We’re all choosing to live more consciously; from the clothing we wear to sorting our rubbish and everything in between. While we’re all well versed in eating well to nourish our bodies, are we as well versed in eating to preserve the planet? How our food is produced, and the environmental expenditure it took for that food to end up in your shopping basket is often overlooked.
We’re calling it now: sustainable eating will become a trend in 2023! Confused about what that means? You’re not alone. Here are some tips to keep in mind when trying to be more conscious about how and what you eat.
Eat seasonally and locally when you can.
By choosing to shop for fruit and vegetables that are in season, it’s more likely that the produce has been grown locally and not imported. Locally grown usually means that there were less resources used to get it from the farm to the market, and then to your home.
Start reading ingredient panels.
If you can’t recognise the ingredient or pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t be eating it! If it’s not natural, chances are it took some sort of toll on the environment in one way or another to produce it.
Don’t be fooled by greenwashing.
It’s becoming more and more common for brands to mislead consumers into thinking their product is sustainable by using eco buzzwords and clever design. There isn’t really much regulation on this, so it pays to be savvy on the common greenwashing tricks. Trust brands that have transparency on their sustainability values on their website and that encourage their customers to learn more. Do your research!
Plant based doesn’t always mean better for you or better for the environment.
It’s almost like we’re finally coming full circle on this – some vegan products claiming to be sustainable and healthy are actually just full of highly processed ingredients that have cost the earth more to produce than its natural equivalent.
If the food didn’t exist 50 years ago, it’s probably not good for you.
This is a very loose rule and can be interpreted in your own way, but generally speaking if the food or ingredient has only emerged into existence recently, the chances are there has been some serious mad scientist lab work to create it! As always, it is always best to stay away from processed, artificial or modified foods if possible.
At WholeLife, we’re proud to support brands that go the extra mile and choose to be transparent about how their product comes to be. Transparency is everything to ensure we can continue to support sustainable business.
Ceres Organics support sustainable and local farming practices by sourcing their ingredients where they’re grown best and supporting the local farmers.
Planut are cutting down on unnecessary filler ingredients and reducing their packaging needs by offering a concentrated plant milk product.
Good Fish and Fish4Ever support sustainable fishing practices in ecologically viable conditions.
Pacific Harvest and Loving Earth support ethical ingredient sourcing and use recyclable packaging.
True Gum are making chewing gum with no plastic to prevent microplastics from entering our oceans and food chains.
We love to support brands that are making conscious choices to make a difference!
