Making lifestyle changes that reduce our impact on the planet is empowering. While our personal choices won’t directly reverse environmental damage or stop climate change; making more conscientious decisions about the food we eat and products we buy can help us live a more compassionate lifestyle. This is how our choices can help us eat more sustainably.
Eat Plant-Based
Switching to a plant-based diet is the single biggest way we can reduce our impact on the planet. It lowers our carbon footprint, and it also happens to be more affordable and healthier for us. Start by a having a meat-free day each week or switching dairy milk for plant-milk. Learn how to ‘veganize’ some of your favourite meals, choose the plant-based option when eating at a restaurant, or give Veganuary or Challenge22 a try. Investing in a couple of plant-based cookbooks will make the changes to your diet a lot easier and more enjoyable. Eating sustainably ultimately means reducing and eliminating animal products from our diet.
Shop Local
If you’re able to, shop at your local market. You’re more likely to find local and season produce available to buy, packaging-free. If you don’t have access to a market, read the labels at your local supermarket and try to opt for locally grown produce. This will reduce the environmental impact that transporting your food has. Shopping at markets, where you can see colourful stalls packed with fresh produce, helps make you feel more connected to the food you eat, where it was grown and how it made its way to your plate.
Reduce Packaging
Packaging is a huge cause of waste and can be mostly avoided by the choices we make. Take your own produce bags when buying fruit and veggies, and for carrying your shopping home in. Look for packaging-free produce and shop from bulk bins and stores if you’re able to. Choose glass over plastic, and reuse any jars you collect as much as you can. Bake cookies and snacks at home instead of purchasing them pre-made. Opting to cook your meals and bake your snacks from scratch instead of buying pre-packaged foods will greatly reduce your packaging waste.
Avoid Food Waste
Sidestepping food waste can be an almost daily battle but once you learn a few new habits, it gets easier. Shop more frequently and only buy what you need; being flexible with your food shopping means you’ll end up with less waste. Storing fresh produce correctly will make it last longer so nothing goes in the bin prematurely. A meal plan, however loose it might be, can help avoid buying more food than you can eat and means leftovers get turned into new dishes. Learn more tips for reducing food waste.
Use Up Leftovers
Portions aren’t always easy to get bang on. If you often find yourself with a little extra food going spare, learn how to turn these leftovers into something new. Add them to tomorrow’s lunch or use them as a side dish. Half chopped veggies and a portion of beans can be added to almost any dish. Veggie scraps can be turned into stock and frozen for use in soups or stews, or even frozen. If you can, eat it up; if you can’t do anything with your leftovers, send them to the compost bin.
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