Dec. 5, 2021

If we were to make a list of the most environmentally wasteful sector globally, the food industry would make the top of that list. One reason is that it accounts for large resources usage – water, land, animals, plants, etc.

In addition to that, the types of food we eat, how we cook and store our food, and our eating habits also contribute greatly to greenhouse gas emissions.

It then becomes crucial to make sustainable food choices and practice eco-friendly eating habits that are good for our health and can help save the planet.

How does our choice of food and habit contribute to efforts to save the planet? Sustainable foods are environmentally friendly foods that use sustainable resources, produce less greenhouse gases, and are produced/grown/reared in ways that do not negatively affect the environment and the communities that produce them.

That way, there is less carbon footprint, reduced resource wastage during production and consumption, and the planet is happy. A win-win scenario.

Sustainable eating, on the other hand, focuses on the choice of foods – which should be affordable, and healthy for our environment and our bodies. It also entails eating just the right amount of food portion that the body needs to prevent food wastage.

This can be quite difficult especially if you’re new to this lifestyle. However, by starting small, you’ll get a hang of it. After all, no effort to save the planet is insignificant. Here’s how to begin:

Cut down meat intake
You can start by cutting down your meat intake and a adopt plant-based diet. This will reduce the demand for mass-produced meat and the environmental footprint since beef production is responsible for the most greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural industry.

So, you might want to replace that beef kebab with fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains as they contain essential vitamins, nutrients, and protein that you need for a healthy and balanced diet.

Don’t bite more than you can chew…literally!

Mindful eating means being fully aware of your eating habits, making time to eat healthy foods, focusing on your food while you eat it, and understanding the difference between hunger and appetite.

Before you start stacking your plate with food, think about the negative impact it would have on the environment if you had to throw it away because you couldn’t finish it.

Apart from the environmental impact, eating large portion sizes of unhealthy food doesn’t nourish the body.

It’s therefore imperative that you observe good eating habits — portion control and eating healthy.

Practice food storage

Storing your food properly keeps your food fresher for long and helps you waste less food. Some food lasts well at room temperature while some last longer at a cool temperature. Known what food lasts under what conditions can help you cut food wastage.

You can also limit food wastage by labeling food according to the date you bought or made them before storing them in your freezer.

Bottom line
Small changes in our eating habits can indeed have a great impact on our health and environment. It takes effort and commitment to maintain sustainable food and eating practices.

But when you think about the immediate and long-term positive impact it would have, you will discover that it is well worth it. Not only for your sake but also for the safety of the planet and the future generations.

Courtesy: climateaction.africa