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If you really want to go green, here’s good news: eating green foods is good for you. The very foods with a high carbon dioxide cost — dairy products, processed snacks — also tend to be filled with fat and calories. A green diet would be mostly vegetables and fruits, wholegrains, fish and lean meats like chicken — a diet that’s eco- and waistline-friendly. Eating green foods can be healthier and beneficial to the climate.

It may be hard to believe that a meal at McDonalds produces more carbon dioxide than that your trip to a faraway place produces. More than 37% of the world’s land is used for agriculture, much of which was once forested. Deforestation (砍伐森林) is a major source of carbon dioxide. The fertilizer (肥料) and machinery needed on a modern farm also have a large carbon footprint, as does the network of ships and trucks that brings the food from the farm to your plate.

The most efficient way to reduce the carbon footprint of your menu is to eat less meat, especially beef. Raising cattle takes a lot more energy than growing the equivalent (相等的) amount of grains, fruits or vegetables. What’s more, the majority of cattle in the U.S. are fed on grains and the fertilizer used to grow grains creates separate environmental problems.

Focus on eating food lower on the food chain, with more plants and fruits and less meat and fewer dairy products. It’s simple. We can change today what goes into our bodies for the health of our planet and ourselves.