You can feel good feeding your family these foods.
They are they nutritious and good for Mother Earth.
Healthy antioxidants – fruits and vegetables
You already know your farmer’s market haul is certainly eco-friendly, but you may be surprised to learn that these typical pantry staples are also on the clean-and-green list. These sustainable foods support your environment, health, and local economy. When you add them to your table, you’re helping the world’s farmers provide safe, nutritious, and affordable food while respecting your natural resources and developing your community.
How many of these planet-friendly foods are in your kitchen right now?
- Mushrooms: There’s a lot to love about this tasty fungus. Mushroom cultivation is earth-friendly because the stem that is left in the ground after picking helps nourish the soil. It’s also good for the economy. A thriving mushroom market is helping lift rural Indian farmers out of poverty. Mushrooms are super nutritious, especially exotic varieties. Shiitake mushrooms may have anti-tumor and antiviral properties. Enoki mushrooms may have immune-enhancing effects.
- Tree nuts: Nuts are full of healthy protein and fiber. Almonds, cashews, and pistachios also support a healthy planet because they grow on trees. Foods grown from perennial plants, such as trees and some plants, bushes, and vines generally produce more food with fewer resources. Note: Peanuts are also perennial, but they don’t grow on trees. These legumes grow underground.
- Nutella: This kid-friendly spread blends perennially grown hazelnuts with creamy, natural and sustainable Malaysian palm oil. Unlike other common edible oils, Malaysian palm oil is non-GMO. This vitamin E-packed oil is simply squeezed from the fruit which continually grow on bountiful oil palm trees. In Malaysia, these oil palm plantations sustainably produce more than 600 gallons of oil per acre. (By comparison: Soybean and rapeseed (canola) plants yield just a fraction of this.) Another bonus: The lush oil palm plantations provide homes for native animals such as orangutans, elephants, and sun bears.
- Beans and peas: These veggies are some of the most sustainable. Plants need nitrogen to grow, but most of our world’s nitrogen is a gas which most plants can’t use. Bacteria on bean and pea plants, however, draw in this gas and send it underground. Planting a field of beans between other crops helps reduce the need for chemical fertilizers. Plus these veggies are packed with antioxidants.
- Bananas: This is the most widely consumed fruit in America, but none are grown on our soil. Many bananas are sustainably grown in South America countries such as Costa Rica and Guatemala. How can you tell if your bunch is good for the planet? Look for the green Sustainability Grown sticker or the blue and yellow Fair Trade Certification label.