10 ways to Sustainable Food Choices

10 ways to Sustainable Food Choices

The Red Flag is out, our planet is in danger .and it’s clear that we cannot restore it without transforming our food system. We do not have much time to save our planet. Give or take 25 years and we will be in the red. We have to switch to Sustainable Living in all aspects of life. These 10 ways to Sustainable Food Choices show that you don’t have to go out of the way to make a difference. There are simple ways in your daily routine where you can reduce your carbon footprint.

How many of us pay any heed to food waste?

Time to wake up and be smart; practice the methods of sustainable food choices. What we eat has changed the planet. For ages now forests all over the world have been destroyed; for buildings, farms to rear cattle, and grow feed for livestock. Aqua life is depleting in the seas and oceans as they have been ravaged with fishing nets and trawls. Food production is not only the greatest driver of wildlife loss, it contributes to climate change: about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions is associated with food.

Why do we need to adopt sustainable living?

The primary reason is to sustain our living by smart choices so that future generations do not be deprived of simple things like fresh air or fresh food. Decrease the resources we use in order to protect it, and work with nature not to deplete the resources but augment them to be sustainable.

The next ten years have been declared as the “ decade of action” by the UN. These years will decide whether we can save the planet or resign ourselves to a life of unnatural living.

Make these simple changes to contribute to sustainability-

10 ways to Sustainable Food Choices

1. Eat More Fresh Vegetables

Consciously add fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. We all know that fruit and vegetables are healthy; contain vitamins, minerals and fibre. By eating seasonal fruits and vegetables we reduce the stages of the supply chain; growing, harvesting, storing and transporting lead to a large number of gases or carbon footprint. Visit local farmer’s markets and buy the fresh stock on display.

2. Select A Wide Range Of Foods

The assortment of foods you choose will encourage the farmers to grow them. This way you are helping sustain your diet and the planet to sustain a variety of plant life. 75% of the world’s food supply comes from just 12 plants and five animal species. When there is an assortment of cultivated crops it is harmful to nature as well. Greater diversity in our diets is essential as the lack of variety in agriculture is damaging to nature and puts food security in jeopardy.

3. Avoid Ultra Processed Foods

Generally known as “highly processed foods,” these foods use several ingredients and processes for the end result. It is surmised that these foods are aimed at creating cravings or addictiveness. This leads to more sales and binge eating. Most of these foods are low in nutrients and fibre. The prime culprits are fizzy sodas, chips and biscuits or cookies.

4. Eat Mindfully

Eating in moderation would reduce food wastage, your weight and less burden on the planet. To do all you can for sustainable living, cook in moderation, and reduce left-overs that land in the trash. Home-cooked food and snacks will help you bond with food and bring a balance to the amount you consume. By this, you avoid overeating, a sign of wasting food and being mindless. The corporate giants are filling their coffers and the less we eat, it helps Mother earth and your pocket.

Watch the quantity you cook; it should be sufficient and not surplus. If you have leftovers, pack them well and freeze them for later use. Stop using disposable plates, glasses, spoons, tissue papers, and even straws at home. This is an excellent road to sustainability.  Recently, 17 friends and I went on a vacation and we all carried our own water bottles, cloth napkins and bags to reduce plastic usage.

5. Minimize Eating Animal Products

Every morsel of food consumed has an effect on the environment. But, certain foods do more harm than others. Meat production entails breeding, feeding and slaughtering billions of animals for food. This consumes colossal volumes of natural resources, like land, and freshwater which leads to vast amounts of waste and pollution. Bluntly put our desire for meat and the method of using highly intensive methods, to rear poultry, pigs, or cattle enclosed in pens or sheds is unsustainable.

Meat, fish or dairy products should be eaten in moderation. Consider them as a treat to be eaten on weekends or at parties. Processing meat leads to a release of a lot of CO2. it is detrimental to health or to sustaining Earth.

10 ways to Sustainable Food Choices

6. Compost Your Food Waste

Any leftover food can be composted at home along with peels and crumbs. Now modular kitchens come with installed compost bins. If not, buy one to decrease waste as well as create compost for fertile soil. By doing this simple task you contribute to saving the environment. It reduces the waste in landfills and the transportation of your garbage. Landfills are packed tight, air doesn’t get to the organic waste. As it decomposes without oxygen it means it decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen) and generates strong greenhouse gases.  When you compost your own green and brown waste, oxygen helps it to decompose in a way that methane is not produced.

7.  Find Protein from Plants

Being vegetarian doesn’t mean that you have protein deficiency. In India, there are millions who are vegetarian. All dals, beans like kidney beans, and chickpeas, are packed with protein. They are plant-based; sustainable and adaptable.

Red meat has the largest amount of emissions and if you want to save the planet then eat less meat. Comparatively lean meat and fish have a lesser effect. So, gorge on them and reduce eating red meat if you want to be an environment soldier. Cheese is also a dairy product so are eggs; go easy on them.

8. Opt For Plastic-Free Groceries

Life without plastic seems impossible, isn’t it? But there are supermarkets that are plastic-free. Just make a smart choice and shop for vegetables and fruits that are sold in paper bags or organic juts bags. Or go a step further and carry your own shopping bag. Just think of the amount of decomposable plastic that you will save.

9. Choose Organic

What is organic? Organic food is grown without the use of synthetic chemicals, such as human-made pesticides and fertilizers, and does not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs)- Brittania.com.

The organic food market has grown considerably in this century. Plant-based foods, meats, and dairy products are grown free-range. Organic biscuits and drinks are now piled on supermarket shelves. It is now a billion-dollar industry with mindful systems of producing, processing, distributing, and retailing. Organic food respects nature and augments fertile soil, air and water.

10. Stop The Use Of Palm Oil

In India, palm oil is distributed widely with government ration cards. It is used for cooking and surprisingly to make ice creams, lipstick, detergents and soaps. It is cheaper as the yield is high but the extensive conversion of forests to palm oil plantations has disastrous ramifications on a vast number of animal and plant genera. The plantations have led to human-wildlife conflict which is detrimental to humans as well as limits the natural environment of large animals.

Check out 5 tips to make your home eco-friendly and 3 ways to teach children eco-friendly habits

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.’

.‘This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter’