Feed your body & your soul with nutritious food while you reduce your carbon footprint! How’s that possible?! There are SO MANY ways to be eco-friendly while you keep up with your fitness nutrition – it’s going to surprise you and make you feel good all over.
Read on for lots of ways you can get started on your sustainable eating journey.
Most of us want to focus on healthier, cleaner eating, so let’s start with your grocery list. This is the first step you can take to greener eating… that doesn’t just mean adding spinach & Brussel sprouts to your diet. It also means rethinking where you get your groceries.
Make a list!
Think about the healthy choices you want to make and stick to that list. This includes leaving things off your list, like items that have bulky or plastic packaging and individually portioned items.
Now that your list is ready, consider where you’ll shop and make your local farmers market your first stop. You’ll be getting super fresh fruits & veggies while you support your own community. Since these items are grown near you, they use less fuel for transportation than imported produce. This can lower your cost & your carbon footprint. Doesn’t that make everyone feel better?
Grow your own!
You don’t need a huge yard or have to spend a ton of money on an elaborate garden to grow your own food. Gardening is great exercise, but many of us don’t have the space or time for anything too big. You can still grow your own, have fun doing it and even get the kids involved with container gardening. It’s perfect for patios and small spaces and there are vertical options that save even more space. This article, from “The Spruce”, has some great tips and a list of their top 10 picks for container gardens. You’ll be able to enjoy the freshest & yummiest produce and if you plan it right, you can get a succession of seasonal freshness, right at home.
Culinary herb gardens can be grown indoors, year round and they even make amazing living art, right in your kitchen!
Whether you want to cook with your herbs or grow them outdoors to fill your garden with beautiful scents, “Gardening Know How” has a great article (click here to read it) that will introduce you to many herb garden options.
Other grow-your-own options include renting a garden plot or, if you’re lucky enough to have the space & dollars, get a greenhouse! There are some nice, budget friendly options out there and if you love it, you can always expand . You could be the next big thing at the farmers market and you can grow year round in a greenhouse! However you decide to grow your own, start small and build it up as time, space and money allow.
Did you know?
Greenhouse Farming is a growing industry – some brands are starting to become available at big name stores, so keep an eye out for them. You can learn more about this budding industry in this CNN article.
Share your bounty!
It’s always fun to trade your extras with friends… Your extra tomatoes can be the perfect trade for your friend’s extra bell peppers. Preserving your extra bounty is fun and a jar of your goods makes a great gift. Let us know if you’d love to read a blog about preserving some of your garden favorites…. and, what are your favorites?
Get some chickens!
Eggs, eggs, eggs… such a versatile food. Fried, scrambled, poached, cakes, sauces, salads – eggs can do it all. And you know what, chickens are adorable & some breeds are very sweet. I could go on and on about breeds of chickens, but I will not… for now, lol.
Make sure you do your research before you get any chickens. You’ll want to learn all about housing & feeding them. It’s also important to know what breed is best for where you live. Always check local regulations before you get any livestock – it’s not allowed everywhere. If local laws don’t allow you to have your own chickens, check your farmers market & community message boards. You’re sure to find someone nearby, selling fresh eggs. Maybe you can barter those extra tomatoes for eggs! You can learn more about keeping your own chickens here at “Chickens and More”.
More Ways to Practice Sustainable Eating:
*Buy or make reusable grocery & produce bags. Please stop using plastic bags. By the way – Nina’s totes make fun shopping bags – check them out here.
*Get a reusable water bottle. Please stop using single-use plastic.
*Learn about sustainable meat choices here at “Eco and Beyond”.
* Get information about sustainable seafood here at “Oceanic Society”.
*Recycle packaging.
*Eat your leftovers & compost the scraps… including your eggs shells & coffee grounds.
*Collect rainwater to water your garden.
*Shop at local, small businesses.
We hope we’ve inspired you to start thinking about your food choices and how they not only impact your body, but also the environment. Tell us your favorite ways to help the environment while you nourish your body.
Wishing you a May full of bountiful flowers.
Nina & The Yogi Yoga Wear Team
