But what we don’t already know is that not all plants are equally virtuous, in terms of health or environmental impact. For example, seeds tend to be much better for both than nuts. For more on how to eat for your health and to be more eco-friendly. See these five steps to eating ecologically and saving your health, the planet’s future and yes, even your wallet.

1. Be Picky About Your Plants and Drinks

It should be as simple as eating more plants, help the planet, right? Actually, it’s more complicated than that. Some, such as palm oil, are grown and harvested in ways that destroy rainforests, displace native communities, and harm wildlife. Meanwhile, palm is high in saturated fat and not heart-healthy, so it’s not great for us either. Why not avoid it and choose healthier fats like avocado or soybean oil for cooking.

Not to strip your morning buzz completely but Almond groves take an incredible amount of water to maintain, and replacing almond milk with oat or pea milk may be a better way to go. Speaking of morning drinks, tea is better for the planet than coffee. And if you’re in North America, make sure to give yaupon tea a try: It’s our only indigenous caffeine source, and there are a number of small-scale producers you can support while getting your day started.

But, if you’re a die-hard joe lover then look for the Rainforest Alliance certification stamp — a cute green leaping frog — which will let you know that this product has been vetted and approved by the Rainforest Alliance. Nescafe has it and Nespresso and a few others. The RFA says their “certification seal indicates that a farm, forest, or tourism enterprise has been audited to meet standards that require environmental, social, and economic sustainability.”

Here is what it looks like:

2. Choose Seeds Over Tree Nuts for Protein

Whenever possible, when you’re looking for a protein hit, choose seeds (like flax or hemp) over nuts, since they use a fraction of the water resources that nuts need to grow, which makes sense when you realize that nuts grow on trees and require all of the resources it takes to grow a tree, rather than a smaller seed-producing plant. Curious how to tell the difference? Nuts contain both the fruit and the seed of the plant in one place, while seeds contain just the plant’s genetic material. This can be confusing because cashews are technically seeds but take a ton of water to produce. The best rule of thumb is to remember that if it grows on trees, to let it be.

For a chart of the best and worst nuts to choose for the planet, see this amazing graphic. Meanwhile, here is the quick low-down: Pistachios are the worst offender when it comes to water needed to grow (1,092 gallons of water for 1 pound), then almonds (902 gallons per pound) and then walnuts (527 gallons per pound). Seeds, in contrast, are frugal water consumers: Pumpkins are 12 gallons of water per pound, watermelon seeds use 14 gallons per pound and sunflowers need 46 gallons per pound. In terms of health, flax seeds and hemp seeds are healthiest for you: One ounce of flax seeds provides 5.2 grams of protein and 7.8 grams of fiber in one ounce and is water efficient. Hemp seeds deliver 8.8 grams of protein and 1.1 grams of fiber per ounce and require only natural rainfall water to grow.

For a fun calculator — or a depressing one — depending on how you see it, please check out the Water Calculator here to see how your food choices (and even your pet’s) affect your water footprint. Or perhaps we should call it your water displacement? https://www.watercalculator.org

3. Save Your Scraps & Eat the Peel!

Reducing overall food waste by using up scraps (like turning the leafy green carrot tops into a pesto or adding peels to your soup stock) will help you stretch your ingredients and your budget, all while helping the environment. Plus the peel of most plants and fruits has most of the fiber. Being mindful of what and how much you buy will help you stop over-purchasing, causing food to go bad before you can eat it. And buying a variety of fruits and vegetables is not only a good nutritional choice, it will also offer a range of flavors and textures to keep you from getting bored and going back to the big box store stuff.

With movements like Meatless Mondays, Slow Food, community-supported agriculture, and buy local campaigns becoming widespread, finding plant-based alternatives is easier than ever, and resources like farmers’ market directories make it easy to connect with local growers in your area. Make sure to check out your nearest library too, which may have everything from business directories to gardening resources and even seedbanks to help you get started in purchasing, growing, and eating (the best part!) local food to live eco-friendly for the health of yourself and the planet.

