Eat for Your Body and the Environment

Cutting back on processed foods and adding in-season fruits and vegetables to a person’s diet can help them achieve a healthier body – and planet.

“Eating for sustainability – meaning, eating more plant-based foods and fewer processed foods, and choosing local food options – is often better for a balanced diet and the environment,” said Carly Alba, registered dietitian nutritionist with Intermountain Health. “It’s sustainability for the planet and for your body.”

March is National Nutrition Month, an educational campaign of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that’s marking its 50th year. This month, Intermountain dietitians are encouraging people to learn how to make informed food choices and develop healthful eating and physical activity habits as part of their “Fuel for the Future.”

Sustainable foods are those that require minimal resources and have little impact on the environment. Practicing sustainability in food choices can mean buying locally grown foods, shopping in season, or growing your own produce and herbs.

“When we talk about sustainability and caring for the environment, we’re protecting the environment for future generations. We can do that by eating more plant foods that are better for our body and a healthy future,” Alba said.

Here are some tips to Eat with the Environment in Mind:

• Buy foods in season
• Use reusable bags when shopping for your groceries
• Enjoy more plants in your meals and snacks
• Plan “Meatless Mondays” in your weekly meal planning
• Grow your own herbs
• Store foods properly to avoid food waste
• Buy foods with minimal packaging.

Learning to cook and eating at home also can help reduce food waste, allow for mindful, balanced diet cooking and sustainable food selections, Alba said.

Here are some tips to make eating at home more enjoyable:

• Enhance your environment by adding a candle to the table and playing music at mealtimes or drinking your water out of a fancy glass
• Learn cooking skills
• Create memories by focusing on time spent with family or friends
• Practice Mindful Eating by limiting screen time during meals

To learn more about healthy food choices, or connect with an Intermountain registered dietitian about setting health goals, visit IntermountainHealth.org.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.