Eating to Save the Planet

I'm a firm believer that, as this book explains, our personal health and the health of the planet are closely intertwined. I walk to work rather than driving, and try to think through all of the aspects of the food I buy. There are a lot of novels that deal with climate anxiety, like Firestone's The First Rule of Climate Club, Dee's Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet, and Guillory's Nowhere Better Than Here, and Eating to Save the Planet is a great book for showing tween readers that there ARE things they can do to help the planet.

Starting with an overview of why people eat what they eat (regional, cultural, and personal reasons), there is then a discussion of some staple foods across the world. Clearly, there is a need to address climate change, and Broyles lays out exactly how different types of food affect it. From greenhouse gas emissions to the cost of transporting foods, it's clear that people need to think through their food. The one thing that isn't mentioned, that I look for, is packaging. One of the reasons I don't eat a lot of the vegan "cheese" products, or lab cultured "meat" is the large amount of plastic that this food tends to come in. It's a balancing act, I know, but bears thinking about.

There are a lot of meat alternatives mentioned, including bugs as food and meat substitutes, and a history of veganism. Even if people adhered to Meatless Mondays, reduces the amount of meat eaten would be a great start. Here in Ohio, there are a lot of soy products. One of the foods I eat a lot of is Cleveland Tofu, which is fairly local (reducing transport), and comes in ostensibly recyclable tubs. I guess I fall under the category of "reducitarian".