Food is one of the most important parts of our lives and considering we spend such a huge amount of money and resources on producing this source of sustenance, we make a huge impact on the environment in doing so. However, we cannot reduce our food intake or stop eating altogether. What we can do is, make our diet greener and more eco-friendly. We can do this by eating right and also adopting eco-friendly practices to process and cook food. It might sound a bit daunting but it isn’t really. Take one thing at a time and start making changes in your food routine, slowly but steadily. Not only will you be going green, you might also start feeling healthier and more energetic.
Start with choosing organic food over food that is grown using harmful fertilizers, chemical pesticides, synthetic growth hormones, antibiotics etc. Organic food is produced without the use of anything synthetic and is therefore more nutritious since it doesn’t contain any residual pesticides etc. You can perhaps do this more easily by starting your own garden wherein you grow your own food and therefore have complete control over your diet and nutrition. However, if this isn’t possible for you to do then explore some options where you can buy organic food in your neighbourhood. How about sharing a garden with your neighbours wherein everyone puts in equal amounts of work? Might be a fun social exercise too! If you do end up creating a vegetable garden, you might also want to invest some time in making a compost pit. You can use the compost you produce to fertilize the garden. And, its really simple to do—all you have to do is collect all your organic waste, and put it in the compost pit. If you manage ratios well and keep turning your compost, then it might be ready quicker than if you just let it be. There are plenty of resources available online that can tell or show you how to manage your compost pit.
Another important thing is to eat fresh, local, seasonal foods. This helps save costs and resources required to transport unseasonal foods to your neighbourhood. Eating less meat is also recommended—in fact, it is one of the most important things since raising livestock and processing meat is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Also, eat fresh, real, non-processed food. Processed food has low nutritive value and added preservatives that increase their shelf life. Cooking is the only kind of processing your food requires.
When buying food, make sure that you buy in bulk so you can save on packaging and costs. Also, look for products that are minimally packaged. Avoid accepting disposable carry bags. Instead, carry one or two sturdy cloth or jute bags wherein you can carry back your purchase.
In the kitchen, you can cut down on using paper napkins or paper towels and use cloth ones instead that come in beautiful materials and patterns. If you cannot do without paper then look for ones made from recycled paper and try and recycle after you’re done. Use glass containers instead of plastic ones. When it comes to cleaning your cooking shelves, dishes and other kitchen equipment, instead of using commercial cleansers that may contain harsh chemicals, you could easily make your own cleanser at home with some simple ingredients like baking soda, borax, lemon juice and vinegar that are very easily available.
Remember to take it nice and slow, one step at a time instead of trying to change your life around all at once—enjoy the process of making your diet and your life green.
