What are you having for lunch today? A veggie wrap? A tray of sushi from the corner deli, perhaps? Did you bring lunch from home? Last night's leftovers? Maybe peanut butter and jelly on wonderbread?

Buying lunch, especially here in Manhattan, is something I try to avoid, mostly for financial reasons. The least I can expect to spend for a real lunch, not just a bag of potato chips and a can of Coke, is $5, which will get me a falafel sandwich or a bowl of greasy Chinese food, among other no frills food items.

For the sake of my wallet and my health, I've been bringing lunch from home for the past few months. Nothing spectacular or particularly creative; just a salad topped with sunflower seeds and croutons, dressed with olive oil and vinegar. And while it's tasty, it's not particularly filling, especially in recent weeks, as the temperature has taken a nosedive into the mid-twenties and my body struggles to stay warm. I often find that by 3PM, my hunger has returned, at which point I'm forced to forage through my secret food drawer in search of something, anything that will tide me over until dinner, usually a granola bar. Most of the time, I end up going out and grabbing a big cookie or even a slice of pizza as a late afternoon snack. So much for saving money and looking after my health!

Now that winter has officially arrived, I've determined that my diet is in serious need of reform. Salad, traditionally summer fare, just isn't cutting it as lunch anymore. So, what could I have instead? I'm thinking something heavy and warm, like leek and potato soup with a roll, or roasted carrots and yams in a savory broth. Appealing, is it not?

It's no coincidence that I crave these vegetables. They're loaded with fiber, carbohydrates, potassium, beta carotene and other essential vitamins and minerals which my body will use to stave off illness this winter, be it a cold or something more serious, such as influenza. It's also no coincidence that these vegetables are currently in season here in the northeast. Nature, through the helping hand of Old MacDonald, is instructing us what to eat in order to maintain our health.

Not too long ago, most people adhered to a seasonal diet, as produce selection and availability was limited to what was grown and harvested locally by season. Though they probably didn't realize it at the time, people like my grandmother, who grew up on a farm in rural Idaho, were practicing sustainable consumption by eating in-season and locally grown produce. They didn't have the luxury or the convenience of picking up a box of strawberries from the grocer, if the mood for soft fruits suddenly struck in the middle of December. Importing produce from abroad was virtually unheard of and the large-scale domestic greenhouse cultivation of out-of-season crops was non-existent. A very different scenario from today.

When I go to the supermarket this evening, the produce section will predominantly feature seasonal fruits and vegetables: apples, potatoes, yams and the like. However, a small section will be devoted to spring and summer fruits, such as strawberries, mangoes, and even sliced watermelon. One might wonder from where this fruit was sourced, especially at this time of year. A quick glance at the price-tag suggests that wherever it came from and however it got here, it wasn't cheap!

But what is the cost in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of air-freighting this fruit to New York from Europe or South America? My guess is that it's pretty hefty. For such a small quantity of produce, we have to ask ourselves "Is it worth it" especially when seasonal fruit is available in abundance? Oh, and we mustn't overlook the huge bin of vine-ripened, Long Island tomatoes. Don't let the point of origin fool you. Though they were grown locally, they were almost certainly cultivated in a greenhouse. Again, what is the GHG cost of this type of food production, which requires continuous heat?

This gets me thinking about the tomatoes I was planning to buy. Oh, and also the cucumbers. Are they worth it? Or could I stand to break my routine and begin eating sustainably, by eating seasonally? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" So it's "Adieu!" to salads for the time being. Who wants to eat chilled tomatoes and cucumbers when it's 19 degrees F outside, anyway?! Bring on the leek and potato soup!

For more information on sustainable consumption, take a gander at NRDC's fruit and vegetable guide that identifies in-season produce by state. http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/default.asp

Kali Orexi!