If you really want to go green, here's good news: eating green is good for you. The very foods with a high carbon(碳) cost — meat, pork, dairy products, processed snacks — also tend to be filled with fat and calories. A green diet would be mostly vegetables and fruit, whole grains(全谷物), fish and lean meats(瘦肉) like chicken—a diet that is good for environment and your figure. Eating green can be healthier and beneficial to the climate.
It may be hard to believe that a meal in a fast-food restaurant produces more carbon than your trip to a faraway place. More than 37% of the world's land is used for agriculture, much of which was once forested. Deforestation(砍伐森林) is a major source of carbon. The fertiliser(化肥) and machinery needed on a modern farm also have a large carbon footprint, as does the network of ships and trucks that brings the food from the farm to your plate.
The most efficient way to reduce the carbon footprint of your menu is to eat less meat, especially beef. Raising cattle takes a lot more energy than growing the equivalent(相等的) amount of grains, fruit or vegetables. What's more, the majority of cattle in the US are fed on grain and loads of it—670 million tons in 2002—and the fertiliser used to feed that creates separate environmental problems.
Focus on eating lower on the food chain, with more plants and fruits and less meat and dairy. It's simple. We can change today what goes into our bodies for the health of our planet and ourselves.
