Why Sustainable Eating Matters (And How To Do It)
When you look at the environmental challenges facing the world right now, they may seem monumental. Between our dependency on fossil fuels to issues of overpopulation, it’s easy to feel like fixing these problems are beyond your control. But, as the old saying goes, small ripples make big waves. And one of the most repetitive, “small” actions we all do every day is eat. There’s been a lot of hype recently around sustainable eating. Google can show you about 10,000 different articles on how to “eat right.” But first, you’ve got to understand why sustainable eating might be one of the easiest ways to start saving the Earth.
Why Sustainable Eating Matters
Let’s do some math. We eat every day, at least three times a day, every week, month, and year of our lives. When you add it all up, we eat about 1,000 times a year. That’s a lot of time, energy, resources, and money spent on food! Consider this: there is nothing we spend our money on more frequently than what we eat. According to the USDA, Americans spend almost 10% of their budgets each year on food. Everything we put into our shopping baskets has an impact on the economy and on the environment. What we spend our money on drives what is considered valuable, and that’s powerful. Creating demand for sustainable products lets companies know that if they want to make more profit, they need to be sustainable. Using your personal power to seek out sustainable eating options sends a big message to companies. This can be the start of positive changes in food sourcing, growing technique, and employee treatment.
So what is the environmental impact of food? And how is “sustainable eating” better? Right now, 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions are produced by the food industry. 50% of our habitable land is used for agriculture. In American, food travels an average of 1,500 miles from where it’s grown to get to your plate. It’s true- we all have to eat, and creating food will always use natural resources. But, the concept of sustainable eating offers some simple solutions to our current issues in the food system. Like everything else good in life, eating for the planet is complicated. It’s going to look different for everyone, depending on their bodies’ needs and restrictions and how much they can spend on groceries (to name a few factors). Instead of a rulebook, I’d like to offer three questions we can ask about our food to start eating more sustainably:
How’s it produced?
How many resources and how much space is being used to create your food? What about chemicals and hormones? Toxic waste from pesticides and excessive animal waste is becoming a notable cause of pollution to waterways, air, and soil. If you have the means, consider purchasing organic and free-range foods. Learn more about the environmental impacts of producing some common foods here. To reduce the space and water needed to produce your food, consider swapping meat for plant-based proteins such as quinoa, chickpeas, or lentils a few times a week.
Where’s it coming from?
Are you eating tropical fruit in Colorado in December? If so, it was likely flown halfway across the world to get to you. The farther away something had to come from to get into your belly, the bigger of a toll it’s taking on the environment. Do some research to find out what the seasonal foods are where you live, and consider supporting your nearby community by shopping at local farmers’ markets.
What’s it coming in?
Are you picking up a bunch of raw carrots from a bucket? Or are you eating pre-packaged granola bars that came in their own box, which came from a bigger box? To reduce unnecessary waste, switch to reusable shopping bags, use reusable produce bags, and shop in the bulk section for goods that you might usually buy canned or packaged. If you spend a lot of time on the go, try making some of your favorite pre-packaged snacks at home and storing them in beeswax wraps like these.
It would be easier for me to tell you to stop eating meat since that’s one of the big ways I aim to lower my stomach’s impact on the environment. But the reality of eating sustainably is more complicated than that. If we all stop eating meat and switch to eating processed alternatives that are plant-based but shipped to us from 3,000 miles away, we’re no better off (and neither is Momma Earth). Instead, I urge you to think critically about the many facets affecting your foods footprint and make the changes you need to make your plates impact a positive one.
Eating consciously means doing it all the time, not just when it’s easy for us. For those of us that spend a lot of time on the road, that means keeping up with our good eating habits through road trips, international flights, and weeks in the backcountry. Consider what reusable products you can bring to limit relying on single-use items. Find out where to get local food when you’re away from home. The climate crisis is big, but little habits turn into big changes, and every one of your 1,095 meals counts.
P.S. Check out the awesome local food map created by farmtocrag.org to find local food when you travel!