How Do I Eat Green?

Eat Less Meat

You don't have to give up your steak or pork chops. You just might want to eat them less often or in smaller portions. Aside from this being a good move for your health, it can take a lot of strain off the environment. "We devote well over half of our cropland to growing food for animals that we eat, and we're artificially watering these crops with water that can't be replaced. Additionally, the animal waste is not put through a sewage-treatment plant, so all the antibiotics and hormones given to the animals can end up in our streams and rivers," explains Gussow.

Another benefit of mixing it up is that with the money you save, you can probably afford to buy organic meat. Generally, all organic meats come from animals raised chemical-, antibiotic-, and hormone-free (hormones, by the way, are federally banned from all poultry and pigs). These animals also had room to move and exercise and were fed organic feed. For cattle, however, this last requirement is controversial, since they don't naturally eat grain, pesticide-free or not. It's difficult for them to digest, so conventionally raised livestock are given antibiotics and other drugs to prevent and treat infection. In addition to certified organic, shop for beef labeled 100 percent grass-fed, says Mary Jo Forbord, RD, an organic cattle farmer in western Minnesota. "The labeling law for grass-fed has become exacting in its requirements," she explains. "The animals have to be raised on a diet of 100 percent grass or forage and given continuous access to pasture."