By Susan Tallant/editor-in-chief

Attention dieters: along with counting points, carbs, calories or fat grams to save your waistline, you can now calculate “carbon cost” to save the planet.

The “low carbon diet,” brought to you by Bon Appétit, is designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Okay, I know what you are thinking … put the jokes aside and open your mind to the possibility of helping the earth by eating differently.

“ Instead of, say, a tilapia fillet (frozen using electricity from a coal-fired power plant and flown in from China on a carbon-dioxide-emitting jet), customers can choose a dish using locally produced ingredients,” Karen Breslau said in a recent issue of Newsweek.

Production, processing and transportation of food may contribute to one third of the greenhouse gas emissions each year, Breslau said. The example in her story shows a distance of 11,000 miles from China to diner for a piece of tilapia.

“ We want folks to realize that their food choices can have an effect on climate change,” Helen York, director of the Bon Appétit Foundation, said.

Bon Appétit’s Web site, www.bamco.com, shares the top-10 reasons to eat local.

A few reasons to consider: locally grown food tastes better, is better for you, is not genetically altered, supports local families and benefits the environment by reducing air and water pollution.

The site also lists places to shop and dine for local harvest. In Fort Worth, Cowtown Farmers Market on Southwest Boulevard is listed as a locally grown, “homemade only” market with fruits and vegetables, flowers and herbs and even gourmet dog biscuits.

For dining, take a trip to the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, managed by the Bon Appétit Management Company. Chef Dana Peterson purchases from multiple local farmers and artisans.

“ Prior to joining Bon Appétit, I admit that I missed out on capturing the essence of local flavor in my food. Now I feel that my food is a true reflection of the vibrant vegetables and fruits that have just been harvested from the fields,” she said in her biography.

Thank you, Bon Appétit. Eating “low carbon” sounds like a good plan.

Finally, a diet for all of you skinny people. Now I can stop worrying about you.