One of the easiest adjustments that you can make to lead a more sustainable lifestyle is to make tiny changes in your diet. Common diet staples like beef, dairy, tree nuts, and even rice can substantially increase your personal carbon and water footprint. But you don't need to completely eliminate these foods from your plate -- there are many wonderful alternatives that make choosing sustainability simple! Below is a list of foods to switch out in your pantry for a more sustainable kitchen!
Almond butter for sunflower seed butter or peanut butter
Almonds are a great plant-based protein snack, but 80% of the world’s almonds come from California (and the other 20% from the Mediterranean), so unless you live there, your almonds probably were air-freighted to your local grocery store. Almonds also infamously guzzle way more water than most nuts – the average serving of almonds requires 483 gallons of water. Instead of purchasing fancy almond butter, stick to peanut butter or sunflower seed butter since these plants require less water than tree nuts.
Rice for quinoa (or farro or barley)
I was shocked when I learned that rice contributes to 12% of the planet’s methane emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to heating up the atmosphere. How is this possible? After farmers harvest their rice paddies, microbes feed off the decaying plant matter and release methane when breaking down the organic material. Opting for grains like quinoa, farro, and barley are great sustainable substitutions for rice!
Dairy milk for soy milk or oat milk
Dairy products have a lofty impact on the environment. To keep it simple, feeding dairy cows requires a lot of resources, dairy farms require a lot of land space made possible by deforestation, and dairy cows emit methane when they pass gas. Removing cows from the milk equation seriously slashes milk’s carbon and water footprint. Soy and oat milk are the most sustainable plant-based milk optionsm since they have low carbon, water, and land use footprints. Other great plant-based alternatives include cashew, coconut, almond, and rice milk!
Coffee for tea
I adore a cappuccino in the morning, but lately, I have been challenging myself to replace my daily coffee with tea three times a week. As delicious as coffee is, it has a pretty high environmental impact. Coffee is often grown in a monoculture, which can contribute to deforestation, erosion, and habitat loss. Practices like shade-grown, organic, and fair-trade make coffee consumption more ethical, but tea is a more sustainable caffeine source. Tea has a lower water footprint of 34 liters of water required per cup, compared to coffee’s 140 liters of water put into each cup. However, if you opt for tea, try to keep waste in mind and buy loose-leaf or compostable tea bags!
Imported for local produce
Did you know that people consume 100 billion bananas every year? Bananas are one of the cheaper fruits on the market due to their high popularity, but most places wouldn’t have access to bananas if not for air freight distribution. As a result of their long travel journeys, bananas have a high carbon footprint. Try to swap imported fruit for fruits that grow locally in your region. For instance, if I’m spending a summer in Wisconsin, I can shop for fresh strawberries and macintosh apples. If you’re in California, opt instead for fruits like citrus and dates!
In-season vs out-of-season produce
Have you ever bitten into a piece of fruit like a strawberry during the winter and thought, “Wow… this has absolutely no flavor”? Our modern food system allows us to enjoy almost any food at any time of the year, but this convenience isn’t natural. Check out this seasonal produce guide to see what grows at certain times of the year! The planet and your taste buds will thank you!
Meat for tofu, tempeh, seitan, or beans
Supplementing plant-based alternatives for meat is one of the best decisions you can make to slash your carbon footprint. Did you know vegans are responsible for 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than meat-eaters? Next time you search for a recipe, look for a vegetarian option! Seitan is high in protein and has a similar texture to meat. Tofu, tempeh, beans, and legumes are other great plant-based protein staples that taste delicious in recipes!
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