The first thing you might ask when wondering about lowering your carbon emissions in the kitchen is, “what are low carbon foods?”

To answer this question, one must consider how the food is produced, how it is processed, how it is transported, the distance transported, how it is packaged, and how it is prepared to be eaten. Determining which foods result in lower greenhouse gas emissions can be complicated, and the answers vary depending on where you are physically located in the world.

As a general rule of thumb, foods that are local and seasonal to you are lower-carbon. Foods that require less processing and packaging will also have lower carbon emissions. So, I have created this list of low-carbon foods, organized geographically and seasonally.

Low Carbon Foods in the Northeast USA

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Northeast USA – Spring

• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Chard
• Cherries
• Garlic
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips
• Peas
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Northeast USA – Summer

• Apples
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupes
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Cherries
• Collards
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Nectarines
• Okra
• Onions
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peas
• Peppers
• Plums
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Rhubarb
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Strawberries
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Watermelon
• Zucchini

Northeast USA – Fall

• Apples
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Collards
• Cranberries
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Pears
• Peas
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Radishes
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Turnips

Northeast USA – Winter

• Mushrooms
• Parsnips

Low Carbon Foods in the South USA

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Southeast USA – Spring

• Asparagus
• Beets
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Collards
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Grapefruit
• Green Beans
• Lettuce
• Mangoes (Florida)
• Okra
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Peppers
• Plums
• Pumpkins
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Strawberries

Southeast USA – Summer

• Apples
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Blueberries
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupes
• Cauliflower
• Collards
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Figs
• Grapes
• Green Beans
• Okra
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Peas
• Peppers
• Plums
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Raspberries
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

Southeast USA – Fall

• Apples
• Cabbage
• Collards
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Okra
• Peaches
• Peppers
• Pumpkins
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes

Southeast USA – Winter

• Apples
• Collards
• Grapefruit
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Oranges
• Salad Greens
• Spinach

Low Carbon Foods in the Midwest USA

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Midwest USA – Spring

• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Carrots
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips
• Peppers
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Salad Greens
• Spinach

Midwest USA – Summer

• Apples
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupes
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Cherries
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peas
• Peppers
• Plums
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Rhubarb
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Watermelon
• Zucchini

Midwest USA – Fall

• Apples
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Pears
• Pumpkins
• Radishes
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Zucchini

Midwest USA – Winter

Mushrooms

Low Carbon Foods in the Southwest USA

Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah

Southwest USA – Spring

• Apricots
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chard
• Collards
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Figs
• Garlic
• Grapefruit
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lemons
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Nectarines
• Onions
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Squash
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Zucchini

Southwest USA – Summer

• Apples
• Arugula
• Blueberries
• Cantaloupes
• Chilis
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Figs
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Green Beans
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Nectarines
• Okra
• Onions
• Peaches
• Pears
• Peppers
• Plums
• Pomegranates
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Raspberries
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon
• Zucchini

Southwest USA – Fall

• Apples
• Arugula
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Chard
• Collards
• Corn
• Dates
• Figs
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Limes
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips
• Peppers
• Pomegranates
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Turnips

Southwest USA – Winter

• Arugula
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Chard
• Collards
• Garlic
• Grapefruit
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Lemons
• Mushrooms
• Oranges
• Parsnips
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Squash
• Strawberries
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tangerines
• Turnips

Low Carbon Foods in the Northwest USA

Wyoming, Montana, Idaho,Washington, Oregon

Northwest USA – Spring

• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Chard
• Collards
• Fennel
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Strawberries

Northwest USA – Summer

• Apples
• Apricots
• Artichokes
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupes
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Chard
• Cherries
• Chili Peppers
• Collards
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Figs
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Nectarines
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Pears
• Peas
• Peppers
• Plums
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Raspberries
• Rhubarb
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Watermelon
• Zucchini

Northwest USA – Fall

• Apples
• Artichokes
• Arugula
• Beets
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupes
• Carrots
• Celery
• Chard
• Collards
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Grapes
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Parsnips
• Pears
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins
• Radishes
• Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Squash
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Zucchini

Northwest USA – Winter

• Beets
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Chard
• Clementines
• Collards
• Fennel
• Kale
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Salad Greens
• Squash
• Turnips