Guide to green diets

Twenty years ago, before my kids came along, and before it was the latest trend, I was a vegetarian. It was purely for environmental reasons and not for health reasons as evidenced by the fact that for twelve years I subsisted primarily on Ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese.

As I got older and learned more about healthy food choices, my diet improved tremendously. Still I gave it up altogether when I was pregnant with my eldest daughter and tired of feeling hungry all of the time. I know a lot of women have had wonderful, healthy, vegetarian pregnancies, but I have to admit, it just wasn't working for me. And I never went back.

But I have been thinking recently about becoming a vegetarian again. It's know it's better for the environment. The production of meat makes more of an impact on the environment than any type of food crop. Cattle, pigs, and poultry eat an increasing proportion of grain produced from agriculture, and are significant contributors to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

And a vegetarian diet that consists of a wholesome balance of fruits, vegetables, and grains is also much better for your health.

But as I look around now for information about being a vegetarian, I've found that there is now a green "food movement" to match the growing number and variety of concerns about living and eating in our global environment. Here are some of the latest choices:

Organic food: Those concerned about the chemicals used to grow and produce food can purchase certified organic varieties of vegetables, fruits, grains, and meats that are produced without the use of synthetic pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified ingredients.

Local food: Our global economy now makes it easy to get citrus fruits from South America or chocolates and cheeses from Europe. But shipping these foods around the world takes it's toll on the environment. Locavores aim to purchase their foods from local sources to minimize these impacts.

100-mile food: Similar to the locavore diet, the "100-mile-diet" places a more precise parameter on the definition of local.

Slow food: The main tenet of the slow food movement is to strengthen the connection between people, the planet, and the foods that we eat. Members strive for food choices that promote biodiversity, heritage food sources and cooking traditions, and sustainable farming.

As for me, I'll be happy if I can stick with an old-school vegetarian diet. Once I get the hang of that, I'll aim to make it as organic, local, and slow as possible.

Jenn Savedge's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.