Though Earth Month has come and gone, I live every day like it’s Earth Day as a sustainability-focused registered dietitian. Through this unique lens, I view every food choice as not only a way to nourish myself but also take care of my greater environment. In fact, procuring food in a thoughtful way is one of the most meaningful environmental actions you can take, as approximately one-third of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are related to the food system. But aside from this staggering statistic, excessive water usage, inequitable labor practices, deforestation, and air and waterway pollution are also commonplace within the food industry.
Herein lies the importance of sustainable nutrition—a way of eating that not only boosts health but has a lower environmental impact, supports ethical labor practices, embraces cultural food traditions, and is affordable for most people. Thankfully, there’s a massive sustainable food movement taking shape right now, both globally and nationwide. And to join, all you need to do is be more intentional during your weekly grocery store run!
Read on as I, a registered dietitian with her master’s degree in environmental studies focused on sustainable food systems, share the foods I always add to my cart for both personal and planetary health.
7 Foods I Always Buy as a Sustainable Dietitian
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutrient-dense starchy vegetables you can find. In fact, one regular-sized sweet potato contains over 100 percent of your daily vitamin A needs as well as plenty of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, copper, manganese, and B vitamins to support eye, gut, heart, immune, and metabolic health. But sweet potatoes also generally require less water and land to grow than other root vegetables—and can thrive in less fertile soil, necessitating less fertilizer or compost for optimal growing.
Choosing organic sweet potatoes (and organic foods in general) will ensure even fewer inputs (particularly environmentally-damaging agrochemicals) have gone into producing this food, too. If not roasted and loaded up with all the fixins, I often enjoy sweet potatoes in curries, egg dishes, soups, stews, and even baked goods!
Tofu
When looking to reduce your environmental impact through food choices, plant-based proteins are a sure bet. This is because at least 14.5 % of all global GHGs can be attributed to the livestock industry. Red meat, in particular, is not only harder on the planet in this regard but also a less-than-ideal health choice, linked to increased heart disease risk. And when it comes to plant protein options, tofu is one of my top picks. This soy product serves as the perfect neutral palette for any flavor combination you’re craving and comes in a variety of textures, only adding to its versatility. But tofu is also super nutritious as a source of unsaturated fat, vitamin A, calcium, manganese, copper, selenium, phosphorus, and zinc to champion heart, bone, immune, and eye health.
And it’s just an added bonus that the price of tofu is unbeatable, with most blocks costing less than three dollars. I enjoy tofu most mornings in a savory scramble, as well as in fried rice, curry, soup, and salad.
Oranges
All citrus fruits, oranges included, are commonly linked with better overall health thanks to their impressively high vitamin C and fiber content, boosting immune, heart, and gut health. However, these zesty fruits are also quite sustainable when enjoyed seasonally. This is because they’re grown on trees that stay in the ground for decades, sequestering carbon from the atmosphere year after year. Plus, compared to other types of fruit (including other citrus varieties), oranges require lower amounts of water to grow. In fact, Our World in Data shows oranges to have one of the lowest environmental footprints compared to a range of other foods.
Black Beans
Staying on the plant-based protein train, beans of all kinds are excellent grabs when prioritizing gains—and sustainability. On average, plant-based foods emit 10 to 50 times less GHGs than animal-based counterparts, but legumes in particular (including beans), are uniquely sustainable as nitrogen-fixing plants. This means they convert nitrogen from the air into a form usable by plants in the soil, which is essential for their growth and development. While I love all legumes, black beans are my personal favorite as they’re not only delicious and affordable, but high in protein, fiber, plant compounds, B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, and phosphorus. They’re a satisfying addition to salads, soups, stews, eggs, burritos, or dips, too!
Mushrooms
Whether it’s portobello, button, oyster, shiitake, or enoki, mushrooms of all kinds are excellent sources of fiber, plant compounds, and a range of vitamins and minerals to support overall health. These fungi are also critical to the environment, working as nature’s clean-up crew, recycling carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus for other plants to utilize. And nothing satisfies my umami cravings quite like sautéed mushrooms, either as a side dish with herbs and garlic or added to pastas, stir-fries, soups, or grain bowls.
Seaweed Snacks
Speaking of umami, seaweed snacks are full of this savory flavor while also being plenty nutritious and sustainable. Seaweed is one of the few plant-based sources of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, supporting heart health, as well as iodine, which encourages optimal thyroid function. However, it’s tough to beat the low environmental impact of seaweed. This sea veggie requires no land or fresh water for production, regenerates quickly, and is widely abundant, minimally impacting surrounding ecosystems upon harvest.
Local Honey
And finally, no grocery store visit would be complete without a little something sweet, and I often need to stock up on honey as my preferred choice. I use honey all the time, whether in baking, my morning cup of tea, or a range of savory recipes like dressings, marinades, and dipping sauces. Aside from being perfectly tasty, honey has so much to offer nutritionally as a source of prebiotics that support the gut microbiome and bioactive compounds to boost the immune system through antimicrobial properties. Environmentally, honey is also an MVP as a wildly available bee product. Bees (and all pollinators for that matter!) play a crucial role in our ability to survive, as they pollinate over 30 % of all food crops globally. I always reach for local honey because this product directly benefits my local environment. If not purchasing local honey from the farmer’s market, Local Hive is the brand I typically grab off the shelf as they offer local and regionally-sourced honey nationwide, regardless of where you live.