I figured, living in Los Angeles, I’d seen my fair share of trendy diets ““ Atkins, macrobiotic, South Beach. And it wasn’t until this year, after I learned about sustainable eating, that I first considered jumping on the bandwagon.
The core of sustainable eating is focused more on economics and the environment, rather than vanity. The idea is that the entire food-making process ““ beginning with local farmers and agriculture ““ relies on renewable resources, while utilizing fewer fossil fuels and eliminating food pesticides, hormones and antibiotics. Hence, the process is “sustainable,” and can be maintained indefinitely.
And while the principles behind sustainable agriculture are enough reason to follow the diet, I wasn’t particularly compelled to change my eating habits until I learned that some of my favorite types of sushi were on the nonsustainable hit list.
According to Greenspace, the Los Angeles Times’ environmental blog, groups such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Blue Ocean Institute and the Environmental Defense Fund have targeted specific types of seafood as nonsustainable because of their harmful impact on natural habitats and wildlife or for related health concerns.
The criteria for rating different types of seafood are based on the degrees of environmental impact caused by fishing. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, for example, looks into how fishing certain species can lead to habitat damage, bycatch (an unwanted or unintentional catch that dies as a result of fishing) or overfishing native fish populations, preventing them from reproducing at a normal rate.
All three groups will release official information cards for consumers that will debut at San Francisco’s Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar on Oct. 22. The Monterey Bay Aquarium dubbed this restaurant “as the only fully sustainable sushi restaurant in the United States.”
Personally, I was quite disappointed to learn that one of my favorite sushi dishes, unagi (freshwater eel), was placed on the to-be-avoided list.
But it’s a small sacrifice when we consider the bigger concept behind sustainability: to inform consumers so they may ask the right kinds of questions regarding their food, and in turn, prompt restaurants to take environmental action.
I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical when I first learned about sustainable eating. After all, I’m not exactly one to count calories or order my salad with the dressing on the side, and the very idea of asking, “Who? What? When? Where?” about my food seemed like the ultimate form of picky eating.
But it’s simple to make choices as a consumer when restaurants and food establishments outline the options for you.
Last winter, when I embarked on a short road trip with some old friends to San Francisco, we decided to grab dinner at Weird Fish, a restaurant that focuses on the concept of serving only sustainably farmed fish.
I’ll confess that I expected the worst ““ some sort of dry tofu-like fish concoction topped with all kinds of sprouts and fungi. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by my meal: deliciously sweet mashed yams with coconut milk, and the signature Suspicious Fish Dish (which varies depending on which fish are in season).
It was a tasty and somewhat enlightening experience, in the sense that it made me think beyond the sensory experience of my meal, but also about the environmental and economic origins of where my food came from.
That said, sustainable eating seems like the perfect fit for Los Angeles.
It’s a somewhat positive stereotype that Angelenos are health-obsessed and borderline-hippie, but I’m willing to submit to that label in order to try a new kind of diet and lifestyle.
In West Los Angeles alone, there are over 40 different farmers markets, restaurants and grocery stores that provide food from local vendors or sustainable agriculture. The sheer convenience of choosing sustainable options makes it a valid choice for UCLA students. So, if you’re at Ami Sushi, consider switching your salmon roll for the more eco-friendly Pacific halibut.
Of course, the most important first step toward sustainable eating is information.
The “go green” movement of recent years has sparked a sense of excitement and interest in helping the environment and thinking in terms of renewable resources and energy.
But our efforts can often fall short if we settle for simply switching from bottled water to Brita filters and then triumphantly patting ourselves on the back.
Simply put, we need to do more. And with easily accessible information (oh, the wonders of the Internet and Google search options), the concept of change is not so completely far-fetched, even when it comes to what food we put on the table.
Diet suffering for sustainablity? E-mail Chung at lchung@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.