We’ve all heard numerous ways to reduce our carbon imprint on the world: drive less, turn off the lights when leaving a room, use energy efficient appliances. But did you know that food contributes a third to the world’s greenhouse gasses? Each year the average US household produces 60 metric tons of greenhouse gases, so that means the food we eat contributes 20. That’s a pretty staggering and sobering number.

Most mornings you can find me at the gym, trying to walk away the extra pounds attributed to mindless eating. To entertain myself during my workouts, I’ve started listening to NPR Food Podcasts. You can subscribe to them by going to iTunes and searching for NPR Food.

To coincide with Earth Day last May, NPR held several discussions on the carbon footprint our food makes on the world. There’s an eye-opening website called Eat Low Carbon sponsored by the Bon Appetit Foundation. On the site, you can drag and drop everyday food items into the frying pan to determine how much greenhouse gases they contribute. It makes for some interesting dinner conversation!

So in light of this diet enlightenment, here’s what I’m doing to help reduce my carbon food footprint:

• Buy local. Supporting local farmers not only contributes to the local economy, it also cuts down on the miles traveled from farm to my plate. For a list of local farms and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), visit Local Harvest.
• Skip the fancy bottled water. I’m a huge fan of Evian and Fiji because they taste so good. But then I remember how much it takes for that bottle to travel to the US and then to my supermarket shelf. Instead I’m using my Brita water filtration pitcher for something closer to home.
• Opt for chicken, fish, and vegetables. It takes a considerable amount of energy to raise a cow. From the corn they eat to the time it takes to raise them, cows use a lot of carbon. But a recent study by Carnegie Mellon reports that the methane and nitrous oxide gases coming from cows and their manure is up to 200% more potent than the CO2. Here’s the fun part. Cows release methane gas by burping and – ahem – passing gas that is considerably more toxic than the grains they eat. The study goes on to say that if a person reduced their red meat consumption and didn’t eat it for one day, they would reduce their greenhouse gas contribution by 4%.
• Creating low-carb meals. As a chef, I will develop menus and meals for my clients that lessen the impact.
• Eating in season. Right now I can eat all the fresh fruit and vegetables I want. But come winter, I will be craving them again. Instead of buying that box of $5 blueberries from Chile, I’ll make sure to freeze more this summer. If you’re looking for a nifty way to store frozen food, check out the Food Saver. I use mine all the time!
• Purchase more whole foods. Instead of buying ultra processed foods from the center of the grocery store, I’ll try to shop the outskirts. All that processing and packaging requires enormous amounts of carbon.

With this low-carbon diet, I’m not going to be fanatical. I’m still going to buy the occasional banana and papaya or even a box of Annie’s organic mac and cheese. I just want to do my part. I don’t expect people to follow in my footsteps and do exactly as I do. I know locally-grown produce is expensive. But just consider what I’m saying. When I think about food as something that benefits my health rather than something to put in my mouth, it changes my perspective.

As an added bonus, a low-carb diet actually helps me be healthier. Now I don’t need some crazy fad diet to help me loose a few extra wedding dress sizes!