We all want to do the right thing. We want to buy organic exclusively. We’d love to buy grass-fed beef regularly. And we’d like nothing more than to eat wild seafood all the time.

But I know I’m not alone when I do a double-take at the seafood counter. I blink when I see wild shrimp selling for $15.99 a pound versus farm-raised for $5.99 pound. I gulp when I stop at a farmers’ market to find grass-fed rib-eyes priced at least three times higher than conventionally-raised ones.

What’s a budget-conscious, environmentally-concerned consumer to do, other than bolt to the dried pasta aisle and call it a day?

The answer is surprisingly simple, according to champions of sustainability:
Eat what’s best for you, but eat less of it.

With one third of all adult Americans now obese, that’s not such a bad lifestyle change to make. You might think twice about buying grass-fed ground beef at $9 a pound. But half a pound of it at $4.50 is doable for most budgets. After all, there’s no real reason each of us has to gorge ourselves on 6 ounces of beef at dinner. Try 3 ounces instead. Same with wild seafood. There’s no requirement that we must have a dozen shrimp in a serving of paella, when six shrimp is more than generous.

It’s easier than you think to get by with smaller servings of wild seafood, grass-fed beef because they generally have more flavor and plenty of protein, and are thus more satisfying. Put simply, it doesn’t take as much to feel satiated.