With the global climate emergency taking the centre stage in our media over the last five years or so, many people are beginning to consider their own practices and how they can make these more sustainable. While we’re all trying to recycle as best we can and conserve where possible, sometimes living in a more sustainable way can feel like an uphill battle.
We’ve been thinking about living sustainably for a while now and after breaking it down into manageable chunks, we decided to first research the ways that you can eat more sustainably. One option is fermented foods not only do they carry major health benefits but they can also help us reach our sustainability goals, making them a sustainable way of eating.
This felt like a pretty manageable step, and we found that the tips for sustainable eating are surprisingly easy to incorporate into your life.
In this blog post, we’re going to be taking a look at what sustainable eating actually is and how you can go about eating in a more sustainable way. We’ve broken it down into a few easy steps so that you too can begin eating in a way that is good for the planet.
To find out more, keep reading now!
What is sustainable eating?
Sustainable eating means eating in a way that does not do any more harm to the environment. This means picking produce with low greenhouse gas emissions, possibly by shopping for local produce or eating what is in season.
Sustainable eating covers everything from how the produce was grown and cultivated to how it is packaged and delivered to how it is consumed and the waste products disposed of. When eating sustainably, you need to consider the harm that the life cycle of the products you’re eating may have.
Though eating sustainably may sound like lots of work, it is worth it to preserve the planet that we live on. To find out more about why you should be eating sustainably, keep reading.
Reasons to eat sustainably
There are lots of reasons that eating sustainably can be good for you and for the planet. We’ve taken some time to research these reasons and have listed them below. Check them out now to find out more.
It is better for the planet
This is the first and most obvious reason why eating sustainably is a good thing that we should all be trying harder to do. Sustainable eating is better for the environment. It allows for healthier soil and more biodiversity on farms, supporting growth for the next generation. It is also better for marine life and supporting biodiversity in our waterways.
Sustainable eating can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the travel of food and it can help to reduce waste pollution too, by using scraps, composting, and using products that don’t come with lots of plastic packaging.
It’s healthier for you
Eating sustainably usually means tweaks to your diet that lead to an increase in vegetable and fruit consumption and a decrease in processed food consumption. This can be hugely beneficial to your health and can help to support your bodily functions.
Eating less processed food means reducing the amount of added sugar that you consume which is good for your health as well as your teeth and can even impact the look of your skin, your mood, and your brain function.
It supports smaller growers and local economies
Eating sustainably means eating more seasonally and shopping locally. This means supporting smaller farms in your area and supporting jobs in your region. Supporting your local economy can be good for the area and help to push innovation and investment.
Additionally, supporting smaller growers can mean supporting better farming practices that cause less harm to the environment and support change for the mainstream farming industry as a whole.
More flavourful food
Smaller farms, organic farms, and farms that use sustainable practices tend to use small batch methods and run their farms differently to the way large-scale industrial farms do. This can allow for more flavourful meat that has been fed a more nutritious diet and has more chance to exercise, resulting in more tender and succulent cuts.
Sustainable eating can include seasonal eating too. Eating foods when they are in season means getting the food when it is at its best. This means the food you consume will have more flavour and be at its absolute peak when you consume it, giving way for more tasty meals!
Tips for eating more sustainably
Now we know what sustainable eating is and why we should be doing it, we’re going to look at a few steps you can take to eat more sustainably. We’ve listed a few manageable steps you can start taking below to help you get started on sustainable eating today.
Shopping small and shopping local
Shopping from small businesses, particularly in your local area, can mean supporting your region’s economy as well as getting higher quality products. Local farmers like the ones who supply meat specialists like the The Dorset Meat Company offer a huge range of fantastic meat products that are reared naturally. They work closely with farmers and offer high quality cuts in huge variety, even offering meat boxes for regular delivery of this incredible meat selection.
Image Source – The Dorset Meat Company
Buy better meat
As we’ve discussed above, smaller businesses and local farms tend to offer higher quality meat that has been reared in natural and sustainable ways. Eating better quality meat means support better farming practices that do less harm to the planet.
Eat seasonally
We’ve discussed the huge benefits of eating seasonally above, namely that eating seasonally usually means much more flavourful food. But eating seasonally also cuts carbon emissions created as food is flown all over the world and it can help you to support your local growers again.
Eat more veggies
Now, lots of proponents of sustainable eating tell you to cut meat out of your diet completely, but we aren’t going to do that. It is possible to eat meat in a sustainable way and supporting smaller businesses is a great way to do this. However, eating more vegetables and salads can mean boosting your own health while also helping the planet. Try having a vegetarian meal 2–3 nights a week and see how it goes!
Eat less processed foods
Processed foods tend to undergo energy consuming processes and are then packaged into plastic-heavy packaging making them terrible for the environment. Cutting down on the number of processed foods you eat and boosting the natural and local produce you buy can help to cut your carbon footprint and support the planet, as well as your own health.
Buy in bulk
Bulk buying is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of waste you produce in the form of packaging. It can help you to be continuously prepared by having all of your favourite pantry items stocked up, and it can help you to save money! Where you can, try shopping in bulk more often!
Choose organic
Organic produce is cultivated without the use of chemicals which harm the planet and can affect human health. Choosing to shop organic means protecting the environment from synthetic pesticides and fertilisers that are commonly used in mainstream farming and protecting your own health from the residue these chemicals leave behind in foods.
Final thoughts
Eating sustainably is a great way to do your part for the planet. It can support the health of the environment as well as your own health too and can be done in a few manageable steps. Why not try out one of our tips today?