Eat your browns

Which is better for the environment? Brown bread and rice or their white cousins? Yup, you guessed it.

White, or “refined” bread and rice go through quite a process to get them looking so blanched, and the result is that a lot of the nutritional value and fibre is stripped out of the food.

Not only are brown bread (wholewheat preferably) and brown rice healthier, they require less processing and are thus also a better environmental choice.

Try swopping a few white bread or rice meals for brown -- if you love the white versions, it may take a little getting used to, but give it a chance. Ideally, look out for the words "whole wheat" or "whole meal" on bread instead of just "brown".

- Olivia Rose-Innes, EnviroHealth Editor, Health24, July 2012