -- it's a terrific, educational site.

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Are you interested in eating more locally grown, sustainably-produced foods? Diet -blog has compiled an excellent list of resources to help you get started. The links on that list will help you find local farm markets, local food co-ops, grass-fed meat and dairy products, and will also help you source locally grown foods.

Why eat locally? Here's a list from the Eat Local Challenge that outlines 10 good reasons to eat locally. Protecting the environment, eating fresher foods in season, and supporting local farmers are just a few of the reasons. Sustainably-grown foods not only support the local economy, they're also grown in a way that supports conservation and protects the Earth so that it can continue to support agriculture.

Springtime is a great time to make eating locally a habit. Farm markets and roadside stands will soon start cropping up all across the nation, the perfect opportunity to pull over and pick out some freshly picked veggies for dinner (and support a local farmer while you're at it.) Who knows, you may become hooked and never eat an imported vegetable again!

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