GoGreen

My Green Meal
Main research question:

How can you make your meals greener?

a. Methods
• The group members have carried out extensive research about
the meaning and concept of green meal from books as well as
internet which has enhanced their outlook and awareness
levels. Observing their own family food habits and calculating
the carbon footprint arising out of it and also making the
required changes wherever possible in order to curtail or bring
down the level of carbon foot print consciously by making
conscious and calculated choices when out for grocery or
vegetables, fruit shopping and storing. Interviews with health
and diet professionals also helped in changing their mindset.
Interviews
• The people interviewed were invited by messaging and at a
fixed set time the interview was conducted. There were 6
people invited. The response was good. All the team members
discussed the questions to be put forth for interview once again
before the final questionnaire was prepared. The survey was
done using social media. The interview outcome was once
again discussed by all the members of the team and conclusion
arrived at.
• Analysis of food intake in a day
• Name of the team member : Janavi Devrukhkar
Time of the meal Meals for the day Amount of CO2 emission Revised Meal plan to
reduce CO2 emission

Morning Milk and Bread Milk :- 0.75kg of CO2 Milk and Fruits
Breakfast Bread :- 1.26kg of Co2

Afternoon Rice, vegetables , Eggs , Rice :- 0.16kg of Co2 Rice, Vegetables , Chapati
Lunch Chapati Eumind : My:-0.10
Vegetables GreenkgMeal
of Co2
Name
Eggs :-of0.89kg
the participant:
of Co2 Janavi Ravindra Devrukhkar
Chapati – 46kg of Co2

Evening Tea and Poha or upma Tea :- 0.68kg of Co2 Tea and some light snacks
Snack Poha or Upma :- like Biscuits

Night Rice , vegetable, Chapati, Rice :- 0.16kg of Co2 Chapati and Vegetables or
Dinner Vegetables :- 0.35kg of Co2 Rice and vegetables
Chapati :- 46 kg of Co2
• Analysis of food intake in a day
• Name of the team member : Jayshree Sharma
Time of the meal Meals for the day Amount of CO2 Revised Meal plan
emission to reduce CO2
emission

Morning Milk and Nuts 0.6kg and 0.0 Will take different
Breakfast types of milk like
soy etc

Afternoon Rice potato 0.3kg and 0.1kg Will reduce the

Lunch quantity of rice and
replace with bread

Evening Apple 0.6kg Take different types

Snack of seasonal fruits

Night Pasta 0.1kg Bread and

Dinner vegetables
• Analysis of food intake in a day
• Name of the team member : Yesha Agarwal

Time of the meal Meals for the day Amount of CO2 Revised Meal plan
emission to reduce CO2
emission

Morning Sandwich 0.399-0.943kg Oats

Breakfast
Afternoon Curd rice 2.7kg and 0.9kg Lentils
Lunch
Evening Milk 1.9kg Tavern
Snack
Night Veg sorte 2.3kg Khichdi made of rice
Dinner and lentils
• Analysis of food intake in a day
• Name of the team member : Aarush Sangave
Time of the meal Meals for the day Amount of CO2 emission Revised Meal plan to
reduce CO2 emission
Morning Sandwich, Dosa , Idli and Dosa-0.28kg CO2 We can drink plain milk
Breakfast Idli,Cornflakes and coffee. Sandwiches -1.26 kg of instead of coffee to reduce
CO2 carbon dioxide emission.
 

Afternoon Rice, Vegetables, Salads , Rice – 0.16kg of CO2 We can prevent drinking
Lunch and curd Salads – 0.1kg of CO2, curd to reduce Carbon
Curd-0.20kg 0f CO2 dioxide emission
 
 

Evening Dhadpe Poha , Pasta and Dhapdpe Poha- 1.2kg of We can have something
Snack Maggi CO 2 light rather than noodles
Pasta-2 kg of CO2 and pasta to reduce carbon
Maggi-2.4 kg of CO2 dioxide emission

Night Chapati , curries and rice Chapati-4.7 kg of CO2  

Dinner Rice – 0.16kg of
CO2,curries-5 kg of CO2
• Analysis of food intake in a day
• Name of the team member : Aditya Daga
Time of the meal Meals for the day Amount of CO emission
2 Revised Meal plan to reduce CO emission
2

Morning Milk and Biscuits Milk-:0.75 Kg of CO2 Milk and Biscuits

Breakfast Biscuits-:1.27 Kg of CO2

Afternoon Chapati, vegetables Chapati-:46 Kg of CO2 Chapati, vegetables

Lunch Vegetables-:0.10 Kg of CO2

Evening Milk and Poha Milk-:0.75 Kg of CO2 Milk and Light snacks
Snack Poha-:

