New Program: Going Green with Greens and Beans

It should come as no surprise that eating food that’s healthy for your body is also healthy for the planet. There’s a growing need in today's society to feed our families and ourselves in ways that preserve the land, our communities and the environment.

To celebrate Earth month this April and always, we're excited to announce a new Wellness Concepts Cooking Demonstration and Nutrition Station offering: Going Green with Greens and Beans. This program serves to encourage your employees to improve their health and promote environmental sustainability with year-round, lifestyle change. Pair our Greens and Beans cooking demonstration with 'The Power of a Plant-Based Diet' lecture for a comprehensive approach towards environmentally friendly, plant-based healthy eating strategies.

Protecting the earth may sound like a daunting concept, but there is actually a lot that you can do to improve your indoor and outdoor environment and promote sustainability. Download our free handout to share with your employees or continue reading below to learn more:

Choosing Organic Produce
Conventional produce is often sprayed with pesticides and hormones. When this produce is discarded, rain storm runoff can actually carry the pesticide and hormone residue from these discarded foods and into our bodies of water, contaminating lakes and ponds.

Buy Produce That Is In-Season and Get the Grill Ready!
Buying produce that is naturally grown during the time of year that you’re buying it reduces carbon-emissions as it promotes the availability of more foods that require less travel (and therefore less fuel) to get to the grocery store.

Find out what produce is grown for each season in YOUR specific region by clicking HERE. With Spring upon us, now is the perfect time to start getting those fruits and vegetables on the grill! Click HERE for a list of delicious and healthy grilled vegetable recipes, and ask us about our ‘BBQ Well’ cooking class program.

Go Meatless (on Mondays, or for the month of May, or in general, if you choose!)
Raising cattle and livestock requires a tremendous amount of water and grain. Going meatless -once a week or however often you choose – will save water and grain used, which could make for a very big impact if done by everyone regularly. Go meatless with the grill this spring and summer! Our seminar, ‘The Power of a Plant-Based Diet,’ can help get you going.

Start a Backyard Vegetable Garden or Urban Garden
Transform your unused space – be it a large backyard, a rooftop deck or small front yard plot – into a living area to grow your own vegetables and herbs! This will reduce your carbon footprint by reducing grocery bags from the store, reducing fuel emissions by having produce that didn’t need to be transported, and reduce pesticide run-off into our waters by choosing to grow organically. Plus, you save money by growing your own, and if you’ve got a small grill, throw your homegrown veggies right on for a quick meal or side dish – it’s a win-win!

Read What to Plant Now for more information on when – and what – to plant, all year long!

Start a Compost
Recycling your discarded vegetable peelings, egg shells, plant clippings, and fruit cores, along with old newspapers and dry leaves, is a great way to build your own composting pile. This not only reduces traditional food waste and eliminates pesticide run-off, but it also turns into a reusable soil that can be added to your flower pots and gardens!

Join a CSA and Attend Farmers’ Markets
Joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and/or buying your produce and meats from Farmers’ Markets is a great way to support locally-grown produce and reduces fuel emissions and plastic bag waste, and generally enhances the flavor and quality of your meals. Farmers’ Markets usually begin in the spring and are abundant all summer – check with your local Chamber of Commerce for more information on market schedules and location.

Improve Your Kitchen ‘Hygiene’
You can reduce weekly food waste and really maximize your healthy pantry by planning out your weekly meals in advance, cooking or grilling in bulk and packaging leftovers for quick grab & go, and getting creative to use leftover ingredients to their fullest. Being organized and establishing good kitchen systems will ensure that you’re not throwing away a ton of uneaten food each week, or over-buying. This will not only improve your kitchen space and mindset toward cooking, but it also helps the environment.

Still a little ‘cloudy’ on how YOU can make a difference for Earth Month and all year long? Then let’s let the sun in - Book our one-hour seminar ‘The Power of a Plant-Based Diet’, our interactive cooking class ‘Greens and Beans’, or a One-on-One Personalized Nutrition Counseling event to get you started on a low-carbon-footprint meal plan. All programs are presented by a Registered Dietitian and will help you sharpen your skills and understanding of sustainable eating practices this season. Contact us at 413-591-6729 or visit our send us a note with any questions for more information.