What does it mean to be “green”? Typically, we mean that the action in question is done in alignment with what’s best for (or at least not harmful to) the environment. What we choose to eat has an enormous impact on the environment as a whole and the environment that is your body. All this month we’re looking at green ideas that benefit the environment, and more importantly, benefit you directly.

Simple Things You Can Do to Eat Greener

Meatless Mondays (or Tuesdays or any day of the week)

Making one dinner a week a meatless one has loads of benefits. Probably the most beneficial to you is that you’ll be healthier. Studies show that those who eat a plant-based diet weigh less and are less likely to develop heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Pick one day this week and replace your dinner’s meat entree with a bean-based dish such as Tuscan Bean Burgers or an omelette with sautéed vegetables. Once you get into the habit of once a week, try twice a week for even more health benefits. One more benefit: you’ll save money at the grocery store. Next time you’re shopping, compare the cost of beef to the cost of a can of beans. That savings will really add up!

Buy Fresh, Not Processed

This is a double-bonus tip: buy fresh foods (found along the perimeter of your supermarket). They’re less likely to be processed so the first benefit is less packaging being created and thrown into our ever-growing garbage dumps. Bonus to you: you’re automatically eating healthier. Packaged foods need additives to keep them from spoiling quickly so they can sit on the shelf for a long time. This means preservatives like sodium are added. And we know that too much sodium drives up our blood pressures, increasing our risk of heart disease and stroke.  Man-made ingredients such as trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup are also added. Our bodies don’t process these as real food and they also contribute to diseases such as heart disease and obesity.

Your Homework

Try Tuscan Bean Burgers for dinner one night this week. If using canned beans, be sure to rinse and drain them very well (this will remove almost half the sodium listed on the package).

Tuscan Bean Burgers
(click here for the printable PDF)

Serves 10 as a side dish, or makes about 9 burgers

½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans (or other white beans), rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup dried bread crumbs (for burgers only)
canola oil spray

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
If using as a side salad, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
If using to make burgers, process all ingredients, except for bread crumbs, in a food processor. You’ll want the beans ground up a bit, but still chunky. Scoop out into a large bowl. Add bread crumbs and mix well.
Form burgers using ½ cup mixture for each burger.
Spray a saute pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Brown burgers on each side and cook until heated through, 3 – 5 minutes per side. Serve with your favorite burger accompaniments.

Have a favorite vegetable-based meal? I’d love to hear about it.