Night Chapati, Vegetable Chapati-:46 Kg of CO2 Chapati, Vegetable

Dinner Vegetables-:0.10 Kg of CO2
Interview video by Aarush
• aarush.mov

• While doing survey on carbon footprints I thought of interviewing my

Grandmother as she is old and experienced and is able to differentiate
effectively between the present day global warming scenario and the
healthy and happy pat days. When she was asked about her regular diet
she said that she always prefers fresh fruits and vegetable to the
preserved and packed food which emit lot of carbon into the air. Her
breakfast ideas were also so simple and healthy like idli, upma and
poha which are perfectly suitable for the Indian atmosphere and which
emit very less amount of carbon into the air. She concluded that healthy
food and healthy living habits definitely reduce the carbon footprints in
the atmosphere and thus the global warming can be reduced.
Interview video by Aditya
• aditya.mp4
• As part of survey on the prevalence of carbon footprints, I met with Ms. Pushpal
Honavar, a teacher by profession and a research scientist by passion who shared
some interesting factors related to my research. According to her Carbon dioxide
prevails in the atmosphere as an essential component of the Greenhouse gases. The
function of the GHGs is to keep the earth’s surface warm at night time so that the
planet won’t get freeze. But due to the misuse of modern technology and the
excessive use of fossil fuels there is an alarming increase of the chlorofluorocarbons
and carbon monoxide in the air. These gases stay under the thick blanket of GHGs
and increasing the average heat of the globe which we call ‘the Global Warming’.
According to her if we modify our lifestyles and follow certain traditional methods
to reduce these CFCs and carbon monoxide by limiting the use of Air Conditioners,
refrigerators, by cooking and eating fresh food, by walking nearby distances without
using the vehicles and by reducing the use of plastics we can definitely contribute in
reducing the carbon footprints in the atmosphere and by thus we can save the earth
from the disastrous effects of the global warming.
Interview video by Jayshree
• jayshree 1.mp4
• jayshree 2.mp4
• I was told to study the impact of carbon footprints in the atmosphere by my team. I took the help of my
family doctor Mr. Pradeep Jain an Aayurvedic Medical Practitioner from my city Mumbai. He told me
that he takes balanced diet so that he will get required calories. As a doctor he prefers fresh foods to the
packaged foods which are stored in refrigerators for a long time as such type of foods not only lose the
essential nutrients but also in the process of preservation, emit chlorofluorocarbons into the air. He was
quite against the processed food items. He emphasized the fact that fresh fruits and vegetables boost up
strength by providing immunity to us. He also added that its good to consume seasonal fruits and
vegetables. As an answer to my question related to the carbon footprints in the atmosphere and its
abnormal increase, he said that as and when we reduce the use of plastics, fuels like petrol and diesel
and start walking as a regular practice and consume fresh foods as part of our daily intake and practice
healthy habits, there is a chance of reducing the increase of chloflorocarbons .
Interview video by Janavi
• janavi.mp4
• As part of my project My Green Meal I thought of interviewing a
teacher. I met Ms. Shashi is specialized in science and mathematics.
When inquired about her staple diet she said that her diet contains milk,
fruits, green leafy vegetables with Chapati, lentils etc..which are rich in
vitamins proteins, carbohydrates and other nutrients which are useful
for bodybuilding , improving immunity. She was against the processed
food. She says that the processed food contains preservatives which
emit carbon content into the atmosphere and harmful for human health.
The fresh food she takes contains all the components which are
necessary for a healthy body and healthy mind. She suggests all to
consume fresh green vegetables which are easily available in the local
markets and to avoid packaged and processed food.
Interview video by Yesha
• Yesha.mp4
• As part of my project ‘My Green Meal’ I met my sister Ms. Devyani Bansal
an Engineering student. When I questioned her about the increasing level of
carbon in the atmosphere related to food, she replied that while processing,
cooking, preserving the cooked one and even while disposing the leftover
food lot of carbon dioxide and other related gases are released into the
atmosphere. She also shared certain interesting factors of saving water
resources. She expressed her anguish on the wastes which pollute the
surrounding and emit unnecessary gases into the atmosphere. She suggested
that we need to stop the unnecessary buying of things and throw them into the
open later. Things such as used electronic gadgets , plastics and even old
clothes when are thrown outside get rotten and emit poisonous gases into the
atmosphere which spoils the ecology around us and which increase the
carbon footprints in the atmosphere around us. She suggested us to stop this
type of practice and conserve water resources and save the earth from an
unprecedented peril.
Questionnaire
• What do you mean by carbon footprint?
• What kind of food you prefer to eat ?
• Do you have any idea about the amount of carbon emitted by
the food you eat into the atmosphere?
• What are the preventive measures you adopt towards checking
the spread of carbons into the atmosphere?
• What is your suggestion as a responsible person in reducing the
carbon footprints around you?
Conclusion
• In order to make the planet greener it is important that we have to reduce
the emission of carbonic gases not just by reducing our dependency on
fossil fuels but also by making conscious choices of our food intake.
• We need to make the right decisions and plan while hoarding up food
thereby reducing wastage of food and saving the leftovers. Avoid plastic
for storage of food, carry own grocery bags, replace bottled water with
reusable water bottles. Limit meat consumption and switch to vegetarian
diet. Stop eating processed and canned meat. For protein requirement
shift to plant based proteins like legumes, nuts, seeds in place of meat.
Replace dairy products with soy milk or almond milk. Eat more fibre-
rich food as it keeps us full for long duration. Avoid overheating the food
repeatedly as it loses the nutrients. As far as possible eat locally produced
fresh fruits and vegetables as they suit our environment and health.