Know your meat and fish.  There is seasonality for both. 

According to Food and Water Watch, less than 2 percent of imported seafood is inspected. Check out their Smart Seafood Guide.  

Shop at reliable sources such as the Santa Monica Seafood Company on Wilshire Blvd.  They'll tell you what they have that is local and also what's in season.  

Fish Farming Doesn't make it sustainable, good or tasty.  

Here are some facts from Seafood Watch. 

"Aquaculture, or fish farming, sounds like a great solution to the ever-increasing pressures on our ocean resources. And it can be a useful alternative. Today, half of our seafood comes from farms. People are raising fish, shrimp and oysters like farmers raise cattle and chickens. But the ecological impact of fish farming depends on the species chosen, where the farm is located, and how they are raised.

As a society, we can create sustainable aquaculture that limits habitat damage; prevents the spread of disease and non-native species; and minimizes the use of wild fish as feed."

Learn more about Acquculture at the Monterey Bay Acquarium webstie. 

Join a meat CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) like Healthy Family Farms.

Each Tuesday Victoria sends out an email telling what they have available that week.  They always have chickens, ducks and eggs.  They also have beef, pork and lamb depending on what's been slaughtered recently.  

I've been a vegetarian for 20 years.  I joined this CSA when I moved back from Italy so I could get fresh meat for my family.  I have a confession to make:  the lamb I bought smelled so good when I cooked it I had to taste it.  YUM!  (I know, all you vegetarians are yelling at me now.)  

BUT what I think is important is that you know where your meat comes from, what it ate, how it lived and how it is slaughtered.  All of these things, just like with vegetables and fruit, have an impact on the quality and taste of the meat. 

It does cost more, but it is worth it and SO ARE YOU!  Here's a link to the Healthy Family Farms FB page. 

Monterey Bay Acquarium is one of the best resources there is when it comes to information about fish, seafood and sustainability.

Find out what's in season, what you SHOULD NOT eat, and what alternatives could help the environment.  

This is a complex subject and one we all need to learn about.  During the time I worked at Slow Food, the organization was starting to talk about whether they should have any fish projects, even though the presidia are all sustainable, that's how precarious is the state of fish in oceans, seas and rivers today.

 Check out Monterey Bay Acquarium's SEAFOOD WATCH.

• They even have an APP you can download so before you order your favorite fish dish or sushi, you can find out whether it's a sustainable choice and what are the alternatives.