Eating sustainably: The easy way

5 simple switches to eat more sustainably! Small differences go a long way and it doesn't need to break the bank. In fact, most of these switches will probably save you money!

The best thing about this is it doesn't mean you have to go vegetarian or buy expensive fruit and veg. Instead, these are switches that anyone can make! An unrestrictive, easy way to eat with the environment in mind.

1. Buy from your local green grocers or fruit and veg stand

Not only are you supporting a local business but more often than not your veg will come in a brown paper bag. Far less impact on the environment as leading supermarkets are responsible for producing more than 1.2 billion plastic bags for fruits and vegetables.* Also you can get some pretty good deals at the end of the day so it'll probably save you money in the long run. Win win really!

2. Eat far less, better quality meat

This is something I preach on a regular basis. We need to break out of the habit of having meat with every meal and have it on the rare occasion. This way you can afford to source better quality meat that has had less of an environmental impact than intensive farming methods. Plus, more often than not, the meat is actually more tender and has more flavour because it has been reared more naturally.

3. Ignore sell by dates

Ok, I'm not saying ignore all sell by and use by dates completely (this doesn't apply to meat... but even then unless its getting smelly I wouldn't worry about it too much). Fruit and veg best before, use by, sell by dates are not useful. My motto, unless its brown, smelly or rotten then it's probably fine to eat. Most the fruit and veg I buy can be in the fridge for at least a week passed it use by date before it starts going off.

4. Make it yourself

So this is probably quite a daunting one for those who don't like cooking or baking but instead of buying that packet of cookies from your local supermarket (which is covered in plastic) why not make the cookies yourself? Not only will you get more bang for your buck in the long run (yes, ok maybe the ingredients are more than the bag of cookies) but just think about how many batches you can make! Also cookie dough freezes really well so you can actually have an endless supply. There are of course many more things this applies to - supermarket ready meals is another (super unhealthy and usually packaged with lots of plastic).

5. Try to eat as seasonally as possible

Another difficult one to do as we have all become accustomed to tropical fruit and access to the same fresh items all year round. And yes, winter produce in the UK does get a little dull so I am not saying you have to religiously eat seasonally. Of course you can treat yourself to a passion fruit from time to time. Just try not to buy exotic fruit and veg every time you shop and reserve it for a treat? Think about how far your food has had to travel to get to the shelf. That is factored into the price of that product. This means seasonal food is often cheaper!

Picking apples, Summer 2020

*According to the Environmental Investigation Agency and Greenpeace UK reports, leading supermarkets are responsible for producing more than 1.2 billion plastic bags for fruits and vegetables