Every time we enter the grocery store, we make choices that affect the environment.  Some purchases are easier on the earth, and others are more harmful.  In terms of vegetables and fruits, one might assume that fresh is best for Mother Earth.  But, like many seemingly simple things, the truth is more complicated.  I addressed this question in my book THE EARTH AND YOU:  EATING FOR TWO, published in the 90s by Potomac Valley Press:

     When bought and eaten soon after harvesting, fresh produce is the most healthful and delicious way to eat fruits and vegetables.  Such produce is better for the earth as well because it is more likely to have been locally grown.  That means little energy was spent in transport, and little or no packaging is needed.  Even more important, both for you and the earth, is the fact that locally grown produce is less likely to have been heavily treated with pesticides.

     But if you think that fresh produce is always better for the earth than frozen or canned, read on.  The truth is more complicated!

     Fresh tomatoes or strawberries bought in January are usually imported from Mexico or other foreign countries.  The environmental costs are the tremendous expense and pollution associated with fossil fuel for transportation and the degradation of land and water through intensive pesticide use.  In general, imported produce is much more likely to contain pesticide residues than are domestically grown fruits and vegetables.  During the winter months it is probably better for the earth and you to go easy on fresh vegetables and fruits.

     Frozen vegetables and fruits can be a good buy, both for you and the earth.  Boxes and bags of frozen produce are only lightly processed and so retain most of their nutritional value.  And they are inexpensive too.  During the winter especially, fresh produce may be substantially more expensive than frozen.

     What about canned vegetables and fruits?  Are they as good a choice as frozen?  Nutritionally speaking, canned foods are slightly inferior to fresh and frozen.  Most canned vegetables are fairly high in salt, and the vegetables are usually overcooked.  Canned fruits are often packed in sugary syrup.

     In terms of the environment, there are a few small advantages and disadvantages to both canned and frozen fruits and vegetables.  Canned foods have the advantage that their containers are more easily recycled than the cardboard boxes and plastic bags in which frozen vegetables and fruits are sold.  And canned fruits and vegetables require no refrigeration or freezing.  But the labels on many cans are made with inks containing lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals that may leach into groundwater.

     Frozen vegetables have the advantage of being more healthful than overcooked, salty, canned vegetables.  Yet frozen foods require a great deal of energy to keep them frozen from the time they are processed until they are transported to stores, sold, and eaten.  However, since almost all refrigerators have an attached freezer anyway, buying and storing frozen foods uses no extra energy.  In fact, a full freezer uses less energy than an empty one.  Only when a separate freezer is used do frozen vegetables use a great deal of energy.  A stand-alone freezer can be one of the most energy-consuming pieces of equipment a household can operate.

     While frozen vegetables and fruits can be a good choice for health–yours and the earth’s, the good news does not apply to all frozen foods.  Many frozen entrees, microwavable frozen dinners, and frozen snack foods are excessively packaged and high in fat, salt, and sugar.  Simple is better.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

This entry was posted on Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pm and is filed under Act now to save our beloved Earth!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.