Whole foods

Generally, the more processing that food has undergone, the higher the energy and water costs.

The good news is that eating 'lower on the food chain' i.e. more whole foods that are plant-based and with less processing, refining and packaging, also tends to be healthier for you.

So, try and eat more vegetables and fruit (particularly those in season - new window).

Also try to eat more legumes, such as beans and lentils, and more bread, cereals and pasta.

Eat less of those foods that are more highly refined and packaged such as cakes, biscuits, lollies, chocolates and potato chips. Drink more tap water and less soft drinks, sports drinks and alcohol.

Whenever possible, try and buy fresh fruit and vegetables that have been grown close to where you live, or at least within South Australia, rather than interstate or overseas.

Go for 2 and 5

Eating more fresh fruit and vegetables is a great choice.

When bought and consumed in season, and grown locally, they have the potential to lower energy impacts by reducing the need for transport and storage.

Production methods that are low in pesticide, fertiliser and water use reduce the impact on our environment.

Visit the Go for 2&5 (new window) website for great ideas on how to easily work more fruit and vegetables into your diet.

Meat and dairy products

Meat and dairy products are the most resource intensive foods.

Production of a single 150 gram serve of meat is estimated to use over 200 litres of water and create 5 kilograms of greenhouse pollution.

This is mostly as greenhouse gas emissions from freight transport, required to move the food from farm to factory to supermarket, and from the energy used in manufacturing and production processes.

Cows and other ruminant animals also produce a large amount of methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, in the process of digesting grass.

Many Australians eat more meat than they need.Why not reduce the size of your meat serves?And remember that meat does not necessarily need to be part of every lunch and evening meal.

Healthy Australians, depending upon their age, need between half and two serves of meat or alternatives to meat such as eggs, nuts, seeds or legumes every day.

It's easy to see why many of us eat too much meat when you realise that one serve is: half a cup of lean mince meat, two small chops, two slices of roast meat or 80 - 120 grams of cooked fish filets.

Alternatives to a serve of meat include: half a cup of cooked (dried) beans like three-bean mix or baked beans, two small eggs, half a cup of nuts or a quarter of a cup of seeds (such as sunflower seeds).

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (new window) provides information on the recommended number of serves for people of different ages and how much is in a serve.

Eating less meat is arguably one of the quickest and easiest ways to reduce your ecological footprint (new window) and greenhouse gas emissions.

Diary foods are important for good health.

Check how much you are eating and once you have eaten the recommended amount, choose something else for example replace that extra carton of iced coffee with a drink of water or an orange.

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (new window) provides information on the recommended serves of dairy that people of different ages need each day.

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