MNN - Mother Nature Network

Last Saturday I saw Anthony Bourdain speak in Raleigh, N.C. From the very beginning, he was as entertaining and obnoxious as I expected, and at the end of the night I liked him more than before.

 

As the night wound down, Mr. Bourdain began to speak about his 3-year-old daughter, which brought up the topic of food. He spoke of his life of excesses and unhealthy habits even stating, "I don't care what I eat but for my little girl, she only eats organic."

 

Food can be of great benefit to our environment if we make a few changes. We need to move away from huge factory production and rely on local producers who use less energy with shorter travel times, have a less harmful impact on the land they inhabit and provide fresh and healthy foods.

 

The transformation toward more health-conscious eating is not going to happen overnight but I feel we are moving in the right direction. One county in California has decided to tackle this issue by banning toy giveaways at fast food restaurants in order to deter kids from unhealthy menu items.

 

Whether or not organic food is the best option is not important. Healthy eating is a part of a healthy lifestyle, and people's eating habits affect not only themselves, but also the environment.