by Brenda Nelson

Created on: February 24, 2010   Last Updated: April 13, 2011

Lent is a period of forty days in which Christians are encouraged to give up some important things to imitate the retreat Jesus made into the desert wilderness for some forty days. People wishing to follow this practice can also show they care for mother earth by making environmental sacrifices and choices.

In its origins Lent was a time of fasting, and this can certainly be done today for environmental reasons.  Below is a list of things that one can give up if they wish to add an environmental twist to Lent.

1.  Do Not Eat Meat or Dairy

Two of the biggest sacrifices people should consider giving up are meat, and dairy, both of which come with a heavy environmental price tag. These are also traditional sacrifices and some groups went so far in the past as to only eat bread during Lent.

It should be noted that giving up meat does include giving up fish. As fishing boats go to sea environmental damage is caused in bringing the food from the sea to your table. Declining fish stocks are an environmental concern too.

2.  Give up Processed, and Prepackaged Foods

The manufacturing process involved not only takes from the environment right from the start, but additional garbage is created after you are done with your meal. For Lent, an environmentally concerned person can stop eating things that come out of cans, boxes, or packages.  This would include television dinners, bottled pop, and even bottled water.

3.  Give up Eating Out at Restaurants

Restaurants are particularly bad for the environment. They create amazing amounts of waste, most of which is unseen to the patrons. The food products come from elsewhere and garbage starts with the packaging of such and continues to the disposable items used.

This is especially a problem in take-out restaurants as packaging is also a concern. Buffets create huge amounts of waste as they always make more food than is consumed.

4.  Give up Coffee

Only shade grown coffee is considered somewhat environmentally friendly as most coffee is grown by destroying vast areas of rain forest. There is also environmental damage done in transporting coffee beans from their growing ground to your home, and waste created in the processing and packaging of coffee. If a person has their coffee in a disposable cup that adds an even worse impact on the environment.

5.  Do Not Drive to Work

Try to find a more public form of transportation, or even consider walking to work, or riding a bike. 

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