Everyone is talking about a greener world, canvassing for more globally sustainable and environmentally-friendly products.

Climate experts worldwide believe governments, industries, and individuals must introduce new systems, including sustainable food choices.

So, what is sustainable eating? Does sustainable eating have any health advantages? How can you, as an individual, start eating sustainably to make a difference in the world today?

This article explores various benefits of sustainable eating, plus different sustainable diet options you can try today.

What is sustainable eating?

When dietitians say ‘sustainable eating’, they mean healthy diets from sustainable food production systems. The idea of sustainable eating falls within the 21st-century global changes towards more plant-based, wholesome diets.

Moreover, sustainable eating sometimes focuses on leveraging the local seasons, encouraging growing food outdoors in their natural season without introducing additional energy.

Also, it encourages local consumption (within the same time zone) of locally-produced foods without consuming high energy in climate modification and long-term storage. That way, the environment, culture, economy, and ecosystems of the locality and the wellbeing of individuals are enhanced.

To further understand sustainable eating, we will define two other vital terms in sustainable feeding practice: plant-based foods and sustainable cooking.

Plant-based foods

A plant-based diet refers to meals of mostly plant-based origins. Examples include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, with little or no animal products. Note that plant-based foods are a little different from vegan or vegetarian diets.

Eating plant-based diets, selecting seasonal, local foods or fruits, and promoting organic farming are significant ways to reduce ecological impacts and make the planet more livable.

Other sustainable practices include reducing food loss through extensive processing, transportation, and storage.

Sustainable cooking

Sustainable cooking means you’re cooking from scratch, which implies that your kitchen would mostly contain wholefood and organically-sourced ingredients. Whether you’re cooking yourself or using a service, such as this Gathar Wollongong example, sustainable cooking is a no-brainer.

Additionally, maintaining sustainable cuisine means minimising highly processed and refined foods. Such meal preparation methods are great for health, the budget, and the global environment.

Where to find sustainable foods

A sustainable diet benefits your health and the local environment, and embracing sustainable feeding programs help to end world hunger and food insecurity.

Here are some of the places where sustainable foods are commonplace:

Farm stands

Sustainable food products are commonly sourced at small markets, sheds, or outlets found by the roadside. Farmers usually convey their freshly-produced foods to these ‘farm stands’ and cite the stands close to the farms.

The local farmers’ market

The farmers’ market goes by different names in different cities and countries, but their concepts are essentially similar.

Farmers’ markets are market designations where traders sell fresh, locally-produced farm products to consumers.

Purchasing from these markets reduces the need for transportation, refrigeration, handling, and storage in grocery outlets or supermarkets.

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)

In some regions of the world, consumers can directly connect with food producers through a subscription model via Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA).

The subscription informs the farmer that a consumer wants to receive freshly-harvested foods regularly throughout the produce’s season.

U-Pick

Here’s another alternative selling method some farmers use in conveying their freshly-produced goods directly to the consumers. However, with U-Pick, the consumer harvests the fresh produce from the farms.

Advantages of sustainable eating

Sustainable food practices benefit animals, communities, and the entire planet. Most importantly, sustainable diets help you, the consumer, directly.

This subsection examines the direct health benefits you get when you eat sustainably:

1. Promotes healthy living

Eating organic foods such as wholegrains, legumes, and fresh fruits can help reduce total cholesterol levels, lower the risk of specific cancers, enhance your colon function, and increase the uptake of vital minerals and nutrients.

Additionally, eating freshly-produced vegetables and fruits can provide your body with abundant nutrients, fibre, and vitamins.

2. Organic foods taste better

Because farmers harvest sustainable products when they’re fresh and transport them across shorter distances, they taste better.

That means you can eat fresher foods and vegetables while knowing you’re close to the natural taste of your favourite foods.

3. It reduces expenditure

Sustainable feeding reduces food expenditures as there’s a reduced need for transport, handling, cooling, and storage of food products.

4. It reduces your food budget

One of the economic benefits of sustainable eating is that whole, fresh, and in-season foods are usually less expensive than processed, stored, and exported goods.

Therefore, you spend less when you go green and buy fresh foods from your local farmer during the food season.

5. Establishes positive farmer-consumer relationships

Farmers’ markets, U-Pick, CSAs and other similar developments that promote sustainable eating help build positive relationships between farmers and consumers.

