1. Lauren’s Sustainable
Meal
Lauren Prushan
Professor Silverman
Environment M1 CW Seminar 8
June 3, 2009

2. My Meal: Roasted Vegetable Wrap
with Baba Ghanoush Spread
 Ingredients (and their histories):
 Eggplant
 Originated in Southeast Asia and was
introduced to the U.S. by Thomas Jefferson
 Zucchini
 Originated in the Americas and Mexico
 Squash
 Same origin as Zucchini (a different variation of
the same fruit)
 Bell Peppers
 Originated in Mexico, Central America, and
South America
 Baba Ghanoush
 Originated in the Middle East. Consists of
roasted eggplant mashed up and mixed with
various seasonings (including garlic, lemon
juice, ground cumin, and salt) and olive oil.
 Flatbread
 Originated in Ancient Egypt. Simple bread made
with whole wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast.

3. Why This Meal is Sustainable
 Although this meal is considered Middle Eastern
cuisine, all of the ingredients needed to make it can
be found at different locations local to UCLA.
 All of the fresh produce used to fill the wrap can be
purchased at the Beverly Hills Farmer’s Market,
which is only 3 miles away from UCLA!
 All of the produce sold at the Beverly Hills Farmer’s
market is grown by local farmers who typically farm
organically and practice environmentally friendly,
sustainable agriculture.
 The purchase of locally grown produce and the
location of the farmer’s market itself greatly reduces
the environmental impact and costs of transporting
the ingredients of this meal.
 Buying local produce also supports the economy of
the local community and helps to preserve land use
diversity.

4. Why This Meal is Sustainable
 In addition, the two processed components
of this meal (the flatbread and the
babaghanoush spread) can be purchased
at Trader Joe’s in Westwood.
 Trader Joes produces their processed
goods at a facility in Southern California,
so these products are still considered
local.
 Trader Joes also strives to support
local agriculture, so the majority of
their ingredients in their processed
goods come from local farmers!
 The ingredients used in these products
are also certified organic, thus
increasing their environmental
friendliness because harmful pesticides
were not used in their production.

5. This Meal is Vegan, too!
 My sustainable meal is vegan, meaning that it does not
contain any ingredients derived from animal products.
 This increases the sustainability of the meal for several
reasons:
 The amount of land used to raise animal-based food
products is far greater than the amount of land needed to
cultivate plant food products, thus resulting in less
deforestation for the purpose of creating pastureland.
 The amount of water and grain fed to farm animals is much
greater than the amount needed for crop cultivation (water
preservation).
 A great deal of methane is emitted into the atmosphere by
cattle, and is actually one of the major greenhouse gasses
contributing to global warming. This is not an issue with
plant-based agriculture.
 The waste and pollution created by animal product
processing facilities creates far more ecosystem
disturbance than the processing of plant-based food
products (animal waste, more extensive processing leading
to more pollution, etc.).
 Because eating a vegan meal reduces an individual’s
personal impact on the environment, it creates both
environmental and social sustainability!!

6. Your Doctor Would Approve!
 Aside from being delicious, this meal is nutritious, too!
 Because no animal products were used in this meal, it is very low in
cholesterol which helps promote a healthy heart!
 The olive oil used to roast the vegetables is rich in monounsaturated
fats which have been shown to help lower the risk of coronary heart
disease.
 The processed components of the meal are low in both fat and
calories, which aids in healthy weight maintenance.
 Baba Ghanoush is also a good source of Vitamin C, iron, and fiber.
 Flatbread is low in fat and a great source of fiber and iron and has
10g of protein per serving.
 The fresh produce inside the wrap is stock full of beneficial vitamins
and minerals and are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
 Eggplant is a great source of folic acid and potassium, among other
nutrients and helps protect your body from the absorption of free
radicals.
 Zucchini and squash are excellent sources of folate, potassium,
Vitamin A, and manganese.
 Bell peppers are high in fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E,
Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, potassium, manganese, thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin,folate,pantothenic acid, andmagnesium.

7. Preparing the Meal
 This meal can be prepared quickly and
easily; all that is required is the roasting
of the vegetables and the assembly of
the wrap!
 The vegetables should be sliced and
roasted in a frying pan with organic
olive oil and seasoned to personal
taste (I like using garlic salt).
 Then the babaghanoush is spread on
the flatbread, the vegetables are
placed inside, wrap it up, and enjoy!
 And remember, minimal processing
and preparation = minimal waste = a
happy planet!