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Eating with the environment in mind

fresh veggies on display
Fresh vegetables are a great way to eat healthy and support local produce growers.
By Jackie Beem, Dietician

Eating in a healthy and environmentally friendly way doesn’t have to be hard. Check out these tips and tricks from your VA team to get started today!

Enjoy plant-based meals & snacks

The Healthy Plate pattern suggests filling 1/2 your plate with vegetables and fruits and 1/4 with high fiber grains and starchy vegetables as part of an optimal diet. Try more non-meat protein such as beans, tofu, and nuts.  Planning our meals around produce benefits our health and the planet.

Plant-based eating can aid in boosting your immune system, manage weight, and decrease risk of certain chronic diseases as well as help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation.

Start with balancing your meals with more produce and try a meatless meal once a week.  Enjoy a variety of seafood.  Look for meat from local farms and limit beef consumption.  To learn more visit www.nutrition.va.gov, the source of this information.

Shop in Season and Local

Check out a farmer’s market or farm stand for fresh, delicious produce when it’s in season.

Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and vegetables can all be part of a nutritious eating pattern, but in-season produce is especially flavorful, has no added salt or sugar, and is often cheaper. 

Here are a few examples:

  • Winter–Greens & Citrus Fruits
  • Spring–Asparagus & Pineapple
  • Summer– Zucchini & Berries
  • Fall– Root Veggies & Apples

Check this website for a full list of what’s in season in Illinois: www2.illinois.gov/sites/agr/Consumers/FarmersMarkets

 Start your own Garden

Consider growing your own food in containers or a backyard plot.  Tending to a home garden can:

  • Give you access to fresh food
  • Help ease stress and anxiety
  • Increase your physical activity
  • Decrease your carbon footprint  

You’ll use less plastic packaging and can compost your scraps. 

Find more info and tips here: https://extension.illinois.edu/plants

Eat Mindfully

Slow down while eating and appreciate how your food tastes and smells, and how it makes you feel.  You may feel satisfied with a smaller amount. Focus on what you are eating, where it comes from, and how it is nourishing your body. 

Have questions?

If you have questions about eating in a more healthy and environmentally friendly manner, your VA team is here to help! Reach out to your dietitian for more information. Call 217-554-4676 for an appointment.

Jackie Beem, MS, RDN, LDN, is a clinical dietitian at VA Illiana Health Care System.

Reach out to your dietitian for more information! Call 217-554-4676 for an appointment.

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