Meryl Streep's Top Green Product Picks

After the fun of playing Miranda Priestley, editor of Runway magazine in The Devil Wears Prada, I was delighted to edit The Green Guide, a real publication that provides practical eco choices for daily life. Green can be fun, too. And it goes with just about everything—your diet, your home and, of course, that perfect little green dress.

The first environmentally sound products I ever bought were organic fruits and vegetables because, as a mother of young children, I didn't want them exposed to toxic pesticide residues. Protecting children's health also involves trying to stop global warming, which is contributing to allergies and the spread of contagious disease, as I've learned from the Harvard Center for Health and the Global Environment (chge.med.harvard.edu). So the greenhouse gas emissions released in shipping foods long distances is another good reason to buy local. (To find a farmers' market near you, go to www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets.)

At the same time, as a working parent, I know it's difficult to consider the earth when you're just trying to get dinner on the table. The good news is that going green is easier and more affordable than ever: Mainstream retailers are committing to organic food and fibers and selling certified forest products. Also, fair trade labels, which protect workers' livelihoods, are on the rise.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Comestibles

Diamond Organics (www.diamondorganics.com) ships organic fresh produce, dried fruits, nuts, desserts, flowers and wine overnight, nationwide. Savor hand-crafted cheeses made from the milk of grass-fed cows, sheep or goats, from www.artisanalcheese.com or www.vermontshepherd.com. Wild Alaska and Pacific Northwest salmon are free of toxins and not overfished; available smoked from www.seabear.com or www.wildcatch.com.

Choice Organics green, black and herbal teas are also fairly traded. Available in loose-leaf and thread-stitched bags, packaged in unbleached recycled paper from www.choiceorganicteas.com. For more food and drink, see "Tasty Roasts and Gift Baskets," "Toasting the Holidays," "Old Salt," "Oysters," and "Heirloom Winter Squash."

Apparel

According to the Worldwatch Institute (www.worldwatch.org), one organic cotton T-shirt eliminates the use of 150 grams of agricultural chemicals. Kids can sport their favorite animal on an organic T-shirt, made in Africa, $36 and up at www.wildlifeworks.com.

Hemp, widely grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, makes a fitting fiber for a little green dress, such as the scoop-neck, ankle-grazing Orchid, $62, at www.sweetgrassfibers.com.

There are new, organic wool women's cardigans with pockets, $180, and a men's 1/4 zip, $185, at www.patagonia.com. See "The Low-Down," "Reliable Rainwear," "The Earth's Pajamas," "Children's Chillbusters," "The Eco Stork" and "Sweat-free Fashion" for more green and fairly traded clothing.