Help the planet and your waist: Eat green

Looking to reduce your carbon footprint? What you eat may be just as important as what you drive.

Nutrition experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center offer tips to keep both your waistline and the environment in check.

• Buy local and seasonal. Farmers markets remain your best bet, but many grocery stores have started offering a greater selection of locally grown foods. There’s no scientific proof that eating local foods is better for you, but the food is generally fresher and more nutrient-dense.
• Limit your reliance on processed and packaged foods. Fresh foods have fewer fats and refined flours than many pre-packaged foods, so they’re good for both you and the planet.
• Doggy bag leftovers. Only buy and prepare what you intend to eat. If you go out or make too much at home, repurpose the leftovers for another meal later in the week. Both leftover meat and vegetables make great additions to pizzas, salads, soups, tacos or pasta dishes.
• Make friends with a cow. You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but occasionally replacing beef with chicken or eggs can help reduce your carbon footprint. So does opting for grass-fed beef, because it reduces the demand for cattle feed.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/nutrition to learn more about clinical services in nutrition at UT Southwestern.

Media Contact: Kristen Holland Shear