The fig and honey pizza from Hugo’s Wood-Fired Kitchen is a virtuous, vegetarian dream with goat cheese, figs, honey, arugula and pickled walnuts. For bonus points, ask for dairy-free cheese for $2 more. Photo: Joelle Blanchard
Dine close to home. Restaurants like HoQ, Oak Park and Hugo’s source ingredients from local farmers or even their own backyards. Fewer miles from pasture to plate reduces every dish’s carbon footprint, so look for restaurants that advertise farm-to-table dining or sustainably raised ingredients.
Shop responsibly. Local grocery stores support the environment and the economy by working with nearby growers and other small businesses to sell their products. Plus, they’re able to source seasonal produce when it’s extra fresh. Options around town include Gateway Market, Campbell’s Nutrition and the Iowa Food Coop — and don’t forget the farmers markets.
Vegging out is in. Eating less meat is a sure-fire way to live more sustainably, since meat operations produce far more emissions than fruit and vegetable farming. If you’re not quite a top chef with tofu, local meal prep services like New World Kitchen, Nourished DSM and the Grateful Chef offer vegan and vegetarian meals for pickup and delivery to make things easy-peasy.
