Sustainable Living: What is the Environmental Impact of your Food?

Quarantine is over, maybe, and summer is here. Life has restarted, you got to be places, your stomach is growling, and you cannot help to think about snacks. Still conscious about the planet, you hesitate. What are you going to choose?

The sustainable office: Healthy Food is fuel

Yes, your food is moving more than you will and contributes to climate change. Making a healthy food choice at work, or at home is primordial for your own good and the planet health. Plan A just released their fruits and veggies summer calendar, giving you all the nutrients and vitamins you need, to reach productivity. All the delicacies listed are locally German grown, easy to find and tasty. Now, be sustainable, be productive, be healthy and follow our advice.

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote: "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." This quote from the 1800s is still relevant in our 21st century. Feeding our contemporary world has raised several issues: the rise of obesity and malnutrition, food accounts for 26% of greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of fresh groundwater is used for agriculture, while 94% of mammal biomass is livestock. The list is non-exhaustive, and you may wonder how you can be part of the sustainable transition. Well, diet can be a great place to start. 

On another note, food affects us more than we think. It has a direct impact on our work productivity and cognitive performance, according to an article of the Harvard Business Review. A bit like a mathematical formulation, food is converted to glucose in our bodies, for our brains to stay alert, improving decision-making. So you will agree, unhealthy lunch choices are often cheap (the cold pizza slice), but you will pay the price later when your glucose crashes. A recent study reported that participants eating 7 portions of fruits and vegetables a week, had increased performance, creativity and motivation. 

Fruit and vegetables provide essential nutrients that stimulate dopamine development, a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in the interest, excitement and participation experience. These also contain antioxidants which reduce inflammation of the body, improve memory and improve mood. It is necessary to make smart food choices if you are serious about becoming the next MacGyver of the office: top results insured.

Bringing healthy food choices to your company is the first step to become sustainable. Start the conversation with Plan A, and we will help you in achieving it. 

Reduce the carbon footprint of your food 

Years that you hear "eat local" even from the United Nations. Well, let us tell you that it is a wide misconception. Buying local food is beneficial because you are supporting your local farmers and markets, but slightly decreases your carbon footprint. In fact, transportation accounts for less than 10% of GHG emissions. Regarding these facts, reducing carbon emissions is achieved with WHAT YOU EAT.

How do your food choices impact the environment? Try this calculator on the BBC website.

There are massive differences in the GHG emissions of different foods, for example, producing a kilogram of beef emits 60 kilograms of greenhouse gases (CO₂-equivalents). While peas emit just 1 kilogram per kg. Twenty servings of vegetables have fewer greenhouse gas emissions than one serving of beef. Now, understand that what matters is your food choices. The purpose is not to tell you what to eat, rather raising awareness about decreased meat consumption. Therefore, say hello to an office plant-based diet, and a healthy mind, in a healthy body.

Thanks for reading! Stay involved and keep learning by signing up for our newsletter or requesting a demo here and let us define your company’s journey to becoming sustainable.