Author Spotlight
Sydney Decker
It’s official — Panera is saving 2020, and not just because of their newly-released chipotle chicken avocado melt sandwich.
Panera has always been ahead of the game when it comes to their menus. About 10 years ago they were the first mainstream food establishment to include calorie counts — and now they’ll be the first to include the amount of carbon dioxide that’s released when producing menu items.
Other food chains should follow Panera in their conservation efforts and adapt this addition to their menus.
The release of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases contribute to global warming and climate change — and I for one would like to live past 30, so I’m always looking out for what I can do to help the environment. It seems that Panera feels the same, as their new menu feature encourages attempting to reduce the carbon footprint we leave in our everyday lives — and that starts with monitoring the food we eat, as the process of producing and raising livestock, for example, contributes to 20-50% of carbon emissions released into the atmosphere, according to GreenEatz.com.
The restaurant labels any product that’s made using less than 5.38 kg of CO2 as a “cool meal.” This range includes the most environmentally-friendly options they offer, including a Mediterranean bowl with 1.74 kg of carbon dioxide on the safer side and the Fuji Apple Salad with chicken that takes 4.48 kg of carbon dioxide per meal.
Items on the menu that have the badge tend to include vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts or seeds. Foods that pose higher threats of CO2 emissions are meat, dairy or any food that is high in sugar. These foods require cultivation and processing, which emits an excessive amount of carbon dioxide. Straying away from foods like these would decrease your carbon footprint and would decrease the release of greenhouse gases — a step toward eliminating global warming.
Understandably, if the food is already made and the damage has already been done, it may seem pointless to go out of your way to make a climate-conscious decision. Choosing to eat a salad for lunch won’t automatically benefit the environment. It’s important to keep the long-term impact in mind, spreading the word about what foods will help save the planet and the human race. Overtime, transitioning to a more plant-based, natural diet, the demand for highly processed foods will decrease and the production rate will begin to slow.
Whenever I go to pick out what to eat, I always go for protein to sustain a relatively healthy diet. And by nature, I always tend to lean toward picking chicken or turkey. But it’s important to note the similar amount of protein you can get from eggs, nuts and nut butters, grains, vegetables and more. If it wasn’t for Panera’s helpful badge reminding me to eat a “cool meal,” I wouldn’t think twice about what I order.
When I told my family I wanted to eat less meat to help reduce air pollution, I was mocked and told that it simply wouldn’t make a difference, so I might as well not change anything about my diet. But the fact is, if everyone made an effort to be more environmentally aware, a meaningful difference could be made.
It should be more widely-accepted to make conscious choices that would improve our environment and that these choices are not just for tree-huggers to use to guilt-trip those who live differently. Making smart choices about our planet doesn’t need to be a lifestyle or a personality trait — instead it should be a simple choice to consider when eating out.
More food chains need to adapt this menu feature because even though restaurants will still have highly processed items, it will at least remind customers of the options they could be taking that would ultimately help themselves and the human race.
I understand the choices will be tougher and the options won’t be as convenient, since I love a good cheeseburger or some Chick-fil-A nuggets, but I sure wouldn’t mind eating less of those foods if that’s a necessary step to take in order to preserve our planet. I’d rather be selfless toward the environment and consume “cooler” foods than enjoy a cheeseburger knowing the damage it could cause.
The key is balance. Whenever you can, go to Panera and enjoy a chicken-free caesar salad or some french onion soup, two meals produced with lower CO2 emissions. And every now and then treat yourself to a flatbread pizza or a chocolate chip cookie.
Switching up your lifestyle and meal plan is hard, but if more restaurants would remind you which food choices are environmentally friendly, it would certainly make a significant impact and would work toward helping reduce carbon emissions. So for those trying to lessen their carbon footprint, let Panera help you put your money where your mouth is — quite literally. Besides, veggie wraps are better than steak sandwiches anyways.
Interesting!!