These developments are also a great avenue to interact with the farmer on topics such as food availability, storage, taste, and storage tips.

6. Reduced exposure to chemicals

Since farmers expose most sustainably-grown produce to fewer chemicals such as pesticides, you consume fewer chemicals when eating organic foods.

Reduced exposure to chemicals also means avoiding illnesses and health challenges that pesticides’ ingestion causes.

7. Supports Local Farming

Farmers earn more when they sell to you directly than when they sell to go-betweens.

Remember that middle-men like supermarkets, groceries, and wholesalers would likely purchase at a higher discount than the farmers would afford retail consumers.

8. Stimulates the local economy

When you purchase locally-produced agricultural produce, you can help advance the local economy by ensuring that money stays in the community.

That would assist local farmers, and food producers hire local staff as more people demand their produce.

9. Contributes to a greener world

Sustainable nutrition contributes toward a greener planet in different ways.

First, organic farming helps improve soil health, strengthening plant roots to absorb crucial nutrients.

Moreover, seasonal harvesting enables farmers to select and phase out fruits closer to their peak since they’re sending them to shorter distances.

Also, shorter distances mean shorter transportation routes, less fuel, and shorter energy to store foods.

Additionally, sustainable eating promotes the reduction of food waste, climate change (from reduced combustion of fuel and natural resources), and reduced food insecurity.

Summarily, you contribute to the welfare of soil, waterways, wildlife, and ecological biodiversity by eating sustainably.

How to start a sustainable diet

Having seen sustainable nutrition’s economic, social, and health benefits, you’re likely wondering how to start eating sustainably.

As noted earlier, an environmentally-sustainable diet doesn’t necessarily mean going vegan – you may still consume some meat and dairy.

Move towards more plant-based meals like lentils, nuts, beans, and meat alternatives like ‘mycoprotein’ instead of animal food.

The following are some pragmatic ways to maintain a sustainable diet:

Reduce your dairy intake

Choose less fat and sugar dairy options like milk and yoghurt over ice cream and desserts. Additionally, choose foods fortified with calcium and iodine where there are plant-based alternatives.

High fibre intake

Eating more fibre is excellent for the environment and also nutritious. Choose wholesale bread, bulgar wheat, and wholegrain versions of pasta and cereals.

Reduced calorie intake

Avoid high-calorie foods like biscuits, chocolate, and other fast foods that are less nutritious. Reduce the amount of fast foods and snacks to keep the planet – and your health – safe.

Drink more water

Consider drinking potable tap water, as it’s the most sustainable water source. Again, you may still have your juice or drinks on fewer occasions, but drinking more water would go a long way towards sustainability.

Reduce all waste

Wasted foods and drinks harm the land, air, and water, in addition to the energy consumed in producing them. Eleven per cent of food waste occurs in the home, so there are many ways we can help reduce food waste globally.

Don’t forget to do away with disposable bottles – doing so would minimise fossil fuels consumed in packaging and transporting bottled drinks.

Some other tips on eating sustainably include:

• Eating more plant-based meals
• Reducing eating red meat
• Going for moderate higher-fat dairy meals
• Choosing restaurants that get supplies from local farms. Many restaurants are promoting the farm-to-table movement globally
• Revamping your grocery list, purchasing more plant-based and less-processed foods in bulk
• Eating seasonal foods. When you purchase produce in its season it costs less. Seasonal foods also taste better and provide enhanced quality and nutritional value
• Reducing food waste, including wastage from food packaging materials
• Joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program to enable you to purchase various food produce directly from local farms
• Growing vegetables in small pots at home, from herbs to peppers and lettuces. If you have more space, start a small garden in your home to grow some fruits and vegetables, so you don’t have to buy from the markets.

In a nutshell

Changing your nutrition towards harnessing the benefits of sustainable eating can be challenging, but it’s not impossible.

Eating freshly-sourced fruits and vegetables help you eat a healthier diet by reducing your calorie and sodium intake. Additionally, sustainable eating is affordable and often cheaper as buying in season helps to cut costs.

You can consume a mainly plant-based diet even if you’re not a vegan or vegetarian to advance global sustainability.

Remember: eat more wholesome meals, exercise more, and stay healthy while positively changing your life and the world.