Cultivate a Green Diet

Did you know that some premium dairy producers, which promote their products as being hormone- and antibiotic-free, are not certified organic? Such companies freely cite this fact in their advertising, and they're proud of it.

Now, the goal here is not to rat out rogue milk manu­facturers but to make a point: The concept of buying the freshest, healthiest, most environmentally friendly foods is complicated at best, but mostly it's just downright confusing. Take the dairy industry for example: One of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements of organic milk manufacturers is that they do not use milk from cows that have been treated with antibiotics for at least one year, depending on treatment, and in some cases two. Since it can be expensive for an organic farmer to keep a non-producing cow for an entire year or more, that cow may be sent to slaughter. On conventional farms, cows must be removed from the herd only until their milk no longer tests positive for antibiotics.

Regardless, the U.S. dairy industry tests all milk - organic and conventional - upon entering a dairy plant to ensure that no antibiotics get into the milk supply. Based on this practice alone, it can be difficult to determine which approach is actually better for all concerned - people, cows, the environment - and that's just one aspect of milk manufacturing. Similar complications exist for organic requirements governing the use of bovine growth hormones, pesticides in feed and grazing standards.

When you carefully consider all of the factors involved in milk manufacturing, which are too numerous to list here, you have to ask yourself: Is organic milk actually any better than the standard gallon jug? If you also throw in the fact that organic brands are typically twice the price and some may have to travel farther to get to you, which can decrease freshness and increase transportation pollution, the answer may just be a resounding, "No."

The best way to determine the cleanliness of your diet is to look in your trash can.

Suffice it to say, it's a green grocery shopper's nightmare out there, and with a growing number of name-brand manufacturers now riding the cash-cow coattails of the organic label, buying foods that are healthy for both your family and the environment has become about as tricky as pulling a rutabaga out of your hat. Here, we help you cultivate a green, clean diet, without the hocus pocus.

"A clean diet simply means eating nutrients that your body can use and avoiding things your body doesn't need," says Jan Dowell, a Palos Community Hospital registered dietitian. "Your body doesn't need hormones, pesticides and antibiotics. It also means buying more whole foods locally to benefit the environment as well." The best way to determine the cleanliness of your diet is to look in your trash can, she says. "If you're truly eating whole foods, you shouldn't have much garbage."

Dowell recommends taking the following steps toward achieving
a cleaner, greener diet:

1. Grow your own or shop a farmer's market. The best way to ensure that you're getting the freshest fruits and vegetables is to grow them yourself or buy them from a nearby farm.

2. Buy produce in season. If you must buy fruits and vegetables from the grocery store, look for those that are in season for your region. More than likely, they will be grown locally and have the freshest taste.

3. Purchase whole foods. "You should eat things that come from a plant,
not made in a plant," says Dowell. Products that are as close to their natural state as possible will have minimal processing, no preservatives and fewer ingredients.

4. Location, location, location. "Milk made in Indiana is more environmentally friendly than organic preserves from California or free-range chicken from Texas," Dowell says.

5. Buy organic when possible. Follow the Environmental Working Group's guidelines for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables (see right), and buy locally manufactured milk that is free of growth hormones and antibiotics.

6. Check the ingredients list. The shorter the list, the healthier the product. "You may be better off buying organic meat than a soy burger with the 70 ingredients needed to make it taste like a burger."

7. Consider packaging. Choose foods that use little to no packaging or have environmentally friendly containers.

8. Bulk up. Buying in bulk not only saves money, but it also reduces packaging, which is good for your budget and the environment.

9. Turn on your tap. Plastic bottled water is over-priced, over-packaged and not necessarily any cleaner than tap, especially when you consider the fact that most municipal water is more regulated than bottled brands. A good filter and reusable stainless steel water bottles are a better investment.

10. Eat in. Preparing dishes at home from whole foods guarantees your family a fresh, nutritious meal at an economical price.

Above all, be an educated consumer. Take the mystery out of healthy eating by learning as much as you can about the foods you eat. It's the only way to ensure that you and your family are getting the freshest, healthiest and most environmentally friendly products available. "You have to know what you're eating before you can decide if it's something you want to put in your body," Dowell says. Following even a few of these tips can work magic, for both you and the environment.