Carbon Tips

Kate's book is a great source for all the ways you can reduce your carbon footprint with food, beyond omitting meat.

Go Green Get Lean

Kate Geagan

https://books.apple.com/us/book/go-green-get-lean/id1378827382

“While installing solar panels or rethinking the family wheels may not be in your immediate future, with food it’s different. The fact is, sometime in the next couple of hours, you will have to eat. And you will have a choice to make. A choice that doesn’t need to wait for car manufacturers, politicians, or nations to act. A choice that depends only on one person: you.”

Regenerative Agriculture

This is also called "carbon farming" and you can think of it as no-till organic. What scientists have found is that when the life in the soil is allowed to come back with the absence of chemicals, mono-cropping and plowing; and the addition of cover crops, rotation, companion planting and careful integration of trees and animals, there is a HUGE amount of CO2 pulled out of the atmosphere and locked into the soil. **** So when you shop for food that is from a regenerative farm, you are supporting one of the biggest carbon sinks we have. (Project Drawdown ranks it at #20 out of 76 climate solutions.)

Managed Grazing

If you are a Flexitarian, keep in mind that supporting farms that also practice managed grazing and "grass finishing" of their beef are actually pulling down HUGE amounts of CO2 by carefully moving their ruminants to fresh pastures at a specific time. Supporting these farms and ranches once in a while helps more people try this out. (Project Drawdown ranks it at #16 out of 76 climate solutions.)

Organic

Even plants that provide protein in the place of meat can have an impact on climate. When chemicals kill the life in the soil, a HUGE amount of CO2 is released into our atmosphere. The overuse of nitrogen fertilizer also produces a greenhouse gas. So even if you don't think organic food is healthier, you can lower you carbon footprint by buying organic when you can.

Buy local

There are no exact numbers available because the energy used in getting local food and across the country food varies so much. But most people who look at the averages say that buying local food reduces the energy to transport, cool and discard waste from the food we eat. It also helps the local economy and food security, so why not?

Buy in season

By the same token, if it is not a regional food in season, then it may be coming from very very far away, maybe on a plane. CSA's are a great way to get a box of seasonal produce from local farms. (Consumer Supported Agriculture)

Processed vs made from scratch

This is a big one. How we all love our processed food. Cooking everything from scratch is great in theory, but many of us crave a ready to eat food. Just keep in mind this increases the carbon footprint significantly, so make it a special treat once in a while.

Coffee

One pound of coffee has about 4-5 pounds of CO2 as a carbon footprint. Ways to reduce this is to not get your coffee at a cafe, and not put in a single use cup. Organic coffee has some offset at the farm level, but not much.

Chocolate

There are finally about 10 big chocolate producers who offer dark chocolate grown sustainably. (I prefer Alter Eco.) And with really good dark chocolate, a little is all you need.

Wine

Transportation is a big chunk of the carbon footprint of wine, so buying local helps. The glass bottle is around 40% of the carbon footprint. Boxed wine anyone?

Soft Drinks

Just don't.

Here is a list of ingredients that may be hard to find or may not be in your local store at all.

(Links are on Amazon to save time. We do not endorse Amazon in any way. Source these where ever you like.)

Stone ground whole wheat pastry flour. (Much more of the protein is left in during stone grinding than commercial roller grinding!) This has been backordered in many places in 2020. Pastry flour has some of the bigger bran pieces removed.

365 Everyday Value, Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, 32 oz

Arrowhead Mills Organic Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour, 22 oz. Bag (Pack of 6)

Jainie's Mill Stone Ground Silky Smooth Pastry Flour

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Chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour) is easier to find non-GMO than soy flour.

Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour - 16 oz - 2 pk

Palouse Garbanzo Bean Flour - Chickpea Flour 3 LBS

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Vital Wheat Gluten (This is wheat protein concentrate. 77% protein.)

Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour, 22-ounce

Anthony's Vital Wheat Gluten, 4 lb,

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Nutritional Yeast (This is crazy high in lysine, which is low in most grains.) This has a mild nutty taste. Not brewer's yeast!

Bragg Nutritional Yeast

Bob's Red Mill Large Flake Nutritional Yeast

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Soy Protein Powder (isolate) Not the protein shake mixes. Not soy flour. Not textured vegetable protein (TVP)

Bob's Red Mill Soy Protein Powder

Bulksupplements Soy Protein Isolate Powder

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Plant Milk (pea protein) This is new on the market. Tastes very close to cow's milk. The pea protein matches up with most grains perfectly. So easy to add. Keeps well.

Ripple Non-Dairy Milk, Original Pea Protein 48 oz

Bolthouse Farms Plant Protein Milk Original, 48 oz.

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Roasted Sunflower Seeds (kernels) These match up with grains and legumes and are easy to store. Not too pricey. (Just don't eat the whole package at once!)

365 Organic Sunflower Kernels, Roasted & Salted, 12 oz

Planters Dry Roasted Sunflower Kernels (Pack of 4)

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Quinoa This is actually a seed, but considered an ancient grain. It is high in good quality protein.

Arrowhead Mills Organic Quinoa, 14 Ounce Bag

Suncore Foods - Organic Quinoa Seeds, 15oz

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Bulgur Wheat This is wheat kernels partially cooked and course ground. Cooks as fast as white rice. This was a staple in the bulk food aisle at health food stores for decades. Not cracked wheat.

Red Bulgur/Hard Wheat 24 Ounce

365 Organic Whole Grain Bulgur Wheat, 8.8 oz

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