Sustainable eating. In essence it’s being mindful of what you’re putting into your body and how the food you’re purchasing is effecting the environment. Grocery stores are filled with organic food and whole aisles are devoted to healthy eating. It can be intimidating to think about how to be more sustainable, especially in college, there are a few simple things you can do to help both you and the environment.
1. Choose Ugly Produce
The National Resource Defense Council has said that the U.S. throws out about 40% of its food supply. If we saved this food instead of throwing it out, we could feed the millions of starving people in our country. So how can you help? When you’re looking at fruits and veggies, pick ones with a few bumps and bruises. There are some startups that are trying to get grocery stores to sell ugly produce at a discounted price. This helps the environment, as well as farmers who would otherwise not be able to sell this produce.
2. Eat Locally
A big part of sustainable eating is eating locally. Eating locally will reduce the distance food has to travel to get to your table, which reduces the amount of greenhouse gases being put in the atmosphere. Farmers markets are a great place to find some really delicious, local food.
3. Eat Seasonally
It sounds the same as eating locally, but basically this means eating produce that’s in season. This will vary depending on where you live, but it’s a pretty safe bet to say that if you live in the northeast and are eating fruit in the middle of January, it’s probably from somewhere warm, and had to be shipped across the country (or the world) to get to you.
4. Eat Less Meat and Dairy
So I grew up in a house where we had meat at basically every meal. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good steak as much as the next girl, but the amount of energy that’s needed to process meat and dairy products, not to mention the emissions coming from shipping, is crazy. I’m not saying you have to go vegan, instead try giving up meat or dairy one day a week. Get inspired with these recipes.
5. Drink Tap Water
Bottled water is awful for the environment. Less than half of all the bottles purchased end up getting recycled and are left in landfills, instead of being reused. Fun fact: Dasani and Aquafina are just tap water. Save yourself some money and buy a reusable water bottle that you can fill up whenever you need. If you think your tap water tastes funky, try a Brita pitcher.