Food on your plate has the capacity to create a massive impact on your environment. With global warming on the rise, every choice you make affects your personal environmental footprint. Sustainable food choices are the only way forward.
Today, plant-based foods are grown with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fossil fuels which pollute the soil beyond help.
The meat we consume comes from animals that live a short, miserable life on the farms. Their manures are concentrating leading to contamination of the land, water, and the air around us. Additionally, most of our food travels long distances to reach our plates and we waste a great chunk of it.
Can we make changes to our habits to give space to our environment to thrive and flourish? Follow my tips to create a better future for the planet and us.
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The smallest action is to start making changes to your everyday diet. Sustainable choices should be your new food lifestyle. Otherwise, the entire process would not work. Take baby steps for a healthier planet.
Opt for seasonal foods
Typically, foods that travel a very long distance to reach your door aren’t sustainable choices. Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables that grow in your locality that are easily available. Avoid consuming fresh foods out of season. The environmental impact is very high when you purchase exotic fruits flown in through air from different countries.
Say bye to packaged foods
Packaged foods create an environmental disturbance more than you can imagine. The cereal boxes and the individual cups can be done away with a little planning. However, just remember that bananas come in natural packaging after all. Choose minimally processed food options with little to no packaging at all for cleaner surroundings and better sustainable choices.
Buy in bulk
Consciously reduce the number of trips to the superstore or the market. The lesser the distance food travels, the better for the planet. If you opt to go to a farmer’s market, then buy fruits, vegetables, meat in bulk for a week or a fortnight. Condense your food travel to accommodate the advantage of your location. However, food miles are a vital part of sustainability, but the production of food plays a higher role in sustainable choices.
Cut down meat consumption
This is a common piece of advice for those looking for sustainable food choices. It is important because animal foods have a bigger carbon, water, and environmental footprint than plant-based foods. Modern agriculture practices feed plants to animals in an efficient manner. Hence, we can cut out the middlemen and directly consume plants.
Grow your own food
One of the best sustainable choices for food consumption is to grow your own. Nonetheless, you can start as small as one pot on your balcony. Go from basil leaves, or herbs to fruits and vegetables one at a time. Additionally, this will help you get the much-needed screen-free time and some quality time with soil and nature. Nonetheless, the glorious sun and the breathing plants can be the perfect therapy in this fast-paced life.
Go organic – one of the greatest sustainable food choices
Organic food items have fewer pesticides as per their regulations and make perfect sustainable choices. They are rid of synthetic chemicals and are the healthier options out there. Additionally, they follow environmental-friendly methods such as cover crops, natural manures, and composting for best soil practices.
Keep an eye on your food waste
There is a lot of behind-the-stage work going on before food reaches your plate. You alone can control the waste generation and keep it to a bare minimum. Sadly, we use a lot of resources such as water, soil, fossil fuels, and crop inputs among others to generate food that we don’t even eat. Primarily, food waste happens to the consumer, where you can make all the difference.
Make sustainable food choices for a better tomorrow
It is a very small role to play to make changes for the global climatic changes. However, you can do the least by making a conscious choice in matters related to food.