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The recent outbreak of Swine Flu -- Influenza A(H1N1) -- is not passed through eating meat but it does makes us reflect on healthy lifestyles and eating habits.

Want to eat better but aren't sure what to begin?

Here is great checklist of tips on what you and your family can do to eat healthier, shop smarter and make sustainable choices, from SustainableTable.org:

• Educated Yourself -- Learn about the kind of food you're eating. Is it local? Is it sustainable?
• Shop Sustainable -- Don’t expect to change everything overnight. Start with one item and pledge to buy it sustainably, such as buying one organic dairy, meat or produce item at your supermarket or one local food at a nearby farmers’ market. Visit the Eat Well guide to find local sources for sustainable food.

• Ask Questions -- Ask questions everywhere you go. Were pesticides put on the produce? What were the animals fed? How were they raised?
• Reduce Your Meat Consumption -- If we cut out meat just one day a week, it would have a huge positive impact on our environment and the health of our bodies too! Check out MeatlessMonday.com.
• Eat Seasonal -- Buy locally grown fruits and vegetables when they are in season.
• Grown Your Own -- Nothing is more special than the connection you have with the food you grow, whether it be a large backyard garden or herbs in a pot on your kitchen windowsill.
• Cook -- Re-learn (or learn!) the joy of cooking. Find great recipes in the Sustainable Kitchen.
• Take Back the Tap -- Bottled water causes a lot of problems, from environmental damage to plastic leaching into the water. Visit H2O Conserve to calculate your water footprint. Also check out the Take Back the
  Tap campaign
• Spread the Word -- You can contact public officials, voice your opinion, and stay on top of current issues with food. You can also help to educate others about the problems with industrial agriculture and the benefits of sustainable food. Click here for more tools.

Enjoy!

Click here to download the full handout from SustainableTable.org or view below.