4 simple ways to shop sustainably for groceries 🛒 🌱

What are some things you consider when choosing the foods you shop for?

Do you know which food items help us maintain Earth's natural resources?

Confused Travolta from Pulp Fiction in the grocery store

Having a keen eye for sustainable food products will help you get started on your sustainable shopping journey!

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Sustainable Grocery Shopping in Small Steps

Sustainable shopping revolves aroundthree main questions to ask yourself while shopping.

In her book How to Be a Conscious Eater , Sophie Egan states, "Ask yourself if you are optimizing at least one of these factors with every food choice."

1. Is this good for me?

Is it nutritious, wholesome, and safely produced?

Woman standing in front of food refrigerator

2. Is this good for others?

Is it made with humane practices for animals and producers?

3. Is it good for the planet?

Is it made or sold with eco-friendly packaging?

One of these criteria may be enough, such as choosing all fresh, certified organic ingredients to prepare a healthy meal, while other products you choose may meet all three criteria.

Read Food Labels

Some companies use marketing friendly terms in their packaging that may lead you to believe they are sustainable, such as healthy, natural, and even the word sustainable.

To know which are the best options, look for certified labels that ensure the food you are buying is produced with the planet, animals, and workers in mind.

FoodPrint.org publishes a comprehensive list of food labels you can trust.

Common labels include USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Certified Naturally Grown.

Did you know?

The "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" food lists help you know which items are the top produce to buy organic to reduce your exposure to toxic pesticides. Visit www.ewg.org to learn more!

Reduce Food Waste

When you start cooking your own meals at home you can:

reduce food waste
eliminate take-out containers that end up in landfills
have fun while you experiment and get creative with your food!

Young man and woman dancing with cooking utensils in kitchen

When you have a proper shopping plan, it will help you:

buy only the items and quantities you need
limit the food you throw away
save money

Animated GIF of a grocery list

This short video will give you tips on proper storage in the fridge.

Quiz

Lisa is shopping for ingredients for a healthy, home-cooked meal. Which of these options would be good for sustainability? Choose all options that apply.

Organic carrots sold by the pound

Single wrapped processed cheese slices

Sweetened juice sold in plastic jug

Free range chicken eggs in paper cartons

Did you know?

Once you get your food home, items should be stored properly to ensure they stay fresh and reduce spoiled food that ends up in the garbage.

Reduce Meat Consumption

Industrial meat production uses inhumane practices, contributes to pollution of water and soil as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Lisa Simpson saying, 'Well I think this family should try more vegetarian meals.'

Some simple ideas for more sustainable meat consumption include:

Choose one "meatless" day per week

Skip meat for 1 or more meals daily

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Consider blended meat products such as blended burgers

circle graph showing beef burger made with 30% mushroom

Select responsibly-produced meat

Farm logo

Did you know?

By skipping meat as little as one day per week, your personal footprint will be reduced by 15 percent. (source: www.foodprint.org)

Consider Packaging

Plastic accumulating in our oceans and on land has become a global crisis. It threatens ocean health and is deadly to our marine wildlife.

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When possible, choose cans and glass over plastic containers.
Use reusable grocery bags and produce bags.
Avoid single-use plastics.

GIF of reusable containers and zero waste packaging ideas

Quiz

Jack is considering his dinner options on his way home from work. Which of these would be the best choice for sustainability?

Vegan meal from ingredients at home

To-go salad from an organic eatery

Prepared pasta dish from grocery deli

Did you know?

Plastic bags in a landfill can take thousands of years to decompose. (source: www.biologicaldiversity.org)

Take Action

Lady racing with shopping cart

Are you ready to take steps to be a more sustainable shopper?

Watch for certified food labels and steer clear of plastics the next time you hit the aisles.

Start growing your collection of reusable totes to take with you on your shopping trips!

Use meal planning to help you decide where you have room to reduce meat consumption.

Look for appealing, healthy recipes to try cooking at home. For a start check out 30 Days of Sustainable Eating Dinners

To increase your awareness about sustainable practices read these related Bytes.

4 simple ways to shop sustainably for groceries 🛒 🌱

Sustainable Grocery Shopping in Small Steps

1. Is this good for me?

2. Is this good for others?

3. Is it good for the planet?

Read Food Labels

Did you know?

Reduce Food Waste

When you start cooking your own meals at home you can:

When you have a proper shopping plan, it will help you:

Quiz

Did you know?

Reduce Meat Consumption

Did you know?

Consider Packaging

Quiz

Did you know?

Take Action

This Byte has been authored by

Valerie Verastegui