You may not know it yet, but New York City is full of free food! Especially if you’re a college student. That food can be healthy and sustainable if you know where to look!

As students, the easiest place to find free food will always be on or around campus, and there are plenty of opportunities if you play your cards right. Once you’re further away from your dorm, the surest bet for success in the realm of free stomach satiation is GrowNYC’s greenmarkets. A few private companies also hand out free samples if you’re willing to explore the …

For more Earth Day Activities, check out There Is No Planet B

College years are the days of free food. And free food is even better when it’s sustainable! That’s where Earth Week comes in toplay. Knowing full well that university events will be better attended when there is food, Earth Week coordinators at universities all over the country have come up with ways to feature delicious, responsible meals.

This year, Earth Day is April 22nd, but die-harders like to extend the party throughout the week (and sometimes throughout the month!). And, as college students, we shan’t complain about keeping …

As March has teased us with better weather, we hope for less wintry crops at the farmers’ market, but until later in April, you’ll have much of the same variety as the colder winter months. But don’t worry! That’s still a ton of variety. From now til the end of April, you might also find some winter crops on sale as farmers start to load in their summer offerings. Keep that in mind as your semester food budget dwindles.

The following meal (Meatless Greens with a side of Rye Toast) is a great urban green meal because it was sourced …

Meat produced in large factory farms has enormous negative environmental impacts, including contributing to global warming and polluting waters. So giving up your daily slice cow or chicken for one week every year, or one day every week can make a huge difference. We know you’ll miss your steak. So do we. But don’t worry, vegetarians around the world have figured out how to make their dishes just as tasty and equally as hearty as those with meat. But be careful what you replace your meat with or you might unexpectedly gain weight! However, if you approach vegetarianism right, you …

In case you haven’t noticed, organic foods cost customers lots of money, since, unfortunately, the government subsidizes a lot of industrial food but doesn’t provide for organic farmers. Sometimes the price difference just looks too big, and sometimes you’re not sure of the real benefits of switching. So here is a guide to the five best foods to buy organic (that means no genetically modified organisms, no chemical fertilizers, no synthetic pesticides, no antibiotics unless animals are ill, and minimal synthetic additives). This is not a definitive list; it takes ecological, social and health impacts into account to help you …

One of the best ways to reduce your environmental impact with your diet is to eat locally grown food. Local food has fewer associated transportation emissions and is more likely to be in season. All this requires less energy and water to produce and distribute.

But food is not the only local good that most college students can get. Show some of your school’s town spirit by buying your beer from your local breweries! Near NYU, Brooklyn Brewery brews a delicious range of beers, ales, stouts and more right here in New York City. The fall and winter seasons present …

Cooking with seasonal produce is one of the best ways to eat in an environmentally friendly way because it reduces transportation emissions (trucks, ships, planes, oh my!) and other energy emissions by supporting smaller, local farms and minimizing use of energy-intensive greenhouses. The best side effect? Seasonal produce is always fresher, and it usually has fewer pesky pesticides, which, together, makes your fruits and veggies tastier and more nutritious! If you have no idea what produce is in season, shopping at your local farmers’ market is an easy way to find out. Most of the farmers sell what they’ve just …

When it comes to going green, one of the easiest ways to make a huge impact is to support local small farmers who have committed to growing delicious food in an ethically and ecologically sound manner. The diversity of products and farmers available in New York City’s Greenmarkets is surpassed only by the diversity of its residents! So many options can be overwhelming, so here are some tips for getting started in the fantastic realm of farmers markets. Always remember that farmers love to chat about their products (at every market), so strike up a conversation wherever and whenever you …