Making the best choices when purchasing or growing your food may not be as simple as you think. For example, sometimes it makes sense to export food because carbon emissions are less in some countries than in others. Here are a few tips for the person who wants to keep her carbon footprint to a minimum.

Drink Tap Water
Do you drink bottled water every day? The amount of greenhouse gas required for producing seven bottles of water, or one week’s supply of water for one person, is equal to driving your car for fourteen kilometres. You will save energy and money by drinking tap water every day instead of purchasing expensive bottled water. Buy bottled water when you take an overseas holiday and drink tap water when you are at home.

Keep your purchase of packaged and processed food to a minimum. Although it is impossible to avoid purchasing packaged food, you will reduce your carbon footprint if you keep your purchase of packaged food to a minimum. For example, purchase fresh fruit and vegetables from a greengrocer or supermarket that does not individually wrap every piece of fruit or every vegetable.

The manufacture of processed food requires additional energy than the production of fresh food. A farmer will water, fertilise, and harvest the crop. These three steps are necessary to produce the food you eat. Transportation, processing, and packaging will increase the amount of energy required for the food to be ready for sale at the supermarket. Try to purchase more fresh food and less processed food and you will decrease your carbon footprint.

Plan your Menu Carefully
Western society throws away billions of dollars worth of food every year. Plan your shopping trips carefully. Always shop with a list and plan your menus. By adhering to your shopping list, you will be less likely to purchase unwanted food. You will save money when you shop and you will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Reduce your Intake of Red Meat
We consume a large amount of red meat regularly. Approximately one tenth of greenhouse gas emissions come from the farming of red meat.

Consider serving smaller portions of red meat or alternatively choose to eat red meat less often. Replace one or two red meat meals a week with a white meat, such as chicken. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs do not produce the same quantity of methane as sheep or cattle.

Make Informed Choices
A university study found it was best to export some products to other countries than for those countries to grow their own. For example, sheep raised on natural pastures in the southern hemisphere emit less greenhouse gas than sheep raised in feedlots in the United Kingdom. This study took into account the cost of transporting lamb across the world.

It is important to consider how nutritious food is when you make decisions based on carbon emissions. It does not make sense to purchase food based entirely on low carbon emissions. The nutritional value of the food you wish to purchase is an essential consideration.

By simply drinking tap water, you will make a difference to the country’s annual greenhouse emissions. Be aware of the cost of processing and packaging the food you eat, plan your menus, and reduce your intake of red meat. Read labels on food carefully. Every positive change you make will help control the emission of greenhouse gases.