We all know that greens are good for us. Popeye had spinach, George Bush the Elder had broccoli (ok, it was his nemesis, but that’s another story). Hopefully, most of us who have opened our eyes to the role of food in our lives now eat and enjoy lots of greens in lots of delicious ways (kale and potato soup, spinach with garlic, tatsoi salad, etc).
Now, there’s a new type of green – the eco-friendly type – that is all the rage now that the world seems to be unraveling at the seams: let’s just call it green food.
Green food means food consumed in a way that shows respect for our planet Earth and the fact that we are all connected, that resources are limited and our individual choices have ripple effects. In the language of current eco-jargon, it’s about reducing our “carbon footprint.”
Put another way, the point is to eat food that does not “over-consume” resources (as opposed to us over-consuming food, a problem for another day), whether in the food growing stages (think fertilizer, machinery, etc.), processing or transportation.
So, while it’s often repeated that local food is best for freshness and quality, it’s also best for respecting our planet’s resources.