4. Buy Local local local, or Grow Your Own!

So what’s your best option when trying to choose your veggies, legumes or fruits? Look local to the producers already in your area — to cut down on transportation and boost the fresh nutrients available to your body. Nutrients starts to break down in the days after harvesting, so the more local (and recently harvested) your food is, the better it is for you!

Even buying now when the harvest is bountiful and freezing whole fruits and veggies to thaw later is a good plan. Freeze whole tomatoes, whole zucchinis, and even hearty winter squashes to thaw and bake later. You can chop up veggies, throw them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze them for when the winter weather sets in and you hanker for fresh veggies to throw into a soup or stir fry. Their nutrients get locked in now and unlocked later.

Even more amazing for you and your environment is to grow your own veggies. If it’s possible to find a local garden, grab a patch and make it work! Or if you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, getting started on a vegetable garden isn’t as hard as it sounds (enlist a friend to help you rototill the dirt and put down wooden frames for your vegetable beds). Once you get going, the benefits are twofold: You know just exactly what chemicals are or are not getting into your food (you control this by your choice of organic fertilizer, which smells like natural compost rather than lab-made pellets, natural insecticides like neem oil, and water) and of course you’re eating the freshest picks anyone can find. Cooking veggies from your garden (or even your windowsill or fire escape for city dwellers) is also highly satisfying, tastes better than anything store-bought, and you’ll impress your dinner guests. For how to start, check how to do that here.  

Locally produced fruits and vegetables mean that fewer fossil fuels are being used to transport these foods long distances. As an added bonus, you’re keeping your money in your local economy and supporting small businesses in the process. Including paying yourself!

5. Good for you and the planet tip: Rethink your Starches

You may be of the belief that rice since it’s a staple of every major economy from China to Mexico, would be an economical crop to grow but where water is concerned, it actually takes more than pasta per pound. Rice requires 299 gallons of water per pound — and pasta uses 222 of water per pound. Try to choose whole wheat pasta or that made from chickpeas, lentils, black bean or spaghetti squash or other fibrous veggies like cauliflower. Or learn to make your own. We love Jenni Field’s recipe for cauliflower lasagna that’s health, keto-friendly and delicious.

6. Love your legumes, aka beans.

We know that beans are great food. Turns out they are equally great for the planet.  Lentils are not only nutritious and inexpensive but also good for your body as well. Known as “pulses” peas, beans and lentils are cheaper to grow and offer essential nutrients such as zinc, iron, magnesium, and folate. Studies show that populations that eat the most lentils have the lowest rates of some cancers, including breast, prostate and colorectal.

Lentils grow easily and quickly, so you can raise your own for maximum nutrition and minimal cost. Soak a bag of store-bought lentils in water overnight and then place them in a jar more than half-filled with water and watch them sprout. According to one article in Cultures for Health, lentils are easier to digest once they’re sprouted. Or you can grow your own crop in your windowsill. They’re high fiber and lasting energy make them a great crop for you and the entire eco-system.

Peanuts are a legume as well, and take much less water to grow than many other foods we eat as nuts (like cashews). This means you can use them in place of nuts (have you ever tried homemade peanut milk?) as well as in other places you would use legumes, like in stir-fries or on top of a salad. Like lentils, peanuts are easy to grow too, and the plants have beautiful, delicate leaves, making them a conversation starter in the garden.

Ultimately what’s good for you is good for the planet, and vice versa. There’s nothing better than eating plants, keeping your body and our home planet feeling clean, healthy and hopefully able to last for the long haul.

The post The 6 Healthiest Foods to Eat, for You and the Planet appeared first on The Beet.

Growing your own food isn’t as hard as it sounds. Plus it gets you outside, doing something productive and fun. Gardens are beautiful, of course, and there’s endless variety so you can design one that speaks to your own aesthetic. A garden doesn’t have to be big, or even outdoors, to offer a bounty of growth: My first apartment garden was about 5×7 feet, and I was able to grow enough food for me to eat fresh veggies daily and to still have tomatoes to can and freeze, and enough zucchini to share. Even if you don’t have a patch of green, you can use growing containers on a balcony and plant fresh herbs or veggies all year long.

Here’s an easy-to-use guide to help you get started growing your own food (year-round) when following a plant-based diet, so you can eat healthy, save money, and have more control over what you put into your body.

