Tips to Eat More Sustainably
Our planet is under enormous pressure from human existence and we are now in a period of “Global Boiling” as per the UN chief. As our planet continues to smash every measurement of temperature record in history and extreme climate events become evermore frequent, our everyday eating choices have never held more importance.
Working towards a sustainable diet does not have to mean sacrificing flavour or spending more. There are some simple things we can all do to help ease the burden on the world, benefit our bodies and reduce our grocery bills.
Tip 1: Shop in small quantities - leave the “just in case” perishable purchases at the grocery store or market. Don’t be fooled by buying in bulk. Sometimes life gets away from us and purchases made with the best intentions can be forgotten and left to expire in the fridge. Where possible, make smaller purchases of fresh, perishable items and don’t be afraid to use the freezer to make things last!
Tip 2: Save your scraps - Vegetable scraps, animal bones and cheese rinds are a great way to add extra flavour into your cooking. You can use these to make simple stocks that can then be added to stews, soups, risotto and more to add some zero-waste goodness. To make things more efficient, freeze those scraps in containers until you have a good amount, simmer in water and strain.
Tip 3: Eat more beans - 60 billion livestock animals are raised every year on the planet; a practice that is responsible for somewhere between 18% and a whopping 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting down on your animal protein consumption can have a large positive impact. But a reduction in eating meat can diminish a valuable source of protein. The solution: Beans! Beans and pulses provide a delicious solution that is great for farmers, soil and our bodies.
Tip 4: Avoid excess packaging - We are all now aware of micro-plastics and the increasing presence in our oceans and food. With only 9% of plastics being recycled and an estimated 30 million tonnes of plastic waste in our seas and oceans, reducing our reliance on them is paramount. If there is an option to buy items loose rather than in their own packaging, or shopping at a zero-packaging bulk store, you are making a positive impact.
Tip 5: Support your local farmer’s market - Eating produce grown locally surprisingly does not necessarily reduce the carbon footprint of the food we eat. Transport only accounts for around 7% of the total greenhouse gas emissions of food. But it does connect us with the land, environment and food producers. It’s far easier to directly ask the farmer how something is grown at your local market than from a farm in Chile. These conversations and interactions connect us but also supports agricultural practices that generally support organic and regenerative growing methods, all of which are critically important to building back resilience, biodiversity and soil health.
Tip 6: Take home leftovers - 58% of all food in Canada is lost or wasted. 32% has the ability to be redirected to Canadians. Reducing food waste is another way to curb our consumption and lessen the pressure on the planet to produce food.
The next time you find yourself at a restaurant and have leftovers, consider having it packed up to enjoy the next day. Just think about how satisfying those first few bites were and savor the opportunity to relive those moments the next day. It might also save you buying lunch!
