A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes is good for our bodies. It’s also good for the Earth. Choosing plant-based foods over animal products, like foods eaten by those following vegan and vegetarian diets, puts less of a strain on water and land resources and makes a strong environmental case for changing your diet?

How does eating meat degrade the environment?

• To produce one gram of protein from beef requires five times the amount of water that it takes to produce one gram of pulses which are rich in plant based protein.
• The livestock business is a huge source of greenhouse-gas emissions and also contributes to environmental pollution when animal waste, antibiotics, hormones, fertilizers and pesticides seep into aquifers and reservoirs.
• Animal feed requires vast amounts of land to grow – land that could be used to grow food for human consumption. The quest for cheap grazing land has lead to deforestation in many countries.

To reduce your impact on the Earth:

• Consider going meatless a few days a week: whole grains, beans, legumes and even vegetables are protein alternatives that will provide you with many essential nutrients as well as fiber.
• Choose organic food  like organic granola which will reduce your personal exposure to chemical contaminants and support farming practices that encourage soil and water conservation in addition to reducing pollution.
• Grow your own food! Nothing tastes better than garden-fresh produce that you nurture, pick and prepare yourself!  But when you can’t grow your own, find healthy treats like organic oat bars.

Choose MadeGood for your on-the-go snacking options.

We carefully select dried fruits and whole grains to make a tasty and healthy granola bar.  We use pure sunflower oil that is low in saturated fat and has no trans-fat to help you eat and live a cleaner, healthier lifestyle.  With one full serving of vegetables from six different sources, our vegan granola bars are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which can help contribute to healthy digestive and immune systems. Our organic granola and other ingredients reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides.  All MadeGood oat bars are made in a facility free from the most common allergens; peanut, tree nut, soy, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, gluten, and sesame.  And they are all gluten free snacks.

What about dessert?

Dessert can represent a challenge for vegans as they live a diet that reflects the ethical values.  Most desserts are rich in gluten, dairy or other ingredients with animal by-products but at MadeGood we don’t believe that vegans should have to pass on dessert.

At MadeGood all our products are certified gluten free by the Gluten Intolerance Group, and certified vegan by Vegan.org.  We only include ingredients that are ethically sourced and adhere to internally recognized industry standards for non-GMO, vegan, organic, and gluten free products.  This represents our promise to you that we will only use the highest quality ingredients.

Take our Chocolate Chip Bars, Minis and Squares.  They’re made in a dedicated facility free from all the common allergens, including peanut, tree nut, soy, dairy, egg, fish, shellfish, gluten, and sesame, and are a great choice for vegan chocolate and a gluten free diet.

If you are vegan, we know that your choice to be vegan was an important decision for your health and your conscience.  You can rest assured that including our vegan MadeGood products will make a tasty and nutritious dessert for you and your family.

You can rest assured that our MadeGood healthy granola bars are Allergy Friendly® and Earth Friendly!

http://www.gracelinks.org/1361/the-water-footprint-of-food

https://www.treehugger.com/green-food/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-the-water-footprint-of-your-food.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/food-water-footprint_n_5952862.html

Author: Karen Gilman is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist^TM and the founder of www.nutrilicious.ca. When not working with families with vegetarian children, you can find her blogging about food or in the kitchen baking up healthy treats for her family.