Skip to main content

May top tips | sustainable eating

Hi,

This month we will be talking about how to eat in a more environmentally way! Food is a very important part of many cultures, however unfortunately its production and transport can have consquences for the environment. So let's talk about how to aviod that.

1. Avoid palm oil

We've mentioned this before but basically palm oil is very bad for the environment and its production often violates human rights. Workers are paid far less than they should be and deforestation is almost always part of the process of producing palm oil. It isn't easy to avoid but it is possible. All you need to do is check the packaging. Often it says that it is 'responsibly sourced' or 'eco friendly'; that normally means that less harm is done but sadly, it sometimes means that the producers don't allow inspection.

2. Eat less meat

Eating animals is bad for the environment and bad for your health. For instance, cows produce methane which is a greenhouse gas. Also, breeding animals just to kill them is immoral. Meat production also requires a lot of space, which leads to deforestation of rainforests like the Amazon. These then need food, meaning even more land and water is wasted.

3. Grow your own food

Growing food at home is good in multiple ways.
For example:
  • Saves money - only buy once (seeds)
  • Saves journeys to and from shops - and saves petrol (and CO2)
  • Fun and enjoyable for the family - everyone can join in and have fun
  • Sustainable and a reliable source - regenerative and cheap
The only downside is that you need a garden or sunny room and that you can't go on holiday for too long without getting someone to water the plants.

4. Eat what is in season

By only eating what is locally in season you avoid long transport distances and artificially produced fruit which is no where near as tasty.

5. Reduce food waste

When you waste food, you are not only using up resources that others desperately need, you're also wasting the time and effort put into transporting and producing that food. In the United States alone, roughly 30-40 percent of the total food supply is thrown away.

6. Compost your food waste

If you have to waste food then at least compost it because when you compost food it is good for a number of animals including worms, hedgehogs and plants since it improves the structure of the soil and provides nutrients.

7. Buy fewer processed foods

Processed food doesn't contain the same health benefits as naturally sourced foods and although it stops you from feeling hungry it isn't good for you in the long run. Also, the process of producing processed food has negative effects for the natural world.

8. Cook more at home

Often, food cooked at home is more nutritious than food bought at a restaurant since you can make sure you only use sustainable products and you know exactly what is going into what you eat. Also, it can be fun to make food together as a family and is satisfying to eat something you have made yourself.

9. Bring your own containers

When out and about, bringing your own reusable containers can reduce the amount of plastic waste that you throw away. These containers can be used multiple times so there is no need to buy new every time (also reducing money)

10. Say no to straws

By now this is commonly known, but by bringing your own reusable straw, you can help stop this plastic from reaching the ocean where they can harm the wildlife living there.


So there you have it, 10 simple ways to help the environment while still enjoying your meal!

Your Green World Blog TeamšŸ’š




Comments

Popular posts from this blog

16.08.2020 Animal of the week: Elephant

Hello. On the 12th of August it was International Elephant Day, so we decided that this week's post should be about elephants. Elephants are the largest living land mammals. There are three types of elephant; the African bush elephant; the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. African elephants have larger ears, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears. Elephants use their trunks to breath, bring food and drink to their mouths and to grasp objects. Elephants' legs are like pillars. They carry the Elephant's massive weight. African bush elephants weigh 6000kg, Asian elephants weigh 4000kg and African forest elephants weigh 2700kg. Basically, they are very heavy.Elephants eat grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Elephants can live up to 70 years old in the wild. They communicate by sight, touch and smell. Sadly, these wonderful mammals are in danger. African elephants are listed as vulne

Ozone layer

Hi everyone, What even is ozone? And the ozone layer? Where does the hole in the ozone layer come from and what does it mean? Is it dangerous? What can be done? Often the ozone-talk can be complicated and confusing, keeping an overview is hard and understanding all the problems always difficult. Let us break it down a bit for you: What is the ozone layer? We'll start with the basics: The ozone layer is part of the stratosphere, which is the second layer of the Earth's atmosphere, between 10 and 50 km above the Earth's surface and made up of protective gases. One of these protective gases is ozone. There is not much ozone in the atmosphere, only 0.3 molecule of ozone per 1 million molecules of air. This is because ozone is chemically unstable and only forms when ultra violet radiation (UV light) hits oxygen and breaks the bonds between the atoms. It fact it is so unstable that even when it has formed, it breaks down again relatively quickly. This leads to ozone turning back

Discussion || Should Everyone Switch To Electric Cars?

Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today, as I hop on the blog to discuss whether everyone switching to electric cars would really help the environment. In other words, should everyone switch to electric cars? This is the first part of a two-part series, discussing electric cars, so stay tuned for part two!! I would like to start this post by stating that I am by no means an expert. This is knowledge I have from my own experience, and from research I have done. If anything is incorrect please take it as it is and accept that this is a discussion and I am taking on board all opinions from reliable sources on this complex topic. Electric cars are a huge topic when it comes to sustainability and "saving our planet". There is no debating the fact that electric cars are better for the environment than diesel or petrol once they are on the road. But the production of them is often very polluting, with one study show

Major ocean currents and how they affect global temperatures

Hi everyone, This week we're talking about ocean currents. Ocean currents are part of the ocean's circulation system and influence local and global weather patterns. They are produced by gravity, differences in water density, winds on the ocean surface and Earth's rotation on its own axis. They cause the movements and exchanges of different ocean properties such as salinity, temperature and nutrients. Ocean currents can flow at speeds of up to 4m per second however most flow at speeds between 5cm and 50cm per second. Weather patterns and ocean currents constantly influence one another. Ocean currents follow similar paths as global wind do, transferring heat from the equator to polar regions. They create and influence ecosystems worldwide, especially marine ones. However they also spread plastics and microplastics around the world far from their original source. This system of ocean currents is often referred to as a global conveyor belt. Today w

Announcement: Animal of the week

02.08.2020 Animal of the week: Owl

Hi everyone, This week's blog post is all about owls. Habitat There are many different types of owl: barn owls, long-eared owls, snowy owls and lots more. Different species live in different places. Here are a few examples. Snowy owls live in the Arctic . Great grey owls live in pine forests. Elf owls live in deserts. There are about 130 different species of owl. Owls can be found everywhere in the world apart from Antarctica . Owls live in trees, holes in the ground, barns and caves. Most owls do not migrate in winter. Diet Owls eat insects, spiders, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals. What they eat the most depends on the type of owl and where it lives. Screech owls feed mostly on insects. Barn owls mainly eat mice, shrews and voles. Eagle owls eat hares and young foxes. Some owls can even fish like the Asian Fish Owl. Even though some species prefer a certain type of food, most owls will eat whatever they can find

10 Animals on the Edge of Extinction No. 10- The Javan Rhino

The Javan rhino is listed as the 1st animal on WWF’s list of the 10 world’s most endangered animals, and I for my part, had never heard of it! If you hadn’t either, we’re changing that now.  A bit about the rhino’s lifestyle The Javan rhinos are now exclusively found on the island of Java in Indonesia, but were once found in vast regions of northeast india and Southeast Asia. They have a dark grey colour which looks almost black when wet, and their (often pink) skin folds look a bit like plated armor. Both males and females have lower incisors which resemble tusks that they use to fight. Males have one relatively short horn of about 25 cm (10 inches).  Javan Rhinos live in tropical forests, marshy areas and in the thick bush. They are mainly browsers and eat over 100 plants species they find in the forest, weigh between 900 and 2300 kg (1984-5071 pounds) and are between 3 and 3.2 meters (10- 10.5 feet) long.  How endangered are we talking?  Javan rhinos are the most endangered animal s

February 2021 Factfile - a bit of news from the last month and more!

Hi Everyone! Welcome to February's factfile! We are very sorry that we have not posted very much so far in 2021 but we are going to hopefully make up for it in the spring. News: Source- BBC Newsround The great yellow bumblebee has been spotted in Scotland! They used to be common in the UK but their population declined by about 80% in the last century. The find is a spark of hope as it is currently endangered. This is thought to be because of a decline in natural flower meadows and a boost in farming. The team of conservationists that found it were thrilled and when we heard about it we wanted to share it with you in case you hadn't heard! Source- Guardian In the 1840s a bird was caught in the East Indies. It had never been seen before and Charles Lucien Bonaparte (Napoleon's nephew) named it the black-browed babbler. The species wasn't seen again, so the only proof that it had ever existed was a stuffed specimen.

April 2021 Factfile - some news from the past month and animals that you voted for

Hi Everyone! In this factfile we are bringing you some more news from the past month, animals you voted for, an exciting announcement and more! News: The Guardian reports that 'the new research shows that since the 1990s, the loss of hundreds of billions of tonnes of ice a year into the oceans resulting from the climate crisis has caused the poles to move in new directions.' Previously, the poles could only move due to ocean currents and other natural factors. Apparently, glacial losses accounted for most of the change but some were also due to the pumping of groundwater which once pumped up by humans isn't replaced. This shows just how much climate change is having an impact on our beautiful planet. You may have heard about M&S's plans to release 30 million  honey bees  to the countryside. It has faced many complaints from experts saying that this could damage the balance of natural pollinators. It is important t

December Factfile

Hello, The fact file vote has come to an end and we have a winner. This year, we will be doing top tips. These will come out at the beginning of the month. These tips are, at the same time, challenges. We hope you will enjoy, and apply them! News Good news New hope for coral reefs A coral reef in India has been restored to health- the proof being in the noises the fish have been making. Many of these strange sounds have never been recorded before. This is amazing, especially considering that the reef has been devastated by blast fishing, where explosives are used to stun or kill everything in the area. Although the corals are being restored, scientists want to know if the animals are also returning and in what numbers. The Guardian states that  'Sound is vital for reef survival, because almost all of its inhabitants, from corals to crustaceans to fish, produce offspring that spend the early part of their lives in the open oceans, before us