Edible mushrooms are one of the most sustainable foods in the food chain. Some examples of edible mushrooms are oyster, button, crimini, shiitake, maitake, and morel mushrooms. They are rich in proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds.

Mushrooms are sustainable foods because they help us recycle waste. For instance, oyster mushrooms can grow on waste products like recyclable paper, coffee waste, cotton seed hulls, cocoa hulls, and banana leaves.

Shiitake mushrooms grow on wood, wood products, and wood waste. We advise you to add mushrooms to your diet if you want to eat sustainably because they have a higher yield return than other vegetables. For instance, you can harvest oyster mushrooms within a month of cultivation.

Also, cultivating mushrooms is not overly expensive. You can build a mushroom-growing house with cost-effective materials on a small parcel of land. Mushroom beds are stacked vertically in growing facilities to harvest more mushrooms. Farmers can get 7.1 pounds of mushrooms per square foot. Also, mushrooms use minimal water and energy for growth.

In the sustainable food system, mushrooms are a great source4 of plant-based protein. They also contain B vitamins, C, copper, potassium, niacin, calcium, and zinc. These nutrients improve heart health. Potassium regulates blood pressure, reducing the risk of high blood pressure.

Figs are soft fruits with thin skin. The skin can be purple or green, but the flesh is red. Figs are one of the most sustainable foods because you can eat every part of the fruit, including the bark. They also contain essential nutrients needed by the human body. 

These nutrients are fat, carbohydrates, calories, riboflavin, potassium, vitamin B6, Vitamin K, magnesium, and thiamine. The nutrient content in fresh figs is different from that of dry figs. For instance, dry figs are rich in calories and sugar. Eating figs improves digestive health.

They have fiber, which helps soften or add bulk to stools, reducing constipation. Research shows figs reduce pain and bloating in the digestive system.

Figs fit right into the sustainable food system because they have a low environmental impact on land and water. It is mainly because of the minimal use of fertilizers and pesticides. Figs also have a minimal carbon footprint. Fig trees contribute to the environment by providing habitats and food for various animals. They also help stabilize the soil and control emotions.

Mussels, known as clams,  are freshwater organisms with two hard external shells. The edible part of mussels contains 80% water, 9-13% protein, 0-2% fat, and 1-7% glycogen. Some people eat them raw, while others like them lightly cooked.

Mussels have a positive environmental impact that makes them sustainable. Their ecological role in the environment earned them the name of ecosystem engineers. They modify an aquatic habitat to make it more suitable for them6. They also provide nutrients for marine plants, invertebrates, and fish. 

They consume organic matter from water columns and process it to build their body and strength before excreting. Their excretion is food for invertebrates, fish, and other marine organisms. Furthermore, the mussel's shell is a substrate for algae and insect larvae to attach to.

Seaweed contains vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids, contributing to its tasty flavor. Seaweed is a staple in Japanese cuisine. They use a seaweed known as nori to wrap a mixture of sticky rice, raw fish, and other ingredients. We popularly know this as sushi.

Seaweed has a lot of health benefits, and it can improve your journey to sustainable eating. A lot of seaweeds contain anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Even the ancient Romans used them to treat wounds, burns, and rashes. Seaweeds also contain compounds that help fight against cancer.

Seaweeds are excellent sustainable options because they don't harm the environment. Cultivating seaweed offers a lot of environmental benefits because it requires fewer resources3. There's no need to farm with fertilizers, feed, and herbicides. It grows using the nutrients in seawater. It also improves the health of the marine environment. 

The ocean absorbs about 30% of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. The absorption of these greenhouse gases changes the ocean's pH levels and increases its acidity. It negatively affects marine life. However, farming seaweed as sustainable food prevents these dangers. Seaweed captures carbon and nitrogen in ocean waters, reducing the levels of ocean acidification.

After meat, fish is our primary source of proteins. However, is fish sustainable food? Sustainable seafood refers to seafood caught in the wild or farmed without causing a decline in marine life species. Fishes are abundant in the ocean, but the growing demand reduces their population. 

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimates we overfish 85% of marine fish stocks. We move fish from their habitats before they can reproduce, reducing their population in the ecosystem. Other factors also make it difficult for fish to survive overfishing.

Things like rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, plastic, and chemical pollution affect fish populations, making it difficult for them to survive overfishing. Overfishing disrupts the marine food web, as fish are a source of nutrients for other marine animals. 

These animals would enter a state of decline because they don't feed properly. Also, the method used to fish can cause environmental damage. For instance, bottom trawling is a fishing technique that involves dragging a big net across the seabed. This method catches everything in its path.

It puts endangered animal species, i.e., sea turtles, at risk. Furthermore, the net disturbs the seabed- releasing carbon stored in the sediments. It also reduces the capacity of these areas to absorb carbon in the future.

Early spring ushers in the season of planting fast-growing vegetables. Spring also comes with an abundance of leafy veggies and some root vegetables. There are more than a few year-round veggies, like artichokes, which peak in spring. 

Cherries, which are in season for just about six weeks, come in season around late spring. A lot of spices are also spring season harvests.

Summer is the season with the most fruits. Wherever you live, you'll find more varieties of fruits and veggies in the summer months. 

Even year-round veggies and fruits like bell peppers, peaches, okra, and green beans peak in summer. Cherries come in season around mid-May but peak in June.

Fall is the season with the most berries. Even Californian strawberries remain in season till early fall season. Besides berries, fall is also the peak season for fruits like pumpkins and butternut squash. 

The season is also famous as salad season because of the many leafy year-round vegetables that peak in the fall. The season also marks the short appearance of pomegranates and cranberries.

Winter season is when most root vegetables and oranges are in season. Some other fruits and veggies, like onions, parsnips, cabbage, carrots, and Florida-grown tomatoes, can survive the winter season.

The ladybug or ladybird beetle is a type of beetle. In the middle ages, a species of this cute bug was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and were called the ‘Beetle of Our Lady.’ That's how the ladybug’s name originated.

The bright red ladybug with black markings is popular, but it's not the only kind. Some ladybugs have yellow or red markings. Ladybugs feed on farm pests like mites, scales, and aphids; farmers love them as they help eliminate those pests with zero pesticide use. 

Read more about these cute little beetle’s in our ladybug facts