Thirsty Thursday: Sweet Potato a Winner for Water?

Recipe: Save the Seas Sweet Potato Slices

• spread 1/2 inch slices of sweet potatoes evenly on baking tray
• spray or rub with vegetable oil, salt and pepper
• Roast-it-with-Renata at 375F for 30 minutes or until brown, gooey and soft

Story:

We know that eating more plants than animals is a fantastic way to help treasure the earth’s natural resources because it costs so much less water to process plants than animals. How much water are we talking about?

Gallons of Water Used/Pound:

• Steak: 2,046 gallons/pound
• Chicken: 571 gallons/pound
• Eggs: 395 gallons/pound
• Pasta: 222 gallons/pound
• Barley: 172 gallons/pound
• Sweet Potatoes: 46 gallons/pound
• Broccoli: 34 gallons/pound
• Potatoes: 34 gallons/pound

Gallons of water used/gram of plant-based protein:

• Tofu: 302 gallons/gram of protein
• Lentils, beans, pease: 5 lbs/gram of protein

As you all know, my love for veggies is shining and gleaming! I have always loved these foods because they taste so delicious and they are SO much cheaper than meat. Imagine my surprise that by leaning more heavily on these veggies and legumes in my weekly choices, I am helping protect the earth’s resources.

Less stress on the environment will help the movement to safer drinking water for all. Who knew cooking cheap and delicious sweet potatoes, could turn us into eco-warriors?!

Quote

For every pound of beef produced in the industrial system, it takes two thousand gallons of water. That is a lot of water, and there is plenty of evidence that the Earth cannot keep up with the demand.

–Prince Charles, from his Future of Food Speech