The Greener Plate Challenge
Eating for a better planet and a healthier you!
When it comes to food, I am an “everything in moderation” person. My daily food choices lean heavily towards fruits and veggies. I love my good-morning avocado toast breakfast and a green crunchy salad at lunch. I know that those choices are good for me and good for the planet.
But the truth is I’m an eater and an eater’s gotta eat. I love all kinds of food! Ask me to describe one of my more joyful food moments? It’s “that moment”, sitting on the back porch on a sultry summer evening, when a juicy, salty, smoky grilled steak comes off the grill and I get my first bite.
I’m also a food traditionalist. I want my food to be real. That means my butter is made from cream, my cheese is made from milk, my soda is made with sugar. No substitutions! And for god’s sake, never, ever bring an Impossible Burger anywhere near me.
And yet, I am intrigued by my friend Marla’s latest initiative: The Greener Plate Challenge, a 2 week journey to more sustainable eating.
Meet my friend Marla
Before I tell you about the challenge, I want to tell you about Marla. She looks like a carrot warrior in the photo, but she is actually a foodie who loves to give dinner parties. In her words:
“I love to eat. To me, food = love. I knew my grandma loved me when she gave me chicken noodle soup and Twinkies whenever I wanted. As a grown-up, food plays an outsized role in my life. It connects me to other humans. There’s nothing I love more than cooking for people I love and having them around my table.”
Marla was a vegetarian when I met her. Over time, she became a vegan. Why? Well, she says, “I care about eating for a healthier planet – and making animal lives better while doing it.”
She doesn’t like being referred to as vegan because of all the negative baggage that comes with the label. She prefers “plant-based,” but really, she just likes to eat yummy food while laughing with her friends and drinking a glass (or two) of a classy California Cab. And she likes to do a little good along the way.
Marla has a great blog about plant based eating. She shares recipes and info about how what we eat impacts the earth. It’s a no-judgment, no lecture zone. You can check it out here: Good New Veg.
The Greener Plate Challenge
But here’s the idea that intrigued me and that I wanted to share with you: the “Greener Plate Challenge”.
The Greener Plate Challenge is a simple, low-key 2 week challenge designed to share how food choices today affect the climate tomorrow. It offers tips and tools about how to eat deliciously, support a better healthier planet and become a healthier you.
Personally I love steak and dislike tofu enough to never become a vegan. But I have some planet-guilt. I’d like to contribute to a thriving earth. I figure a little more knowledge and a yummy plant-based recipe or two can only be a good thing.
I’d love your thoughts on this! If you have any reactions - positive or negative - please comment. Feedback is a gift!
Anne
PS: The Challenge starts on Feb. 9. If you click on the link and decide it’s interesting, there’s an option to join a team. If you are so disposed, join my team: The Green Goddesses. Teams will be entered into a lottery at the end of the two weeks and win either a $250 gift certificate to a local plant-based restaurant, or a $500 donation to an environmental NGO of your choice.
We can easily change the team name to The Green Gods and Goddesses. Just sayin!
Enjoy!
That is a fabulous post. It was well writen, interesting, makes me want to check out Maria’s blog. Thank you Anne.
Love this- you need to watch "You are what you eat" on Netflix. Happy Eating!