1. Brainstorm Before You Plant

Start off by thinking about what you’d like to grow. Then, think about what you can grow in the space you have. “Ask yourself what it is you want to garden. It may be easy to grow a bed of radishes, but is that a food that you really love?” says N.C. “Slim” Brown, who runs Feed the People Farms, a food justice, heritage food, and folkways-focused farm in Hickory Level, GA.

“Most people automatically default to vegetables, but there are so many other things out there, and a lot of your decision will be based on what your site is able to handle,” says Brown. “For example, if you have a lot of shade, you’re going to struggle growing most vegetables, but mushrooms will thrive. If you have a decent amount of space with full-sun, it might be fun to start a small grain plot. Herbs, both culinary and medicinal are great for small spaces.” On your kitchen counter, you can grow basil, rosemary, mint and parsley, and thyme.

There are lots of planters that make it possible to grow these year-round. Grow your own herbs in your kitchen with this Click and Grow Smart Garden Planter, Williams Sonoma, $99.

2. Do Your Research Before You Dig

Think about what your plants need to be happy: How much sunlight (full or partial or shade), how much water, and what temperature will they thrive in? Many seed packets list this information, just make sure to check your planting zones to see when to start putting your seeds and plants in the ground. And check if your plants are annual or perennial (or biennial). Annual plants will grow for one year, so you can plant other things in that patch the following year. But perennial plants (like mint) will be there for years to come, so map your space accordingly.

3. Figure Out If You Have Soil Or Dirt 

“Dirt is dead, soil is alive. 99.9% of us have dirt,” says Kirsten Simmons, who runs Ecosystem Farm in Atlanta, GA. “On a small scale, you can start by building up your soil, instead of tilling it, to encourage the development of organisms that will help your plants thrive.” Building up your soil means adding in nutrients, and the best way to do this is with organic (not synthetic) fertilizers. Compost is a great choice, and easy to find or create from your own kitchen. You can also get your soil tested to see what it needs to grow healthy, happy plants. Your local nursery can provide you with resources for testing.

4. Start Your Garden with the Easy Growers.

There are plenty of great vegetable choices for first-time gardeners: Lettuce, as well as heartier greens, like kale and collards, are often go-to choices for beginners. Simmons recommends peppers, peas, arugula, and radishes. Cherry tomatoes are also an abundant crop and will flourish in large planters almost anywhere you have a mix of sun and shade.

If you’re not quite ready to grow your own veggies, start small, with herbs. “Catmint is really easy to grow and is a hardy perennial,” says Grant Wallace, who runs the herb-focused Grant Wallace Farm in Conyers, GA. Annual herbs like basil and cilantro as well as perennials like thyme, rosemary, and oregano are all easy starting blocks to getting your hands dirty (literally!).

5. How to Care for Your Plants

Now that you’ve checked your planting dates, picked your plants, and mapped out your garden, the fun of planting can begin! Check if your plants need to be “started” first (planted in small pots to start the growing process) or “direct-seeded” (putting the seed right in the ground to start). For plants that need to be started, go to your local nursery and ask for seed starting supplies. These include trays to hold the plants, plus special potting soil.

Fill the trays with soil and place the seeds into the middle, at whatever planting depth is listed on the packet, cover with soil, and lightly water. Make sure the soil stays moist, that the plants are a comfortable temperature, and that they get a good amount of natural light. Not all seeds will sprout at the same time: Some sprout right away, while others can take weeks.

When it’s time to transfer your seedlings, add any soil amendments you’ll be using (like compost or manure), and weed your plot. Then, take all your seedlings and seed packets and set them out roughly where they’ll be going in your garden. Make sure to consider how much space each mature plant will need, as well as how much sun and leave plenty of space.

Once everything is in the ground, spend a few minutes each day and check if plants need to be watered or if your garden needs to be weeded. As your plants mature, check if you need to add supports (like tomato cages), treat for insects (one of the best naturally occurring pesticides is neem oil). You may be surprised how quickly everything grows. Snap peas can be ready in six to eight weeks for instance. Before you know it, it will be time to harvest!

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